Earthen collapse buries Hungarian worker

ject — including the right to vote and protection from deportation.

In 1919, the Government of Canada passed an amendment to the Immigration Act in response to an economic downturn after the First World War and reflecting ongoing anti-foreign sentiments in the country. This made it more difficult for immigrants from non-British countries to immigrate to Canada and allowed for denial of applications from enemy alien countries.

In the 1920s the Canadian government passed a series of pieces of legislation to encourage immigration from the British Empire and to encourage farmers from Central Europe to settle in the Prairies. At the same time, legislation was passed to restrict Chinese immigration to the country.

Bode and his extended family would have been subject to these immigration regulations as they made their way to Canada. It appears that Bode came to Canada in 1927 and took up residence in Welland. His brother (John Andrew Bode) also lived in Welland as he was noted as the informant on Bode’s death certificate.

On May 1, 1928, Bode was working on removing clay from the bottom of pit N near the new location of the syphon culvert in Welland when the wall of earth on the bank collapsed on him. Rescue efforts got underway and he was still alive when removed from beneath the pile of earth, but he died shortly after as he was being transported to the emergency hospital in Welland.

Coroner Dr. Allison was called and ordered the remains to be taken to the Patterson undertaking parlours in Welland. A jury was empanelled, and after having viewed the remains the following morning, it adjourned. Unfortunately, the final results of the inquest are not known.

Bode left behind a wife and two children in Hungary, his home country. He is buried in an unknown plot in Holy Cross Cemetery in Welland.

In addition to his brother who is noted on his 1928 death certificate, other family members recorded on the document included their par-