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Irish Famine Migrant Stories in Ontario Introduction

Onscreen caption: Irish Famine Migrant Stories in Ontario

Exterior shot. Middle aged man with white hair wearing dark coat and grey patterned sweater with large collar speaking facing camera, viewed from the waist up. Behind him can be seen a large sculptural wall and a high rise building in the right background. Celtic music is playing. On screen caption: Robert G. Kearns, Chairman and Founder of Canada Ireland Foundation / Robert G. Kearns, Président-fondateur de la Fondation Canada-Irlande

Welcome to Ireland Park, and welcome to the Irish Famine Migrant Stories in Ontario exhibit, hosted by the Canada Ireland Foundation.

Exterior shot. Daytime. Camera pans from left to right to left across five sculptural figures in Ireland Park, with man with arms upraised facing camera, a pregnant woman to his left, a man crouched forward to his right, a tall thin boy in background left, and a sculptural wall further in the background, and trees with no leaves indicating a winter setting.

This exhibit tells the story of the Irish Famine migrants who crossed the Atlantic fleeing the Great

Exterior shot. Diagonal view of large limestone sculptural wall with two high rise buildings in background.

Irish Hunger of 1847

Exterior shot of Robert Kearns.

and their Canadian caregivers who came to their rescue.

Exterior shot. Camera pans left across upper body of sculptural figure of a gaunt boy from the waist up, with trees with no leaves to his right and limestone wall in background.

During that summer of 1847,

Exterior shot of Robert Kearns.

some one hundred thousand Irish men, women and children sailed across the Atlantic for British North America on sailing vessels that soon became known as "coffin ships".

New exterior shot of camera rotating above a sculptural figure of a dead child lying on a circular plinth with limbs splayed and neck at an unnatural angle with open eyes staring into space.

Exterior shot. Same sculptural figure of dead child viewed with camera panning slowly right from the ground with head facing it and open eyes staring into space. The sculptural figure of a tall gaunt boy can be seen in left background, with trees with no leaves to the right, and sculptural limestone wall in background.

At least twenty thousand men, women, and children perished on these "coffin ships," or shortly after their arrival in hastily erected fever sheds in cities in Eastern Canada.

Exterior shot of Robert Kearns in Ireland Park. The CN Tower, Toronto skyline, and Lake Ontario shoreline can be seen in right background, a large grey grain silo in left background. Ireland Park rock formations and a tree with no leaves are visible directly behind him.

They were fleeing from the Great Irish Famine of 1847, which was caused by the failure of the potato crop in Ireland in June 1845.

Exterior shot. Sculptural figure of slightly stooped man with arms clenched towards his neck can be seen left of centre, with grass on ground, three trees no leaves, and limestone sculptural wall visible in background, as well as grey grain silo behind chain link fence to his right.

Exterior shot. Close up of face of same sculptural figure of slightly stooped man, with camera panning up towards his face revealing haunted expression, and grain silo looming above him.

This blight took the lives of over a million people from outright starvation and infectious disease.

Exterior shot of Robert Kearns in Ireland Park with CN Tower, Toronto skyline, and Lake Ontario shoreline behind him.

During the Summer of Sorrow, some forty thousand Irish men, women, and children,

Exterior shot. Camera pans from left to right to left across five sculptural figures in Ireland Park, with man with arms upraised facing camera, a pregnant woman to his left, a man crouched forward to his right, a tall thin boy in background left.

Exterior shot. Camera pans up revealing sculptural figure above shoulders with arms raised above his head and grain silo looming above him.

Exterior shot. Close up of the same sculptural figure's face viewed diagonally from right as it rotates into the shot, with sunlight gleaming behind him.

arrived on Toronto's waterfront, when the population of the city of Toronto was a mere 20,000 people.

Exterior shot of Robert Kearns in Ireland Park with CN Tower, Toronto skyline, and Lake Ontario shoreline behind him.

1185 migrants and Canadian caregivers lost their lives in Toronto, and a further 1440 in Kingston,

Exterior shot. Camera pans right across limestone sculptural wall. Toronto Island Airport visible in background.

Exterior shot. Close up of limestone sculptural wall with inscriptions of names of the dead.

Exterior shot. Close up of limestone sculptural wall with inscriptions of names of the dead, Rose Clifford and Edward Duffy visible.

Others were buried in the cities of Hamilton, Cornwall, and Bytown (Ottawa).

Exterior shot of Robert Kearns in Ireland Park with CN Tower, Toronto skyline, and Lake Ontario shoreline behind him.

To this day, it is still the most devastating migration crisis in Canadian history.

Exterior shot. Robert Kearns in Ireland Park, with four standing sculptural figures and limestone sculptural wall visible behind him, and grain silo in right and Toronto Island Airport in left background.

The Irish Famine Migrant Stories in Ontario Virtual Exhibit pays tribute to them

Exterior shot. Camera pans up from below limestone sculptural wall and glass beacon to its right towards blue sky.

Exterior shot. Camera rotates right across glass beacon and grain silo.

and to their Canadian caregivers. It has six key themes and sections:

Exterior shot. Robert Kearns in Ireland Park, with four standing sculptural figures and limestone sculptural wall visible behind him, and grain silo in right and Toronto Island Airport in left background.

