Many immigrants were illiterate, even in their own language, and understandably bewildered after a journey of thousands of kilometres to an alien land. Upon arriving in Winnipeg, they relied on friends, relatives or government officials for assistance. In this photograph note the destination tickets in the hatbands which indicated to English-speaking trainmen where the immigrants were bound.
Almost invariably these peasant newcomers were attracted to western Canada by the prospect of rich, available farmland. A great many were disappointed. Some did not have sufficient funds or knowledge to become western farmers. Others were seduced by the novel attractions of the large city. Still others tried to build farms on marginal land, abandoned the effort and returned to Winnipeg to find work.
It was the hope of the Canadian government that immigrants would disperse to prairie homesteads, as most of them did. But many thousands never left Winnipeg, becoming instead the founding members of the polyglot North End.
