In the decade immediately following the Second World War, Canada received about one and a quarter million immigrants from Europe. The newcomers consisted of dependents of returning Canadian servicemen and people dislocated by the conflict and its aftermath in their homelands. Most of them arrived by sea, with Halifax serving as the major port of entry. Here, at Pier 21, reception facilities served the immigrants as the first point of contact with their new country. The successful integration of these new Canadians was at once a cause and a consequence of Canada's postwar prosperity.