The first section is called "Sacrifice: Toronto's Dr. Grasett".

It tells the story of Dr. George Robert Grasett

Interior shot with camera panning right across gold coloured historical Toronto street map and waterfront. On screen caption: Sacrifice: Toronto's Dr. Grasett / Les sacrifices : Toronto et le Dr. Grasett

and that of other Canadian caregivers who lost their lives while tending to the Irish migrants.

Interior shot with close up of same Toronto street map and onscreen captions. Twelve fever sheds indicated with black rectangles on site marked "Cholera Hospital" and "Emigrant Bdg" and "Hospital".

Prominent amongst these were Toronto Emigration Agent Edward McElderry and Bishop Michael Power.

Exterior shot. Robert Kearns in Ireland Park, with four standing sculptural figures and limestone sculptural wall visible behind him, and grain silo in right and Toronto Island Airport in left background.

The exhibit's second theme is that of "Bearing Witness: Stephen De Vere's Famine Diary," written in 1847 and 1848.

Interior shot with camera panning down across image of red leather bound journal with gold coloured clasp, frayed at bottom. On screen caption: " Bearing Witness: Stephen De Vere's Famine Diary (1847-1848) / Témoigner : le journal de la Famine de Stephen De Vere (1847-1848)

Stephen De Vere travelled below decks in the steerage compartment of a transatlantic vessel with Irish migrants in 1847.

His diary exposed the harrowing conditions on board a coffin ship.

This remarkable diary has been digitized and made accessible to the public for the first time in this exhibit.

Exterior shot. Robert Kearns in Ireland Park, with four standing sculptural figures and limestone sculptural wall visible behind him, and grain silo in right and Toronto Island Airport in left background.

The third exhibit theme is "Traumatized Survivors in Niagara" .

Interior shot. Water colour painting of "Niagara River from Queenston Heights. John Bainbridge 1840" which provides panoramic view of Niagara River and Gorge with a grazing horse and windblown tree in foreground. Onscreen caption: Traumatized Survivors in Niagara / Des Survivants trauumatisés a Niagara

It follows a group of Irish emigrants who sailed on some of the worst coffin ships from the Strokestown estate of Major Denis Mahon in County Roscommon, Ireland, to the Niagara region of Ontario, where one of them committed murder.

Interior shot with camera panning down across sepia toned illustration of nun in habit leaning over sick man in bed in open air, priest kneeling at his side, a second nun sitting at a small table preparing medicine, a bridge, tents, and sheds in the background with other people on the shoreline of a large lake. Large tree in foreground. Onscreen caption: Kingston and Toronto's Famine Orphans / Les orphelins de la Famine à Kingston et à Toronto

The fourth theme concerns the plight of the town of "Kingston and Toronto's Famine Orphans", and the resilience of child migrants who lost their parents during the trans-Atlantic voyage.

Exterior shot. Robert Kearns in Ireland Park, with four standing sculptural figures and limestone sculptural wall visible behind him, and grain silo in right and Toronto Island Airport in left background.

"Compassion and Struggle: Sister Bruyére in Bytown" is the exhibit's fifth theme.

Interior shot with camera panning down across a black and white illustration of a nun in habit clasping arms with female child in a dress, three wooden buildings with gabled windows and trees in background. Onscreen caption: Compassion and Struggle: Sister Bruyére in Bytown / Entre la lute et la compassion : Soeur Bruyére à Ottawa

It explores her story of female empowerment and independence in caring for Famine migrants, despite the barriers that faced many women in nineteenth-century Canada.

Exterior shot. Robert Kearns in Ireland Park, with four standing sculptural figures and limestone sculptural wall visible behind him, and grain silo in right and Toronto Island Airport in left background.

And the final theme of the exhibit is "Remembering Family Stories".

Interior shot of black and white photograph of young woman in dark dress with arms folded in her lap, hair tied in a bun beneath. Onscreen caption: Remembering Family Stories / Se souvenir : les histories de famille

It brings together some of the descendants of Famine migrants such as Bridget Ann Treacy, Sarah Kaveney, and Rose and Barney Murphy who survived shipwrecks on board the Carricks and the Hannah, to start new lives in Ontario.

These harrowing tales are recalled by their living descendants, who share precious family heirlooms, mementos and memories.

Exterior shot. Camera pans left across Ireland Park with diagonal view of limestone sculptural wall and grain silo left of centre, and CN Tower, Toronto skyline, and Lake Ontario shoreline visible in background.

Exterior shot. Rock formation with two slabs and inscription "Ireland Park Toronto / Opened By / H.E. Mary McAleese / President of Ireland / June 21, 2007). Limestone sculptural wall visible in background left, with glass beacon, a mounted screen monitor, and high rise buildings further back in centre.

Exterior shot. Close up with camera panning slowly right across same rock formation and inscription.

Exterior shot. Camera pans slowly right and diagonally across limestone sculptural wall as sunlight streams above it.

Fade to black. Logo for Canada Ireland Foundation with white lettering on dark blue backdrop.

Onscreen caption: Music / Elegy for George Robert Grasett / Composed and Arranged by / Odhran O Casaide