2014 Legislative Session: Second Session, 40th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

official report of

Debates of the Legislative Assembly

(hansard)

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 13, Number

ISSN 0709-1281 (Print)

ISSN 1499-2175 (Online)

CONTENTS

Page

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Tabling Documents

Office of the Auditor General, report No. 18, 2013-2014, Disability Assistance: An Audit of Program Access, Integrity and Results.

Orders of the Day

Government Motions on Notice

Motion 19 — Apology for past discriminatory practices against Chinese Canadians (continued)

J. Yap

B. Ralston

D. Bing

L. Krog

Hon. P. Fassbender

M. Elmore

Hon. S. Anton

R. Fleming

Hon. A. Virk

D. Donaldson

J. Tegart

H. Bains

M. Morris

R. Chouhan

Hon. S. Bond

K. Corrigan

Hon. D. McRae

J. Darcy

S. Hamilton

V. Huntington

Hon. T. Lake

N. Simons

S. Gibson

A. Weaver

M. Dalton

S. Simpson

L. Reimer

G. Heyman

Hon. N. Yamamoto

D. Eby

S. Hammell

Hon. C. Clark

Petitions

M. Mungall

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 24 — Agricultural Land Commission Amendment Act, 2014 (continued)

On the amendment (continued)

D. Eby

Point of Privilege

(Reservation of Right)

L. Popham

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 24 — Agricultural Land Commission Amendment Act, 2014 (continued)

On the amendment (continued)

B. Routley

Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room

Committee of Supply

Estimates: Ministry of Finance

Hon. M. de Jong

S. Simpson

M. Farnworth

V. Huntington

G. Heyman

D. Donaldson

R. Austin

[ Page 4027 ]

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2014

The House met at 1:33 p.m.

[Madame Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

C. Trevena: I know we had many guests in the gallery this morning, but there is one particular one that I want to introduce. She was in the gallery and observing the apology. She was here for a meeting with the Minister of Justice, which she is still anticipating will take place.

It is Mayor Jude Schooner, the mayor of Tahsis. There were various references to Nootka Sound and Captain Meares, and that has a strong resonance with their wonderful west coast village of Tahsis.

Mayor Schooner has been a very, very strong advocate for her community. She is here to advocate again and is very much looking forward to a very good, detailed discussion with the Minister of Justice later today. I hope the House will make her very welcome.

D. Bing: I had four guests in the House today. Two of them were my cousins, Beverly Hee from Victoria and my Aunt Nancy from Victoria, and I had two sisters, Dorothy Pridmore and Irene Bing. Would the House please make them welcome.

[1335]

Tabling Documents

Madame Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to present a report of the Auditor General — Disability Assistance: An Audit of Program Access, Integrity and Results.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: In Committee A, Committee of Supply, for the information of members, the estimates of the Ministry of Finance, and in this chamber, the continued discussion on Motion 19.

Government Motions on Notice

MOTION 19 — APOLOGY FOR

PAST DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES

AGAINST CHINESE CANADIANS

(continued)

J. Yap: It's truly an honour and a privilege to take my place in this debate on a very special motion, a historic motion. It is perhaps an often used cliché that we're making history, that today is a historic day. But it truly is. What we're doing as MLAs in this House here in British Columbia really speaks to how proud we can be as Canadians and as British Columbians.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

In a world where racism is still a scourge throughout the world, in society at large, and still faces people on a daily basis, what we're dealing with today with this motion, which has the support and goodwill of every member of this Legislature, is to bring some closure to a period of time in our history — as was said by the member for Vancouver-Kingsway, about the first half of the history of British Columbia — when racism was officially sanctioned.

In this House, as we have heard, there were up to 100 pieces of legislation, motions, policies and statements that were racist and, in particular, against one group: Chinese Canadians. It didn't matter that you immigrated here or that you were second generation or third generation. That was a time here in this province, officially sanctioned in this House, where you were singled out because of your heritage.

That has since changed. Our society has changed. Subsequent generations of British Columbians, Canadians, have a very different view of the world, a much more inclusive and diverse view of society, of community and of what it means to be Canadian.

A hundred years ago, being Canadian, the image, the view of Canada, as was said by other speakers, was a Eurocentric view. In fact, the Premier of the day even said that we wanted to keep British Columbia European. Those days are long gone, but they are part of our history.

What this motion will do here in this House, with the support of all members of the Legislature, is officially bring this part of our history to a close and move forward with great hope and optimism for an inclusive, respectful, tolerant, diverse, multicultural society that is British Columbia.

The apology cannot undo the wrongs of the past. We know that. But it has also been said that if we do not learn from history, we can repeat it. Those that do not learn from history can repeat it. The apology and today's motion is just one part, an important part, of bringing some closure but also a new beginning.

I am very pleased that education will be part of this healing process. We will ensure that it will be in the curriculum of British Columbia for our students to learn about our history, this part of our history, so that every British Columbian over time will understand what happened and be in a position to never allow this to happen again.

[1340]

I'm grateful to the Premier and the members for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant and Vancouver-Kingsway

[ Page 4028 ]

for working on this in a collaborative way. To have seen such a great collaboration, a successful consultation that reached out to British Columbians all around our great province, reaching out to the Chinese-Canadian community and getting genuine input into what needs to go into this apology and the subsequent steps to ensure that we do the right thing…. And today we have a chance to make this happen with a vote on this motion.

I support this motion with great enthusiasm and great gratitude that I have the opportunity to be a part of this Legislature that today will take this historic step in officially expressing regret and apology on behalf of all British Columbians to the Chinese-Canadian community.

I want to close with this. There are not many days — I could probably count on one hand, and other speakers before me have reflected on this — that were truly special days, days that when we leave this place, years after being an MLA, we will remember what we did here. This is one of those days for me, personally, as a member that represents a community with a high percentage of Chinese Canadians and as a member who is a Canadian of Chinese descent.

This is a day we can all be proud, as Canadians, as British Columbians, a day when we have put aside our differences on policy and are here to do the right thing. I know that this is special. This is truly special in a world where we see that racism continues.

Here, right now in Victoria, British Columbia, in this House, elected representatives for the people of British Columbia are doing something that is right, doing the right thing, making an official act with this motion, when it passes, to express apology, to express desire for atonement for past historic wrongs and to ensure that future generations learn from this period of our history.

With that, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak and look forward to hearing the comments of other members, from both sides of the House.

B. Ralston: It's indeed an honour to join the debate on this historic occasion. I was reflecting with a colleague over the lunch break that this is probably one of the few times here in this House when we've actually genuinely listened to each other, and there may be some lessons there. Because together, when we do listen to each other, we can achieve common purposes that we might not otherwise be able to do.

I want to acknowledge the work of the Minister of International Trade, who, given the assignment by the Premier, has carried it out very effectively and openly.

I also want to acknowledge the work of perhaps one of the unsung heroes, Dean Sekyer of the ministry staff, who was given the very tough job of organizing the community consultations and preparing the report — under pressure of some really tight deadlines, I think it would be fair to say.

I think it's also appropriate to recognize the eloquent speeches that we've heard thus far, from the member for Vancouver-Kingsway, the member for Burnaby North, what I expect will be a speech from the member for Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows, because I know he participated in one of the community consultations, in Prince George. The story of him and his family is quite a compelling one.

