CANADA IMMIGRATION
WHAT WAS THE WEST INDIAN DOMESTIC SCHEME?
A tea held at the Donavalon Centre in 1959, which was attended by Mayor Nathan Phillips, his wife Esther, and Controller Jean Newman. The event celebrated one year in Canada for a group of recent immigrants from the Caribbean. Image credit: CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES.
Member of Parliament Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, commemorated the national historic significance of the West Indian Domestic Scheme, 1955–1967, at a plaque unveiling ceremony at Blackhurst Cultural Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
Beginning in 1955, the West Indian Domestic Scheme was a targeted immigration program through which women from Caribbean countries came to Canada to be employed as domestic workers. At a time when government policies limited the entry of non-white immigrants, the program offered women from the Caribbean the opportunity to become landed immigrants, and eventually, Canadian citizens. The participants in this program faced strict age and educational requirements, and they had to be single and pass a medical examination – a higher level of scrutiny compared to other immigration programs at the time.
Around 3,000 women participated in the program. They could select their preferred destination, with most choosing Toronto or Montréal. Upon arrival in Canada, the women experienced difficult work conditions, cultural differences, isolation, and racial discrimination. They often worked longer hours while receiving lower pay than had been promised. After a year of domestic work, they were granted landed immigrant status and they could pursue educational and employment opportunities in other fields. They were also able to sponsor family members’ permanent residency in Canada.
Many domestic workers became leaders in various professional pursuits. The West Indian Domestic Scheme was discontinued in 1968 as Canada’s immigration policy moved to a points-based system.
A few quick facts:
Per the 2016 census, nearly 750,000 Canadians have Caribbean origins, with the majority having immigrated to Canada after 1971. The women who came to Canada through the West Indian Domestic Scheme were the earliest arrivals in what would become a wave of Caribbean immigration in the second half of the 20th century.
Jean Augustine migrated to Canada in 1960 from Grenada through the West Indian Domestic Scheme. Following her year working in domestic labour, she enrolled at the University of Toronto where she earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education before becoming a principal and getting involved in community activism. In 1993, she was the first Black Canadian woman elected to the House of Commons and was appointed to a cabinet post in 2002.