The Evolution of the Canadian Passport
Don't you hate it when you have to renew your passport every five years? Well, it was a lot more paperwork to cross the border 100 years ago.
In 1918, Simon Hansler of Thorold Township wanted to visit relatives in the U.S. for "a few days". He had to fill out this lengthy permit to leave Canada for this quick visit. Simon had to provide his personal information including height, weight and eye colour, the names of four individuals who could identify him, and the signatures of a Justice of the Peace, a bank manager / chief of police / government officer and the immigration inspector.
If I had to go through all this effort, I would be looking to stay for more than "a few days."
This permit can be found in the Hansler Family Fonds in the Brock University Archives among other family records.
http://
http://