[1345]

I also want to acknowledge the work and the omnipresence of the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant on this issue, who has worked, together with all members, in bringing this issue forward to the Legislature.

I would just say, on a more personal note, that I thought I understood the history of this province reasonably well. I had a bit of an advantage because my father was born in British Columbia and went to school here in Victoria with Douglas Jung, who went on to be the first Canadian of Chinese descent to become a member of the federal parliament.

He also — my father — became a professor of history, and so part of the dinner table conversation, perhaps not surprisingly, was occasional reflections on the history of British Columbia. I know not everyone has that opportunity.

Even given that background, I did go and listen to many of the community consultations, and I learned things that I didn't know about the history of British Columbia, particularly in Kelowna, which, in my mind, was not particularly a centre that I had known as a centre of Chinese migration historically.

There were some very moving, emotionally touching presentations of letters written by Chinese sojourners, as they were called, who had come to Canada, to British Columbia to work, were not able to bring their relatives and at the end of their lives hired a letter writer to write a letter — the letter was actually never delivered — to their relatives back in China, apologizing for their failure or what they regarded as their failure to bring their family here to Canada.

Those were, obviously, lonely and hard years for those people. The record of what they said is preserved in the museum at Kelowna and is part of the heritage and the history of this province.

Now, I also want to reflect upon the way forward. The member for Vancouver-Kingsway, in my view, has made a very compelling argument as to why an apology is necessary, was necessary and is now done. But the broader goal is reconciliation, and reconciliation is a more open-ended goal.

The work is not done. I mean, we've come a long way, but our society is hardly blemish-free. Reconciliation only comes about when people understand our common histories, our common values and our different histories and our different values, our common culture and our different culture. That goal of reconciliation is a longer goal, and I hope what this process initiates and continues is a continued journey down that path.

[ Page 4029 ]

The document that has been tabled by the minister and is available for all to see talks about how that legacy might be reflected in the goal of continued reconciliation. Many have spoken about the opportunities in education, how that could be incorporated into the curriculum — awareness, more broadly, of our history. There are various groups that talk about our history, and they probably need more encouragement and more support.

There is some sense — the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has also spoken about this — of the role of the clan associations. In the early days when the largely male population clustered in residentially segregated areas of different cities commonly called Chinatowns, those clan associations provided the social solidarity, the communal support that enabled them to persist and continue in somewhat trying circumstances.

There is a legacy there. I participated in some of the discussions with the minister and her staff, and I hope that that will be something that will be addressed in the future as a part of a legacy of this process going forward.

I join and share with all members of the Legislature what I think is our common goal, our collective goal: a diverse, integrated, successful, harmonious society, reconciled with its past and united to embrace the challenges of the future.

[1350]

A strong, resilient British Columbia is what we all desire and what we wish for, and I think that is the goal and one of the outcomes of this process as we continue on the road towards reconciliation.

D. Bing: This is a joyful day. History is being made here. This is a happy day for Chinese Canadians, for British Columbians and for all people who believe in human rights.

It is never the wrong time to do the right thing. This apology for historical wrongs has been over 100 years in the making, and it's long overdue. While the previous governments that passed these laws and policies acted in a manner that was lawful at the time, British Columbians today consider this racist discrimination intolerable and view it with extreme repugnance.

This House acknowledges that historical racist actions are not befitting of a society where today people of all nations and all cultures are welcomed and accepted. This apology is a chance to acknowledge the Chinese community's perseverance during difficult times, as was demonstrated with grace and dignity throughout our province's history. This apology is an opportunity to recognize the many achievements of Chinese Canadians and to thank them for the significant and substantial contribution that they have made to British Columbia.

On a personal level, this is a very happy day for me and my family. As a third-generation Canadian, this apology has deep meaning and significance to me. If my grandparents were alive, they would be astonished to find their grandson in this city as part of this government and as part of this apology that is really meant for them.

The first Chinese came to B.C. in 1858 via San Francisco. They were coming from the gold fields. They were called the 49ers. They were there for the California gold rush, and when that ran out, they came to B.C. for the Fraser River gold rush. They called this province "Gold Mountain."

A second wave came in the 1880s to help build the railroad. Members of my extended family were amongst them. My grandfather's father and many of my uncles came in the early 1900s, paid the head tax and became the first members of my family to become permanent settlers here in Canada. My grandfather on my father's side settled in Vancouver. My grandfather on my mother's side settled in Victoria.

Growing up, I can recall visiting my grandfather's farm on West Saanich Road near Royal Oak here in Victoria. There they raised 11 children. But their lives were not easy. They experienced firsthand the effects of racism, prejudice and discrimination from the over 100 laws and policies passed by this Legislature.

There was segregation. People were forced to live in ghettos on the outside of town, in what we now call Chinatowns. They were not allowed to use publicly funded schools or hospitals. They had separate cemeteries. They were told where and when they were allowed to work. They were not allowed to vote or be members of professions.

I still recall the story of my aunt Susan, who was told that she was going to be evicted from her apartment because someone had bought her apartment and didn't want anyone Chinese living in it.

It wasn't until the end of the Second World War that attitudes started to change. Many Chinese-Canadian men had enlisted in the military during the war. Two of my half-brothers, Fred Bing and Alan Bing, risked their lives serving in the Canadian military during World War II. After the war, to thank them and other Chinese Canadians who served, the Canadian government repealed their discriminatory legislation and gave Chinese the rights of citizenship in 1947.

In the 1960s, during the civil rights movement in the United States, I recall listening to Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech when he said: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character."

"By the content of their character" — these are heartfelt words. These are words as profound today as they were in 1963. Looking different is not a crime. None of us wants to be judged by our age, sex, race or religion. All of us wish to be accepted and judged by the content of our character.

[1355]

That is why this apology is significant not just for

[ Page 4030 ]

Chinese Canadians but for all British Columbians. A formal apology ensures that closure is reached on this dark period in the province's history so that all British Columbians can move forward together with a shared history and a common, prosperous future.

As an aside, I noticed in the paper this morning that Les Leyne of the Victoria Times Colonist , in discussing the role of the media in whipping up hysteria against the Chinese in those days, made an interesting observation. He said: "It is for all of us to remember how the prevailing view of the day doesn't always turn out to be the right one."

In closing, I wish to thank the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition and the minister responsible for this file. I would like to thank all Members of the Legislative Assembly for your unanimous support for this resolution. I am proud to be a part of this Legislative Assembly, one that recognizes that historical wrongs occurred and has the courage to apologize for our predecessors' historic misdeeds.

Apologies express regrets for actions in the past, but it shouldn't end there. They should also make a difference moving forward. This apology is our way of saying that this province values diversity and respects the contribution of every single citizen. Standing up for human rights and against bullying, racism and discrimination is always the right thing to do. There is still work to do, but today's apology is one more step towards fulfilling Martin Luther King's dream. As I said, this is a very happy day.

S. Chandra Herbert: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

S. Chandra Herbert: Well, I think it's appropriate that today, after the member for Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows' words, I get to introduce the students from two grade 11 classes from King George high school in Vancouver–West End, with their teacher Sherry Preston, because King George high school tries to live the values of reconciliation and diversity and is certainly a shining example of that. Hon. Members, if you could please make my guests in the gallery very welcome.

