1906
Since the original Canadian immigration legislation of 1869, iterations of the Immigration Act included entry restriction towards people lacking certain capacities, mostly regarding people who had infectious diseases.1 It was the 1906 iteration that encompassed more strict restrictions about the entry of people with intellectual disabilities into Canada.2 In short, it stated that people deemed mentally incapable were not permitted entry into Canada unless they had family members in Canada who could provide appropriate support.1 However, in the 1910 amendment of the Immigration Act no longer allowed people with mental disabilities to enter Canada, even if they had family supports.3 Only those with a more physical disability could have the potential to move to Canada if they had family supports.4
1. Jen Rinaldi and Jay Dolmage, “‘Of Dark Type and Poor Physique’ Law, Immigration Restriction, and Disability in Canada, 1900-30,” in Disabling Barriers: Social Movements, Disability History, and the Law eds. Ravi Malhotra and Benjamin Isitt (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2017), 104
Ibid., 104.
Ibid., 104.
Ibid., 104.
