Ilona Shulman Spaar. Swiss Immigration to Canada: Achievements, Testimonies, Relations.

Burke, Myka

Ilona Shulman Spaar. Swiss Immigration to Canada--Achievements, Testimonies, Relations. Vancouver: Consulate General of Switzerland, 2013. 221 pp. Appendix. Notes. Selected Bibliography. $25.00 he.

For the Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver, on the occasion of the Consulate's 100th anniversary, Dr. Ilona Shulman Spaar explored the broad topic of Swiss immigration to Canada. Though initially looking to explore Swiss impressions on the Western Canadian landscape, the interconnected nature of migration coupled with the sheer volume of available and largely unstudied documentation made it worthwhile for Dr. Shulman Spaar to broaden her focus to include all of Canada. Understanding that researchers face many difficulties when examining the challenging subject of history, Dr. Shulman Spaar cautions us at the outset to understand that though documents and archival materials often form the foundation of scholarly exploration, they do not necessarily reflect the full spectrum of historical experience. Her intention with this volume is to find strategies that enhance a more balanced and fuller representation of the lives and contributions of "all kinds of immigrants, past and present" (XVI).

The volume sketches the lives and paths of the many Swiss immigrants to Canada from the late 16th century to today using text, diagrams, photographs and other archival materials. The contributions of academics, artists, athletes, bankers, bakers, business people, doctors, entrepreneurs, farmers, fur traders, hoteliers, jewellers, miners, politicians, publishers, mercenaries, mountain guides, scientists, watch-makers, etc., to Canadian society are detailed chronologically or curated in chapters such as "Chapter 10, Arts and Artists" and "Chapter 11, Sports and Outdoors". Diplomatic, consular and economic relations between Switzerland and Canada receive due attention. Swiss-Canadian community life and clubs are discussed at length; newspapers and other media are mentioned peripherally. The invaluable expertise of Swiss mountain guides and their contribution to Canadian mountain culture is explored comprehensively and competently by the author who has previously published on the subject.

Of particular note is the fifth chapter devoted to Swiss humanitarian work in Canada. The chapter looks at internment camps in Canada during both the First and Second World Wars as well as Swiss engagement with these internment camps: the major role was to conduct "camp inspections" and "to ensure compliance with the regulations and international rules" of the Hague Convention and Geneva Conventions respectively (80). Beyond general observations about conditions in the camps, spirituality, education and recreation, among other concerns, were to be taken into consideration. During World War II, Hermann Boeschenstein, a prominent professor of Germanic Studies at the University of Toronto, was arrested at home in Toronto, but was soon released since he was able to explain that he was Swiss (a neutral country) and not German. In 1943, he was given the task of inspecting labour and internment camps as director of the neutral War Prisoners' Aid, organized by the Canadian arm of the YMCA. In this capacity, he "tried to answer POWs' requests regarding education, spirituality, and recreation" (84) as well as many other aspects of camp life. He visited over 20 internment camps between Alberta and New Brunswick as well as many remote labour camps. Shulman Spaar details that in every internment camp that wanted religious services, services were offered in the "Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths" (85). Further, she highlights Boeschenstein's final report and mentions his disapproval of not providing more education on "the values of democracy" to Nazi prisoners--and that he felt he failed the Japanese by not being able to communicate better with them and better address their needs since "the guards and other staff were particularly racist towards this group" (85). Boeschenstein's various other contributions, including his works of German language Canadian literature, are introduced later in the book on pages 149-151.

Many individuals are highlighted in the volume. For example, the public intellectual and eco-sociologist Laure Waridel was emphasized for having penned several books on fair trade as well as co-founding the Quebec-based Equiterre (a not-for-profit organization that develops projects in agriculture, transportation, fair trade, energy, responsible consumption, and climate change) and receiving the Order of Canada in 2012. What's more, stories of those who were not so fortunate also find a voice in this volume; for instance, the many "Switzers" who moved to the St. Louis area of the United States after fleeing the locust-infested, mosquito-plagued and diseased conditions in the Red River Colony in Manitoba.

The well-researched material is presented in a clear and engaging way in this large format book. A rounder and fuller image of Swiss immigration to Canada is achieved even though it is clearly stated that a multi-volume work would be required to comprehensively reflect Swiss-Canadian accomplishments and experiences. As a contemporary overview of Swiss-Canadian history, the volume is a welcomed reference book for high school and undergraduate students and as such, long overdue in the field. Academics from a variety of disciplines will likely appreciate the historical, biographical and contextual information provided on a variety of subjects as well as the references to contributors in their fields.

Myka Burke

The Herder Institute, University of Leipzig