Debate Continued

L. Krog: I am honoured, indeed, to rise and speak to this motion today. For any of you who are familiar with the history of British Columbia, you will know that Nanaimo is the third-oldest city in the province. As such, it should come as no surprise that by 1884 in this province, Nanaimo had the third-largest Chinatown in British Columbia and indeed, over time, three Chinatowns.

The Chinese Canadians have played an incredible role in the history of my community. It is for that reason that I wish to thank both Andrea and Jennifer in the Legislative Library, who've given me some assistance today, and Pamela Mar, who wrote a wonderful

article called "The History of Nanaimo's Three Chinatowns," published in the B.C. Historical News some years ago.

It is consciousness of that history and the history of what brought the Chinese here originally that makes me understand and accept how difficult and awful those circumstances must have been. In the history of my community, I'm going to talk about three events that I think have some significance, certainly to me, in our understanding of how things have changed and how things were.

Hon. Speaker, if you read the annual report of the Minister of Mines in 1887, and you turn to the

section marked "Accidents in and about the coal mines for the year ending December 31, 1887," you would find a large

section devoted and marked by the date, May 3. It says: "The following persons were injured and killed by the explosion in the No. 1 pit, Nanaimo colliery." That is to say, for those of us in Nanaimo, the No. 1 mine disaster is an incredible part of our history. One hundred and fifty people died in the mine that day.

[1400]

It goes on to list the injured, a few names — names of white people. It then goes on to talk about the killed. Under the

section "Killed," it says: "Bodies got out May 3, John Linn, Frederick Mattison, William L. Davis, William L. Cochran, John Smith, Samuel Hudson" — one of the explorers. Then it says: "Chinamen, names unknown, Nos. 3, 71, 72, 73, 77, 83." Then it goes on as the days passed, as they dug the bodies out, and all was the same. At the conclusion of the list of the white people: "Chinamen, names unknown, Nos. 89, 100, 95, 84, 123."

These were human beings. They had come, as the member for Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows said so eloquently, to the Gold Mountain, the promise of a better life, but in my community, in my very city, they were simply numbers.

Now, in 1958, and I say this not to draw any sympathy to myself, my father was drowned. He was taking himself and three people who worked with him in a company called K.C. Logging to log land in Bute Inlet. They were all drowned. The newspaper report in the Nanaimo Daily Free Press , when the initial news came out, got my father's name wrong. They said: "Aboard were the barge's owner, Darrell Krog" — my father's name was Douglas; and they got his age wrong — "and Ronald Clark, about 25, both of Hilliers, B.C., as well as an unidentified third crew member and a Chinese cook." A Chinese cook — that was the best description they could give to this person.

Today, by way of my acknowledgment and my personal apology, I want the chamber to know that the name of that man was Jimmy Mow. He was a human being. He

[ Page 4031 ]

deserved to be recognized, and at the time of his death, he hadn't had the vote more than a decade.

The third thing I want to talk about are the deaths in more recent years of two incredible citizens of my community. One is Chuck Wong. He was seen as the historian of Nanaimo's Chinese community. For any of you who have been to Nanaimo, it was the Wong family that ran the famous Diner's Rendezvous — Dining Under the Stars. He was loved, he was respected and he was honoured. When he passed away in this community, everyone knew it — everyone knew it. There were no mistakes in the paper. There was no "a Chinese cook." There was no number. There was honour paid to a citizen.

The second individual is the husband of Pam Mar, who I mentioned. He was born in Union, B.C., which most of us today think of as Cumberland. His father was the Chinese-Christian missionary, the minister there.

Jack Mar was a distinguished physician — again, loved and respected in his community. Where did he get his education? Did he get it at UBC? No. He couldn't, because as a Chinese Canadian, he couldn't attend UBC. But Manitoba took him, and he went on to a very distinguished career as a physician and died just a few weeks, literally, short of his 100th birthday. It's his wife, Pamela, who wrote the wonderful

article about the history of Nanaimo's three Chinatowns.

There are others in our community who are alive and doing well. People like Mike Mah, a retired chartered accountant, honoured by the accountants association for all of his community work.

For me, this is a day of great emotion and a day of sadness to reflect on the lives of Chinese Canadians and how they suffered, but it is also a day to recognize that progress has been made. This apology today is a way of acknowledging that.

We have come a long way. We have, I think, to some extent here today recognized something that is a very important part of Chinese culture. We are moving towards a certain harmony.

I want to thank all of the members today for taking the time to speak, to express themselves so eloquently and to honour what, in my community, is a part of my community's history, a part of my community's present and, most importantly, a part of my community's future.

[1405]

I will support this motion, as will every member of this chamber. Thank God that it has finally come that we can all stand in this place. When I heard the member for Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows talk about his family in Royal Oak…. I'm descended from people who came from England who settled the Royal Oak area. That's why it is named Royal Oak.

So here we are, the descendants of those families — mine no doubt composed of racists who would have supported the exclusion of the member for Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows' family. Here we are today in the Legislature being able to express to one another our profound sense of feeling around this important issue. This is a good day for British Columbia.

Hon. P. Fassbender: I rise with a profound sense of history in this chamber today, with what we have done by bringing this motion forward. I also rise with a profound sense of appreciation for the human side that we see in each other as we're adding our comments to this.

I want to thank the Premier, the minister responsible, the opposition and all of the members of the House for the unanimity that we have in taking this motion forward and passing it and putting another marker in the history of British Columbia that will have a long-lasting impact in the lives of the students that we saw in the gallery just a few minutes ago and all of the other young people throughout our province.

I profoundly believe, in my own life, that intolerance has no place in our society — for whatever reason it might be. We've learned a lot from history. Being an immigrant to Canada…. I came here as a very young person from a country that was the precipitator of injustice, intolerance, genocide and many other things. I came to Canada as a young person who couldn't speak the language, who wore clothes that reflected my heritage.

I, in my own small way, was a recipient of some intolerance because of where I came from — not what I personally did, not anything that I had the opportunity to have an impact on because, of course, I was so young when that conflict started and, more importantly, had no impact on anything that went on.

But, in saying that, I clearly recognize there still is intolerance in our own communities at times, in our country and definitely in our world. When you look at what's going on in Nigeria right now with the young ladies that have been kidnapped and you see the kind of challenges that societies are still facing, to suggest that we have come to a place of enlightenment…. I think all of us in this House would like to be able to say that. I think today what we're doing, clearly, as members of this House, of this province, is saying that intolerance is not appropriate.

The apology is being done for wrongs in the past, but more importantly, the apology is saying to each and every one of our citizens, especially our young people, that we have a profound responsibility to stamp out intolerance for any reason in our communities, in our homes, in our schools — whatever those reasons are.

While this is a sincere apology for the wrongs to the Chinese community and the people that helped to build this country, it is a clear, clear message that we need to continue to work to stamp out intolerance, bullying and the lack of compassion that we sometimes see for all of the wrong reasons.

But I rise today, as well, on behalf of this government, the Premier and the minister responsible, to say that through the Ministry of Education, while we have this

[ Page 4032 ]

apology today, we are going to work very hard to ensure that every young person in our education system understands why this apology was done and what created the climate that brought us to the place that we have to make this apology — and that we will develop materials in conjunction with the minister responsible and with the communities.

