WELLAND CANAL
KATHLEEN POWELL
SPECIAL TO POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Many workers who were hired to work on the construction of the Welland Ship Canal were new immigrants to Canada.
While a substantial number originated from countries that were a part of the British Empire, many others, such as John Bode, came to Canada from Eastern Europe.
By the time of Bode’s unfortunate accident in 1928, regulations about becoming a naturalized citizen of Canada had become much tighter and more restrictive.
While there are a number of legislative documents that affected new immigrants at this time, depending upon their ethnicity and race, an important piece of legislation that impacted many of the foreign workers on the canal was the Naturalization Act of 1914. This act is credited with imposing stricter rules for citizenship and was part of an effort by all countries in the British Empire to standardize legislation related to citizenship across the Empire. While this standardization allowed each individual country to decide upon criteria for granting its own citizenship, imperial citizenship was made more consistent by the adoption of this policy.
Canada’s Naturalization Act required five years’ prior residency in Canada or a country of British origin, adequate knowledge of both French and English, and good moral character. Applications for naturalization were at the discretion of the secretary of state, who could grant or withhold a certificate. Once granted a certificate of naturalization, the applicant was accorded all the rights, responsibilities and privileges of a natural British-born sub-