In July 2020, the West Indian Domestic Scheme was designated of national historic significance by the Government of Canada.
The West Indian Domestic Scheme originated as an immigration program for Caribbean women between 1955 and 1967. Through the scheme, approximately 3,000 Caribbean women emigrated to Canada to work as domestic workers. The first hundred women who arrived in Canada under the scheme in 1955 comprised 25 Barbadians and 75 Jamaicans.
The program opened the door for many Black Caribbean citizens to migrate to Canada, giving them an opportunity which would not have been available otherwise. Despite this, the women that participated in the scheme often faced difficult work conditions and racial discrimination. Due to Canada’s changing immigration policy, the scheme officially ended in January 1968; it was replaced by a points-based system, which provided temporary work permits. Even with the program’s official end, women from the West Indies continued to come to Canada as domestic workers on temporary employment visas for years afterwards.