[1410]

When I say communities, it's not only the Chinese community but the Indo-Canadian community, the Japanese community and any other community that is feeling the effects of intolerance as they have become part of this great province and this great country.

Our ERASE Bullying strategy talks about bullying, and bullying is an example of intolerance. So as we take that forward and as we work with communities throughout this province, at the foundation of that strategy is a recognition of the wrongs that were done to the Chinese community, to the Indo-Canadian community, to the Japanese community — to people from other cultures who have come here. They may have different cultural backgrounds and practices but have every right to live freely without the sense of any discrimination, of any concern that their children will not be treated with the same respect that they expect for everyone else.

We already this week, knowing this apology was going to be happening, have sent out to all superintendents and every school district in the province a list of all of the materials that are already available, in curriculum and through the resource centres, that deal with the head tax issues and many of the other issues.

We know clearly — and we've had some very robust discussions about it — what we need to do to move this forward.

So our commitment to the Chinese community and the other communities in the province is that we are going to work closely with the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism — for all of the communities and the agencies that represent them, to our colleagues in this House — to say we will continue to refine curriculum to lay a solid foundation for every young person so that British Columbia is an example of tolerance and acceptance across every spectrum of society and every lifestyle and every background; that everyone deserves to be respected for being who they are; and that as a province and as a government, as an education system, we are going to make sure that young people are given every opportunity to understand what diversity really means.

It's not a word. It is truly a reflection of values that we all have.

I'm proud to be a part of this House. I will be proud to stand up and vote for this motion. But more importantly, I am proud of what I know we're going to do and continue to do to make young people in this province feel they are welcome and they are an important part of the future. What we do today is just another example of how we can work together.

M. Elmore: It's an honour to rise in the House on this occasion today, a very emotional time and very symbolic. When I was first elected and spent my first day in the chambers…. It truly has a weight, and you can appreciate the significance.

Today I reflected back on the last over 140 years — what it must have been like during the time of that shameful period in our history that we have to accept, when legislators of the day and Premiers of the day passed just a torrential amount of racist legislation directed against Chinese individuals, folks from China, but also people from Japan, people from India and also against indigenous peoples, non-white peoples.

[1415]

Today the significance is that we're able to stand unanimously across the House, all members of the House, and unanimously support the motion to apologize for the more than 100 laws, regulations and policies imposed by past provincial governments that discriminated against people of Chinese descent since 1871. These laws and policies denied British Columbia's Chinese communities basic human rights, including the right to vote, hold public office or own property. They also imposed labour, educational and employment restrictions.

I attended the Vancouver consultation and listened to many accounts and experiences of individuals who either had been directly or had family members impacted by these policies and laws. One thing that was very striking to me was that there was a story about someone who wasn't able to attend school — a young boy. His father went to the school, and he was turned away because there was a sign: "No Chinese admitted." Also, Chinese students were excluded from becoming doctors and lawyers, because people of Chinese descent were not accepted.

I also participated in the centennial to mark the 100 years of the 1907 Vancouver Asian race riots in Vancouver. We saw just a torrent of racist legislation passed here, but it was also reflected throughout our municipalities, cities and other organizations — really an unimaginable atmosphere of racism that our early individuals experienced. One hundred years in Vancouver, as well…. City council and the labour council and other organizations also looked to understand that and apologize for their racist actions.

Certainly, the apology here today is very meaningful. I'd like to appreciate all members for their role and the minister for playing a leading role, as well as the stories from MLAs about their personal histories and their impacted families.

I think it's very accurate to characterize that the apology is a first step, moving forward towards genuine reconciliation and a deep understanding of the history we have here in British Columbia. When I attended high school here I didn't learn about that.

[ Page 4033 ]

I'm heartened to hear of commitments towards ensuring that British Columbians will be educated on our history here, looking at this really shameful, racist history. I just want to also read into the record a shocking quote from Sir Wilfrid Laurier, former Prime Minister of Canada: "The people of Canada want to have a white country." Also our early Premier, Sir Richard McBride: "British Columbia shall be a white man's province." This is our history of racism here in British Columbia.

I think that we need to do more, working with communities to ensure all British Columbians understand that, and that we also take steps to learn those lessons. While particularly labourers from China came in as migrant workers to work as cheap labour in difficult jobs, they were denied the right to citizenship. This is a lesson we have to learn today, where we have tens of thousands of temporary foreign workers coming into British Columbia and Canada. You know, we don't want to see a repeat of this where, in another 100 years, we're apologizing for mistreatment of these temporary foreign workers today.

I think that, going forward, there's certainly more work to be done to ensure that British Columbians understand our history deeply and that we move forward on a foundation of respect and go forward on the principle of respect for human rights and the opportunity for all British Columbians to fulfil their potential.

As well, I appreciate the commitment towards recognizing and preserving historical sites and artifacts as an important priority, to be aware of our history here in British Columbia. I also have been looking forward to taking those tours and visiting those sites. I think that would be a very valuable exercise for British Columbians to truly know our history.

[1420]

Going forward, I'm very pleased to be voting in favour of the motion and appreciate the efforts of everyone involved.

Hon. S. Anton: I rise today as both the Attorney General of British Columbia and as the MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview. Today is a historic day in British Columbia, and an important step in righting historical wrongs. The apology motion follows an extensive consultation process led by the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism and adopted by the participants, by members from both sides of the House and by the province.

The British Columbia government was determined that the formal apology be done properly, and that meant working with all parties. Government appreciates the input and support of all of the members of the Legislative Assembly for making today a reality — and all those who participated in the consultations. I must say, it was an honour to have so many of the participants with us in this chamber, watching as the apology was made earlier today.

Reaching out and confronting a time of injustice in our collective history is an opportunity to contribute to the healing process and to a just society today. It is time to educate ourselves and all British Columbians about a time that we cannot and should not forget.

Today the roots of multiculturalism run deep in British Columbia. Our diversity is our identity. We need to ensure that it continues to flourish and commit that these past historical wrongs never happen again.

Between 1871 and 1947 past provincial governments introduced more than 100 laws, regulations and policies that discriminated against people of Chinese descent, and we've heard much description of them today. These laws and policies denied the Chinese community's basic human rights, including the right to vote, hold public office or own property. They imposed labour, education and employment restrictions and prevented those of Chinese descent from fully participating in society. They divided families, and they caused pain and hardship to people over many years.

It is troubling to imagine that British Columbia was once a place that discriminated against an individual of any ethnicity. It is only through our awareness of what is right and wrong that we can work towards creating a better and just society for everyone in British Columbia. The apology cannot undo the wrongs, but it ensures that we do not forget, and it ensures that we do not repeat the discriminatory legislation and practices of the past.

Today in every province in Canada, including British Columbia, the role of Attorney General in a free and democratic society is well laid out in law, and it's worth reflecting on that role in the context of today's apology. The office of the Attorney General is one of sensitivity and neutrality in relation to the administration of justice, advising not just cabinet but also Her Majesty through the Lieutenant-Governor and, as such, is responsible for safeguarding the rule of law, protecting society from arbitrary laws or actions, protecting human rights and ensuring that the administration of justice in this province is not brought into disrepute.

