The West Indian Domestic Scheme (1955–1967): Caribbean Women Who Helped Shape Canada

What did it mean to leave home, migrate to Canada, and build a new life while navigating racism, isolation, and the challenges of domestic work? In this episode of Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast, host Wendy Aris speaks with Alexa Lepera about the West Indian Domestic Scheme (1955–1967), a Canadian immigration program that brought approximately 3,000 Black Caribbean women to Canada to work as domestic workers.

Together, they explore the scheme’s immigration requirements, the realities of live-in domestic work, and the experiences of women who left their homes and families in search of new opportunities. The conversation examines the community networks that helped women navigate life in Canada, alongside the risks of exploitation, racial discrimination, and isolation created by employer-dependent working and immigration arrangements.

Although the scheme offered a pathway to permanent residency and, eventually, Canadian citizenship, the women’s experiences were shaped by broader inequalities involving race, gender, class, labour, and immigration policy. Beyond the challenges, this episode celebrates the resilience, determination, and contributions of these Caribbean women.

Their labour, community-building, and advocacy helped establish foundations for Caribbean-Canadian communities and contributed to the social and cultural fabric of modern Canada. Why does the West Indian Domestic Scheme matter today?

Understanding this chapter of Canadian immigration history helps us recognise the women behind the policies, honour their sacrifices, and acknowledge the lasting legacy of Caribbean women in shaping Canada. 🎧 Listen to Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast for a conversation about Caribbean migration, Black Canadian history, women's labour, immigration policy, and the generations of Caribbean women whose stories deserve to be remembered. BIO: About Alexa Lepera, MA Alexa Lepera is an Assistant Curator of Domestic Environments and Social Diversity at Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation.

She joined Ingenium in 2022, researching the institution’s collections through the lens of Black and African Canadian history. Alexa’s work focuses on broadening understandings of Canadian science and technology history, with particular attention to domestic environments, community histories, and equitable approaches to museum collections.

Her research interests include representations of Black Canadian history in museums, colonial archives of slavery, community-based research, and critical museology. She holds a Master of Arts in Public History from Carleton University, a Master of Arts in Gender, Feminist, and Women’s Studies from York University, and undergraduate degrees in Gender Studies and Political Studies from Queen’s University.

She also facilitates Ingenium’s Black and African Canadian Technological Innovations Fellowship. Through her curatorial work and research, Alexa contributes to expanding how Black Canadian histories are documented, interpreted, and shared with the public.

Her work helps bring greater attention to the people, communities, and experiences that have shaped Canada’s social and technological history, including the often-overlooked contributions of Black Canadians. Her expertise includes Black and African Canadian history, domestic technology and spaces, community histories, and anti-oppressive museum practices.

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