Above photos of Morrissey Internment Camp where my paternal grandfather was interned.

You may have heard of the displacement of the Japanese during WWII or even of Ukrainians placed in internment camps during WWI but the labelling, internment and removing of civil liberties of immigrants from countries deemed to be at war with Canada and the Allies was more widespread than internment camps and included more than just the above ethnicities. My paternal grandfather from Tirol, Austria and my maternal Ukrainian grandfather from Galicia, Austria were among those listed as enemy aliens. Their treatment and coping strategies had similarities and differences. Finding the records and discovering their stories helped me understand them and this part of our Canadian history.

I presented this topic at a Family History Forum for the Okanagan Regional Library organized by the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society. If you wish me to present this topic to your society or group, please get in touch.