While the office of the Attorney General is unique in that it can, at times, be separate and apart from any political role, I also carry these responsibilities through to my role as a cabinet minister, where I'm responsible for ensuring that cabinet actions are legally and constitutionally valid; ensuring that legislative enactments are in accordance with principles of natural justice, fairness, civil rights and consistent with other provincial legislation; and also advising on the constitutionality and legality of legislation.

That is the role of the Attorney General now, and it has been the role in the past as well. I do think that the role is a unique one in ensuring that the apology and the commitments made with this apology do carry forward. I mentioned myself as Attorney General, but it's really the office. It's the holder of this office. The apology

[ Page 4034 ]

is to ensure that this carries forward as time goes on in British Columbia.

The wrongs which we are discussing today do not meet the standards of natural justice, and so it is with pride that I speak to support the historic apology and the progress that has been made to provide fairness and equal treatment to all British Columbians. The apology provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made in this great province and to challenge ourselves to continue to find opportunities to do better.

Between November 2013 and January 2014, as we know, the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism travelled to communities throughout B.C. as part of the consultation process, to receive input from individuals and organizations for the formal apology. The forums were enlightening. They gave us insight into the deep and lasting sorrow caused by the wrongful provincial government policies, regulations and legislation of the past.

[1425]

They brought into focus the need for a formal apology for historical wrongs and legacy initiatives to give British Columbians a better understanding of the contributions of the Chinese-Canadian community to the culture, history and economic prosperity of our province. The Chinese Historical Wrongs Consultation Final Report and Recommendations is the culmination of the tremendous amount of public input from the process, feedback from community leaders — many of whom were in the gallery today — and discussions amongst all members of the Legislature.

I'll mention two initiatives — in particular, the legislation review. The government will undertake a review of discriminatory legislation identified in the consultation, to ensure that it is all repealed.

And I'll mention another, which is something, I must say, that I'm particularly interested in myself, which are the historical sites, artifacts and commemorations. The report recommends that an inventory be created to identify historical sites and culturally important locations and artifacts. The inventory would include a plan to ensure that Chinese Canadians can honour and preserve their cultural heritage in perpetuity and, indeed, that all of us will appreciate those historic sites.

I'll mention a couple of things here. First of all, I grew up in Duncan, and Duncan had a very historic Chinatown. I regret to say that the Chinatown in Duncan is no longer there because of a provincial government building that was built quite a few decades ago. It was a beautiful Chinatown, and it's gone. In fact, it might have moved up-Island. I think one of my up-Island colleagues will be able to tell us it's in Cumberland or somewhere — some of those buildings. That's an example of a historic site that should never have been moved.

I will mention, as well, that I was very pleased to meet today again a representative of the Chinese Freemasons, who reminded me that the Chinese Freemasons started in Barkerville 151 years ago. So it is sites, it is objects, it is places, and it's institutions, and they are all part of our history.

I would like to acknowledge, as well, the Chinese veterans who were here today, and who really were, I think, extremely impactful in changing the laws in Canada immediately after the war.

I'll just speak for a moment as the MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview. My own riding of Vancouver-Fraserview has a very high percentage of people of Chinese heritage. They range from people whose pioneer families have been here for over 100 years to those who arrived just yesterday. I have the good fortune of being in this community constantly, in people's homes, in the community, on the streets, in the recreation rooms at the community centres.

I will say, and I think this is probably true in many communities around British Columbia, that the Chinese-Canadian community in Vancouver-Fraserview is a very engaged community, so much so — I just want to put in a plug for the community in my riding — that they were amongst the principal advocates for the new seniors centre in Killarney which is now going to be built.

It is a community which has always been engaged but has suffered historic wrongs, and that's why it is such a privilege and honour to be here today at this moment when this House has acknowledged those wrongs and apologized for them.

Thanks to the robustness of the consultation process, the Chinese community in Vancouver-Fraserview know about the apology today. They appreciate the apology. They appreciate the importance of the recognition of past injustice and that by acknowledging and apologizing for that injustice, we all collectively help to ensure that it will never happen again.

It is for all citizens, it is for government to always be vigilant to ensure that our society is just and fair. It is by remembering, acknowledging and apologizing for the wrongs of the past that we move forward to a just and secure future.

R. Fleming: As other members have said in this debate…. They've expressed how much pride they have today in being a British Columbian, and I do as well.

As a legislator, I think this is probably one of the best days in my nine years in this place — to have an opportunity for us, collectively as legislators, to be able to attempt to address some of the things in our past and to build a legacy for the future for our province. That doesn't happen every day. I think there are some who have put a lot of work in, and they've been recognized today, about how it is best to confront what is a sad and ugly

chapter in our historical past.

[1430]

I just want to say I think they have done a wonderful job in doing that — all of the work that lay behind the

[ Page 4035 ]

motion that was brought before the House today and the work that has yet to be done.

Today's formal apology to the Chinese community for decades of endurance in a racist and discriminatory society is undoubtedly important for that community. But I think it's also important to remember how critical it is for every citizen in British Columbia, in whose name the apology is made.

I feel privileged to have been on the floor of the chamber today to hear what it personally means to MLAs of Chinese descent. My colleague the MLA for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant was, of course, B.C.'s first-elected Chinese member of this House. I think that after being elected in 1996 I got the sense that some of the things she said today were things that she has wanted to say for an awfully long time, and it was a privilege to be able to hear them.

The Minister of International Trade and for Multiculturalism was able to ensure that we had the apology and the process that we did to be inclusive of views of British Columbians and all members of the House — to get to the point where we are today. The member for Burnaby North shared his story of his life and background earlier today. I feel very proud to serve with those members, in particular, and to be able to say a few words on this day with them.

I was also thinking of Alan Lowe, who was Victoria's first Chinese-Canadian mayor — elected in 1999, if you can believe that; I was privileged to be a member of his council at the time — and what the apology will mean to him and to his family. I know that his family, in his background, suffered greatly from discrimination and the limited economic opportunities that were the reality of British Columbia, unfortunately, not too long ago.

As I was saying, this apology is important for all British Columbians, as to the Chinese community, in particular, to whom it is addressed. But it is also about, in looking at the past and making an apology about the past, looking to the future. Today is a day about deepening our commitment as a province to the promotion of understanding, equality before the law and our foundational commitment to a society based on respect, human rights and social justice.

I think that today's apology should be seen as an affirmation of who we are and how far we have come as a province and a country. We are a well-regarded nation in the world today because we're a multicultural democracy that is successful and prosperous. Often Canadians are called upon to act internationally as honest brokers and advisers, to share our experiences with countries struggling to overcome ethnic, religious and cultural divisions.

I think that is an additionally important reason why, for our friends and admirers in the world, we must do the kinds of things that we are doing today, which is to acknowledge that we are not perfect and that our country's past includes long, disgraceful periods and decades where racism and discrimination were predominant and legally sanctioned.

For my constituents in the Chinese community, whose stories I have been enriched by and who I'm privileged to serve as an MLA, this is a special day for that community. I think this apology means so much to everybody in British Columbia, far and wide.

The connections to this issue, indeed, reach within my family through my brother's marriage. When I look at some of the efforts to address the past, particularly around anti-Chinese discrimination in British Columbia, it is in my own family where my sister-in-law and her family members from Burnaby have an annual pilgrimage to the Chinese Cemetery here in Harling Point.

