The Island We Carried: New Book Chronicles Sri Lankan Muslim History in Canada
A new 220-page hardcover book records the journeys, family histories and contributions of Sri Lankan Muslim immigrants who helped build a community in Canada.
A new book is preserving the history of Sri Lankan Muslims in Canada through the personal experiences of the families and individuals who made the journey from Sri Lanka to a new life overseas.
Titled The Island We Carried, the 220-page hardcover coffee-table book is described as the first volume dedicated to documenting the history of Sri Lankan Muslims in Canada. Supported by the Sailan Muslim Foundation, the project brings together individual stories, family memories and community experiences, with many of the accounts centred on Scarborough, Toronto.
The book was led by Scarborough resident AGA Barrie, who collected and edited the stories before working with a small publisher to produce an initial run of 60 copies. Barrie is now preparing the second volume of the series.
The project offers an important example of how migrant communities can preserve their heritage for future generations. For Sri Lankans in the UK, Canada, New Zealand and other parts of the world, the book also reflects a familiar experience: carrying the memories, traditions and values of one homeland while creating a future in another.
A community history told through personal stories
Rather than presenting only a formal timeline of immigration, The Island We Carried is arranged chronologically from the 1960s and allows families and individuals to tell their own stories.
The accounts describe why people left Sri Lanka, the challenges they faced after arriving in Canada, and the ways they established homes, businesses, religious institutions and social networks. Each story reflects a different path, but together they form a broader picture of community settlement and development.
Speaking to MPulse, Barrie said: โThe stories are all unique. Each person has their own reasons for immigrating, their own problems and their own successes. Each has made a contribution to Canadian society.โ
That approach gives the publication its value as both a historical record and a community anthology. It recognises that the history of migration is not shaped only by major events or public figures. It is also built through ordinary decisions: finding work, raising children, supporting relatives, establishing places of worship and helping the next family settle.
AI-generated illustrative image representing the preservation of family memories across generations.
From Sri Lanka to Scarborough
Many of the families featured in the book settled in Scarborough, an area that became an important home for Sri Lankan communities in the Greater Toronto Area.
Barrieโs own memories provide a personal connection to the changes that have taken place. Recalling Scarborough when he arrived in the 1960s, he told MPulse: โThe 401 was only 2 lanes. Itโs hard to believe now, but back then Scarborough was very quiet. There wasnโt much going on.โ
The contrast between that earlier period and present-day Scarborough highlights the scale of the communityโs growth. Today, Barrie estimates that there are around 3,000 Sri Lankan Muslim families in the community, with some now representing the fourth generation of Canadians.
This is a significant stage in the story of Sri Lankan settlement. The first arrivals who established families and community networks are now grandparents and great-grandparents. Their children and grandchildren have grown up in Canada while retaining connections to Sri Lankan language, food, faith, family customs and cultural celebrations.
The book therefore records more than the act of immigration. It captures the development of a community over several generations.
Honouring the legacy of earlier generations
The introduction to The Island We Carried sets out the purpose of the series in clear terms:
> โThe primary objective of this book series is to document the arrival and integration of Sri Lankan Muslim immigrants into the Canadian tapestry. By preserving their narratives we aim to: honour their legacy, inspire future generations and contribute to historical records.โ
That objective gives the book a lasting importance. Many migrant histories remain scattered across personal photo albums, family conversations, letters and recollections. When those memories are not recorded, valuable details can be lost as older generations pass away.
A published collection creates a shared reference point. Young people can learn how their grandparents and great-grandparents arrived, what obstacles they encountered and how they contributed to Canadian society. Families can recognise their own experiences alongside those of others. Researchers and future community organisations can also draw on the work as an early record of Sri Lankan Muslim settlement in Canada.
The idea of honouring legacy is relevant across the global Sri Lankan diaspora. In Britain, British Sri Lankan families are also recording their experiences of migration, community life and cultural adaptation. Similar work is taking place among Sri Lankan communities in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.
These stories help explain how Sri Lankan culture continues to develop outside the island. Heritage is preserved not only through major festivals and public ceremonies, but also through family histories, community institutions and the memories of those who made the first journey.
A foundation for Volume 2
The first edition took more than a year to complete. Barrie collected the stories, edited the material and worked with a small publisher to produce the initial 60-copy print run.
He is now working on Volume 2 and has already shared a first draft with MPulse. The scale of the community suggests that there is considerable material still to be documented. Barrie said the stories could easily fill 30 to 40 volumes.
That observation reflects the diversity of experiences within the Sri Lankan Muslim community. Families arrived at different times and from different parts of Sri Lanka. They had varied professional backgrounds, personal circumstances and reasons for moving. Some may have come for education or employment, while others sought security, family reunification or better opportunities for their children.
A multi-volume project gives space to those differences. It avoids presenting the community as a single, uniform story and instead shows the many routes through which people built lives in Canada.
AI-generated illustrative image showing an elder sharing family history with younger generations.
Why community archives matter
Community-led history projects are especially valuable because they preserve perspectives that may not appear in official records.
Government statistics can show population changes, immigration patterns and settlement locations. They cannot always capture the personal meaning of leaving Sri Lanka, the experience of arriving in Canada or the practical support provided by relatives and neighbours.
A family story may describe a first job, a difficult winter, a community gathering or the importance of receiving help from someone who had arrived earlier. These details bring history to life and show how communities are built through cooperation.
They also demonstrate the positive contributions made by immigrants. Barrie emphasised that every person featured in the book has made a contribution to Canadian society. Those contributions may be found in business, education, healthcare, professional life, voluntary work, religious service and family care.
For younger readers, the book can serve as a reminder that heritage is not something fixed in the past. It is carried forward through choices, relationships and participation. The experiences of earlier generations can inspire new Canadians to remain connected to their roots while contributing confidently to the wider society.
Information for readers
According to MPulse, readers who would like more information about The Island We Carried or wish to order a copy can contact AGA Barrie by email.
- Book: The Island We Carried
- Subject: History and personal stories of Sri Lankan Muslims in Canada
- Format: 220-page hardcover coffee-table book
- Coverage: Chronological accounts beginning in the 1960s
- Support: Sailan Muslim Foundation
- Enquiries and orders: aga.barrie@yahoo.com
AI-generated illustrative image representing the journey between Sri Lanka and Canada.
Preserving stories for the wider Sri Lankan diaspora
The Island We Carried is a welcome contribution to the growing record of Sri Lankan life overseas. Its focus on Sri Lankan Muslim families in Canada adds an important perspective to the wider story of migration from the island.
For readers interested in Sri Lankan culture, diaspora history and the experiences of Sri Lankans abroad, the book demonstrates the importance of recording community memories while they are still available from the people who lived them.
The journeys described in the book will resonate with Sri Lankans in the UK and elsewhere. Across generations and countries, families continue to balance heritage with new surroundings, passing on traditions while creating new forms of community life.
As AGA Barrie works towards Volume 2, the project also invites a broader question: which family stories remain undocumented, and how can communities ensure that they reach future generations?
Readers can follow Sri Lankan community news, culture and Events throughย elanka.
Original source
This article is based on the MPulse report: New book tells the story of Sri Lankan Muslim immigration to Scarborough.
