New Brunswick Internment Camp Museum, Minto, NB, Canada

We visited this museum and took the tour and learned a bit about this period of time in Canada. This was 1 of 26 encampments in Canada.

The Minto camp went through two distinct phases of internees:

Phase I (1940-1941): Jewish Refugees from Nazi Europe

• • The Unintended Internment: Surprisingly, the initial group of internees were predominantly German and Austrian Jewish refugees. These individuals had fled Nazi persecution to England, seeking safety. However, when war broke out, the British government, fearing spies amidst the influx of refugees, requested Canada and Australia to house these “enemy aliens.”
  • After about a year, the British government realized the true nature of these “internees,” and many were given the choice to return to England to aid the war effort or seek sponsorship to remain in Canada or the US. Many went on to make significant contributions to Canada.

Phase II (1941-1945): German and Italian Prisoners of War, and Canadian Internees:

After the Jewish refugees were largely released, the camp was reconfigured and began to                                  house a different population:

• • Captured German and Italian Merchant Marines: These were military prisoners of war.
  • Canadian Citizens: This included individuals deemed a threat to the war effort due to their political beliefs or ethnic background (German or Italian Canadian), even if they were not active fascists.

The Minto internment camp closed in 1945.