I think I want to say on the record, although I've said it many times publicly before, the former member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head Ida Chong was instrumental in making Harling Point cemetery one of Canada's most recent national historic sites. That has immense importance as a physical monument and a living place for those who want to remember those who have died, who lived before them, and as an education tool for all kinds of British Columbians to remember the past.

[1435]

It's important for us as MLAs in this chamber, where so many malicious, discriminatory and destructive laws were made, to try and recover the importance of this chamber today, as the modern era strives for the opposite of what was produced in the past here. Today is a day to reaffirm that this chamber is today and forevermore incapable of doing what was done in the past. It exists as a guardian of democracy and equality for all and the freedom of everybody that we serve in our constituencies.

The Leader of the Opposition, I thought, described so well what growing up in British Columbia is like today, his children and young people that he knows who see people, not the colour of the person. We are already benefiting from changes that have happened organically and through the teaching profession in our schools in particular — we heard from the Minister of Education about curriculum changes — to create that kind of understanding. We're benefiting from it already.

I think it's important today that we're also looking for additional benefits and an additional commitment for legacy projects that will help British Columbia further reconcile some of the things that have happened in its past.

Chinese Canadians, Japanese Canadians, Indo-Canadians, aboriginals — all other non-European members of our society lived in a past where racist demagoguery was at the core of social discourse and politics and, as we read in the Times Colonist and were reminded of this morning, in newspapers.

It was a society where, not so long ago, the threat of violence and fear prevailed in people's daily lives who were part of those minority communities that were dis-

[ Page 4036 ]

criminated against — children, grown adults, people fearing for their livelihoods and their jobs. That was part of daily life, where a justice system existed that was also corrupted by racism and discrimination. Today is a time to acknowledge all of that officially and to reaffirm our vow that it will never happen again in British Columbia and in Canada.

It's actually remarkable the degree to which the Chinese-Canadian community persevered, and I'm thinking of Victoria in particular. We have North America's second-oldest Chinatown here, after San Francisco. We have a Chinese community here that can trace their lineage back to the beginning of settlement for that community.

For so many years Chinatown in Victoria — which is now a critical part of its identity — was a place that was neglected, derided and ignored by city hall. It was still a place that was full of life, on the street and in the various benevolent societies and the Chinese service clubs, but it was one that was not officially acknowledged or treated well by city government.

I can remember Jack Layton, when he had become elected as an MP for Toronto-Danforth, visiting Victoria for the first of many times. Upon his return he was really struck by the Gate of Harmonious Interest project, which members will be familiar with, in Chinatown and how that was developed. He wanted to do the same thing in his constituency in Toronto. I promised I would get him information about that project.

It was interesting for me to learn a lot — who was involved and how it came together in 1979 when that project was developed. The provincial government, actually, to their credit, was one of the funders of that project. It was a project that ushered in revitalization and renewal from that community. But even more important, I think, than the revitalization of Chinatown physically was the reconciliation that it brought to the different communities. The spirit of welcoming and acknowledgement that happens in Victoria was important.

I want to say, in having researched and come to appreciate that one project that did produce so much in my city, there were some people involved that I'm thinking about today, in light of the apology. One of them was Mickey Lam, who was an outstanding city planner in Victoria. He was hired in the early '70s, straight from Hong Kong, changed the culture inside Victoria city hall and eventually gained the trust and the respect of everybody in the city and became a legend. That project would not have happened without him.

[1440]

Nor would it have happened without Dr. David Lai, who, of course, has been an incredibly important individual for recovering the history — both the history that is sad and disturbing and the history that is proud and triumphant — of the Chinese community. His involvement was critical in that project. And, at that time, councillor Pam Madoff was equally instrumental.

After that project was completed, Chinatown was revitalized, but physically, it was no longer what it was once dubbed — the Forbidden City in Victoria. Today it is one of the most popular quarters in the city of Victoria.

That is the kind of legacy, even in the absence of an apology back in those days, where we have seen the hard work of communities come together to try and overcome racism. We have torn down the laws that were spoken of earlier today. That's where the civil rights movement in British Columbia began to tear down that legal scaffolding of racism in this province.

The harder struggle, the one with the long shadow behind it, has been around the attitudes that prevailed in our province and that were supported at one time legally. That is something that we need to recommit and rededicate ourselves to eliminating today.

We have come so far. The stories of Chinese-Canadian community members who were here today to witness the motion that we are now debating are so inspiring to all of us, and they have to become better known. That has to be one of the legacies of the debate that we're having today — to ensure that British Columbians wherever they live, beginning in the school system, understand where this province was, understand what its past means, and live as free and equal citizens in a modern society where human rights, equality and justice are the ethos of what we are as a people.

Today's motion supports exactly that direction, and I look forward to working with other members to continue that great work.

Hon. A. Virk: It gives me, indeed, great pleasure to rise today to speak on and add to the wonderful dialogue that's ensued today. I approach it from a deeply personal level. It's said that words are poor vehicles for thought. But perhaps I can stand here as a first-generation immigrant and what it means to me — what the words today mean to me.

I am a first-generation immigrant and a proud Canadian who acknowledges the trials and tribulations and sacrifices of those that came before me. It's as a result of those trials and tribulations and sacrifices that perhaps I stand here in front of you and those much like me that are first- or second-generation immigrants stand here before you. It's because of those sacrifices made by our original pioneers.

I isolate not what background those pioneers may be from. Those pioneers, the first ones that joined the First Nations, indeed were of Chinese origin. Other pioneers, the next generation, came from the South Asian community, and it followed. There were many other individuals who travelled and crossed oceans — whether it's one generation or two or four or eight generations — to build Canada. I look at those pioneers as a homogeneous group that had to fight injustice to allow me to stand here

[ Page 4037 ]

in front of you.

I worked in the lumber mills in northern B.C. as I was going through university, and I spoke to many of these pioneers that had been there in the early years. I heard of how they lived, how they came as single men and left their families behind as they saved enough to bring their families over. The treatment they received — many times excellent treatment. At other times it broke my heart to hear the treatment. This was in the '60s and early '70s that some of these attitudes still prevailed.

We must not be naive that we have wiped out racism and bullying entirely. We must remain absolutely vigilant. But things have changed from the '60s to the '70s to the '80s to the '90s to now.

[1445]

As I went through university, I searched my own soul. As I studied the internment of the Japanese, I studied the relationship with the first Chinese Canadians and what happened in this Legislature.

As I studied the relationship of different ethnic groups and their interaction with government, it defined me as well. As I strove to define myself as a first-generation immigrant in Canada — "how do I define myself?" — I looked back upon the experience of the pioneers from various groups. I think in many ways I chose a path to have "Canada" tattooed on my shoulder, by virtue of the badge that I wore on my shoulder for a quarter-century, to define who I was. What better way to be a Canadian than to serve in an institution for a quarter-century that said "Canada" or "Canadian" on my shoulder? That was a result of my learning from the original pioneers.

As I look back at some of the attitudes and walk these hallowed halls, and I look at the pictures of the legislators in these early years that we speak about, I wonder what was going through their minds. I wonder what thoughts were in their heads as they passed those 100 laws and legislations in this House and what attitudes and thoughts prevailed in their minds as those laws were passed and by what process and what enlightenment those thoughts slowly moved away from their minds, and the next generation changed. That's the thought process that I think of.

