Introduction

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For centuries people around the world have left their homes and families to make a new life in Canada. Demonstrating remarkable courage and determination, many overcame prejudice and hostility, turning adversity into opportunity. Often, newcomers popularized athletic pursuits previously unknown in Canada, sharing their cultural heritage and thereby enriching the nation's sporting landscape. As they struggled to establish themselves, newcomers also founded sport clubs that expressed solidarity and shared identity within their cultural and ethnic communities. Often, the same ambition, adaptability and courage that empowered newcomers to journey to Canada in search of a better future also drove them and their descendants to achieve lofty goals in the sporting world. Becoming celebrated heroes in their own right, many transformed social attitudes and changed the face of Canadian sport. Their inspiring stories and accomplishments have reflected Canada's uniquely multicultural society as it became more diverse and inclusive over the course of the twentieth century.