Prairie Settlement: The First Major Wave (1870 - 1896)

An act concerning emigrants and quarantine, 1866 / Un acte concernant les émigrants et la quarantaine, 1866 (bilingual on opposite pages)

Document Summary:

Some important sections:

1: The captain of every vessel traveling from the United Kingdom or Europe to the ports of Montréal or Québec must collect $1 from each passenger over the age of 12 months. No one can leave the ship until customs officials receive this duty from the captain.

4: No passengers may leave the ship until a passenger list is presented to customs officials. This list indicates the head of each family, his occupation or trade, his country of origin, his place of destination, and the number of adults and children accompanying him.

7: A captain must pay $20 for each day he neglects to deliver a passenger list to authorities, and a fine of $8 for each passenger whose name is omitted from such a list.

8: The captain must also keep a list of those who are deaf, dumb, blind, infirm or mentally ill. He can be fined between $20 and $100 for each such unlisted passenger.

10: A medical inspector can come aboard a ship at any time to examine passengers. If he finds anyone who might become a drain on society, he is to collect from the captain a bond of at least $300. This bond will be returned in full within three years if the affected person has not threatened the peace and security of Canadians.

21: Any tavern, inn or boarding house keeper that hopes to solicit the business of new arrivals to Canada must keep a list of its authentic rates for service and its business cards visible, and charge no more than $5 for boarding services to new immigrants to prevent fraud.

22: The federal government may, from time to time, set quarantine regulations as it sees fit.