This announcement today accentuates that there is no room for bullying, there is no room for racism, there's no room for bigotry, and there's no room for bias anywhere, whether that's anywhere in society — in our schools, in our post-secondary institutions, in our workplaces. This is a message, in many ways, that British Columbia is sending to the rest of Canada as well — that there's no room for that kind of behaviour anywhere.

Yet we still must remain vigilant. There continue to be, at irregular and small intervals, small incidences, but they're becoming less and less frequent. It's by activities such as today's that there's a secondary message that gets sent out — that even those small and irregular incidences are not acceptable. They are not acceptable, and we shall scream at the top of every mountain: "They are not acceptable!" This is a strong message sent by British Columbia not to all British Columbians but to all Canadians that we stand united collectively to say no to that.

I'm particularly brought to tears at times when I see the veterans and see the medals across their chests, those who chose: "We're going to fight for a country. We're going to choose to put our lives at risk. We're going to dodge bullets, but I do not have the right to vote, and I'm not considered a citizen of that country." That brings a great deal of heartache to somebody like me that served in uniform. I saw some individuals standing here in the House today wearing rows of medals, and there were many, many, many like them from different communities.

I look back at families of interned Japanese, and many of them wanted to serve this country as well. That gave me a great deal of resolve — that individuals choose not to look back. They choose: "How can I be part of the solution?" These individuals that served chose to be part of the solution.

We collectively, both sides of the House, chose to be part of this solution today. We chose to say that this is not acceptable. We chose to say that those deeds, as we look over our shoulders, and those laws that were passed in this Legislative Assembly, those 100 or 100-plus laws from 1871 to 1947 that denied the most basic of rights of suffrage, to public office, of property, of restrictions…. As we look back over our shoulders, a message as we look forward to the youth that we're going to teach next…. Those are intolerable. As I see education put those principles in education so our youth look at that and say, "This is what our past is," they are indeed colour-blind as we move forward.

[1450]

I feel a lot of pride, a lot of kinship in the fact that an entire group of Canadians had to go through this — but the fact that we stood together shoulder to shoulder in a non-partisan way to say, "No. No more," and acknowledge the wrongs of the past. This is indeed a proud day for me and a proud day for this location.

D. Donaldson: It's an honour and a privilege to rise in support of Motion 19 before us, an apology for the historical wrongs perpetuated by B.C. against people of Chinese descent. I want to acknowledge those who were in the gallery and are now visiting the Legislature to witness the apology. It lends a high degree of honour to this historic occasion.

I also want to acknowledge that when we debate in this Legislature — when we pass laws and when we make important statements like the motion today — we are meeting on the traditional territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations and the Lekwungen people.

Coming from the north and from, primarily, a First Nations constituency, it's important to recognize how

[ Page 4038 ]

intertwined those of Chinese and aboriginal descent are when it comes to the racist history of this province. The law, for instance, depriving non-whites of voting provincially in 1871 applied to Chinese, First Nations and other people of colour.

It was after World War II, in 1947, when Chinese Canadians finally acquired the right to vote provincially. Two years later the same law finally applied to First Nations in the province.

Communities across the north and through the central Interior would not be what they are without the contribution of those of Chinese ancestry, despite the discrimination they faced. All of us living in B.C. owe a debt of gratitude for the wealth in B.C. we enjoy today to Chinese who worked on infrastructure and resource extraction activities that built the province.

The Canadian National Railway and the Grand Trunk Railway in the north both depended on Chinese labour — paid less than European-descent workers and employed to do the most dangerous work, often involving dynamite. I've walked through the Spiral Tunnels on the CPR line when I worked in the B.C. Rockies, and I know this is where Chinese workers lost their lives when they were purposely chosen for the dangerous tasks over their white counterparts because they were seen as less than equal.

The wealth of the gold rushes in this province would not have been possible without the hard work of Chinese immigrants. The lower Fraser in 1858, the Cariboo and Barkerville in 1865, the Omineca in 1869, the Klondike in 1896 — this is what created B.C. Despite the racism faced by Chinese workers, they established businesses that supported these gold rushes as well as mining the claims.

In the North Pacific Cannery, starting in 1888, and other canneries on the north coast, Chinese workers were on the cannery line and valued as tinsmiths in making cans in these plants.

So despite the racism, the history of the contribution…. It continues to be strong all across the north, in all communities.

Living in and representing the communities I do, I understand and witness daily the impacts of colonialism, of colonial attitudes, discriminatory laws and institutional racism that result in the oppression and injustices we are addressing in this apology today. The apology is important in recognizing our past but also gives hope to the future for all experiencing racial oppression in this province.

The legacy is now to move ahead with reconciliation, to act honourably. This is a good day in the Legislature, a moment to be proud. I thank all members on both sides of the House for the work we have done, resulting in today's historic, momentous occasion.

J. Tegart: It is a great honour to rise on behalf of my constituents of Fraser-Nicola to support this motion regarding an official apology to the Chinese community in British Columbia.

[1455]

The history of British Columbia has been written by many people that came to seek opportunity and a better life, and the Chinese community was no exception. This is true in all corners of our province, from Vancouver Island to the 60th parallel.

I can tell you, as a young person growing up in Ashcroft, the Chinese community made a huge difference in our community. We have a long history with the Chinese community. We have two railways, we had lots of farming, and we had a cannery.

Ashcroft had a thriving Chinatown when I moved there in 1962 — some of the little Chinese stores where we went to buy candied ginger and where the Chinese were probably the most thriving business people in our starving community. Unfortunately, part of our history is that we lost much of Chinatown to fire, and Ashcroft was famous for burning down our main street.

In Ashcroft there's a Chinese graveyard, with many of the railway workers interred there. Today the local Rotary Club has taken on the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery in recognition of the importance of the Chinese community to Ashcroft and the surrounding area.

Through history, we know that the provincial government has not always treated the Chinese community with the respect it deserves. Historically, B.C.'s Chinese community was forbidden to own property. They were denied the right to vote. They were denied the opportunity to participate in nearly every aspect of civic life. Hon. Speaker, I join this House in apologizing for the historic wrongs and injustices towards the Chinese community, particularly in my community.

Despite untold hardships, the Chinese community has always made and continues to make substantial contributions to our province's culture, history and economic prosperity. In the 1800s, during the Fraser Valley and Cariboo gold rushes, many people of Chinese descent settled in the creek valleys and mountains of the B.C. interior.

Members of the Chinese community were pioneers in the Fraser-Nicola, performing the difficult work as labourers, miners, ranch hands, merchants, restaurant owners and railway workers. Many settled in Interior communities like Lillooet and Ashcroft, establishing some of the oldest Chinese communities and Chinatowns in B.C. and contributing for many years to the prosperity of our area.

Today we acknowledge the deep wrongs, and we give thanks for the many contributions. Ensuring a fair and just society means people of all nations and cultures are welcomed. I hope today's event will help the youth of today and the youth of the future remember the historic wrongs that have occurred in our province. I want

[ Page 4039 ]

to thank all members of this House for sharing their thoughts and experiences. I've learned so much today.

I feel honoured to be a member of the Legislature, and I'm proud to be present today. It truly is a great day in British Columbia.

H. Bains: It is indeed a proud day for me personally, a proud day for this House, and certainly it is a proud day for our province. I just go back and reflect back into the history, as we are doing through all these speeches.

[1500]

There are many of us here in this House that have personal stories to tell. When I was first elected, we were all brought in one by one, we were sworn in, and then we were assigned our seats, our chairs, here. The day we came in for the first day to open this Legislature, I saw my name, and part of the history went through my mind. There were days in this House that someone sat in the same chair and argued a point that people who look like me and other people who are of different colour should not be allowed to come to Canada, never mind be in this House.

How far we have come. Today not only myself but other people from different communities make this group; we are part of a group that helps make laws. What a change. But between that, there are 140 years of history, 140 years of struggle.

As we travel around the world, our government officials and all of us, we proudly say how proud we are to have the best province in the world to live in, to raise our families, to work. We proudly say that for good reasons. But who brought us here? It just didn't happen by accident.

[D. Horne in the chair.]

Many people, generations of people, came before us. Part of those generations of people we are talking about today, who made contributions to make us what we are today, were not treated as equal human beings — people who built our railways, people who developed our forestry, people who developed our mining and all aspects of our lives. There's a big portion of that population who were treated as second-, third-, fourth-class citizens. They were not even considered people at some times. You've heard stories, Mr. Speaker.

When I was in my previous life with the union movement, I came across many documents, official documents, where the organizations and the institutions would have different rates for different people. Today you go into a factory or a mill or a sawmill or a logging camp and you see a rate based on the job you do. In those days the rates were based on what you looked like.

In the forest industry I came across this document under the heading of…. I believe it was called, British Columbia Lumber Manufacturers Association. It was going early '40s. There are rates: whites, $1.65 a day; Japanese, $1.55 a day; Chinamen, $1.45 a day — doing the same work.

Many of the laws and the legislation that we talked about are…. Some are quite known to people, like Komagata Maru . A few years ago we were involved in apologizing for that wrong.

We had not the right to vote, South Asians — well, they called them Hindus at that time; that's the official word used in that piece of legislation — Japanese, Chinese and aboriginals.

There were many others like I just mentioned — the rates on the job. Many cities had covenants in their city bylaws where people who looked different were not allowed to purchase properties. It went on, although it wasn't practised.

In 1972, when Dave Barrett one time…. We were talking about these things, and he pulled me aside and said: "You know, son, there's one area that you probably don't remember." He said: "In 1972, when we first got elected, it was brought to our attention." So 1972 was the year; I was already here for a year.

[1505]

He said the covenants in the cities still existed, the language was still there, where certain parts of the city would not allow different kinds of people to purchase properties. He said that was one of the first things that they did under the order-in-council — require all cities to remove all that language. This is 1972.

The member for Surrey-Tynehead just spoke. I was here in the '70s and '80s. There were establishments where you could not go for a beer without getting beat up.

All of that you would think is history and that it's past. I hope it is. Today I must say that I feel proud and honoured that those who came before us, who suffered through all of those legislative discriminations and societal discriminations, work hard to continue to bring change to make the province and the country better than what they inherited.

Today I'm proud that I'm part of that group, in the same House where the laws were made to take our right to vote, not to allow us to purchase properties in certain areas, not to practise our professions until 1947. I'm proud to be part of that group. We are turning the corner. We are starting a process. It's not complete. It's the start of a process of reconciliation.

The only way to do that is to recognize the wrongs and genuinely, sincerely apologize for that and set aside some legacy initiatives so that coming generations read about this, understand about these wrongs and, going forward, will understand that they will not let that happen ever again.

I just want to say that we cannot, just by passing this resolution, which we will…. I'm proud to be part of that and commit, going forward, to making sure that none of this happens ever again. But there are some practical

[ Page 4040 ]

steps that we must continue to take. We cannot be complacent that all is well after today. Donald Sterlings of the world live on both sides of the world still. We still have them here today.

If we are serious, and I know we are serious, then any time someone stands up and blames immigration and immigrants for our problems, blames multiculturalism for our problems, we need to stand up with one voice, condemn them, nip them in the bud as soon as they start.

The only way to send a message that we actually are serious, which we say we are today, is that we will not allow these people to continue to blame and pick people for their own problems. At best, that will be divisive, which is not what we want as a society going forward. The worst-case scenario — that certainly is discriminatory.

I'm proud that I'm part of the process we started when the Komagata Maru apology was unanimously passed here, and unanimously, this motion will be passed today to right the wrong of what our Chinese brothers and sisters went through. But looking forward, we need to continue to educate, make ourselves aware, our coming generations aware.

[1510]

As the minister has said, part of the curriculum should include our past history. If we neglect to understand our past history, we will repeat it, and that's not what we want.

I can say that there is a small segment of our society still out there, but the majority — I would say 99 percent — of the people here in B.C.… With the diversity that we have, the understanding that we have and the sharing of our cultural and religious values that we all bring here, we learn from each other. We continue to build a better province, a better province than the province that we inherited from the people before us. We need to allow our children, through knowledge, through understanding, to continue to build an even better British Columbia for their children and their children.

With that, it is a privilege and it is my honour to be part of the group that is starting a process to right the wrongs of the past and moving forward and finding unity in diversity.

M. Morris: I'm very proud as well to be standing in this House today speaking in favour of Motion 19. My family's interaction with the Chinese community goes back a long way. My grandfather developed one of the first pharmacies in Quesnel in the Cariboo in 1910-1911. He did a lot of work in Barkerville and worked with the Chinese community in Barkerville at that time.

The Chinese lived under some very adverse conditions because of the Cariboo gold rush — in building the Cariboo Trail, in building the community around Barkerville, in mining in some very extreme conditions and working in some very harsh environments up at that particular time. That didn't change very quickly.

Through the early part of the 1900s, when my family was involved there, my uncle — who was born in Quesnel in about 1910 — used to talk about some of the medical epidemics that happened in the community back in the '20s and '30s. My aunt was a nurse that spent a lot of time out there, as well, working with the communities, trying to make them healthy again. So there were a lot of interactions.

I was always impressed, even as a small child living in Quesnel before Barkerville became a historic park — the resiliency of the Chinese community that we even see in Quesnel today that developed the businesses that are well-established pioneer families in the Cariboo and have left a legacy there. I think the Chinese legacy in Barkerville is well known throughout British Columbia and the world. I'm very proud to see that, although the conditions that developed that legacy are a little bit difficult to speak about sometimes.

There were a lot of things that British Columbia, Canada and the world, quite frankly, have done. Some of the laws that we've enacted and passed over the decades and the centuries don't live up to today's standards. Thank goodness, we've changed.

I was part of an organization, the RCMP. I spent 32 years with the RCMP. If you look at the history of the RCMP, back to the time it was first formed, in rolling out the laws and the legislation that Canada and various provinces passed, there are some things, some of those laws, that are still very much abhorred today. You know, people wish those things had never happened.

One of those things was the removal of the Inuit in the Arctic into different communities to try and resolve some of those issues there. The RCMP were involved in the residential school issues in trying to bring aboriginal children into the residential schools.

We were also involved in Japanese internment during the Second World War. In fact, my parents, back at the beginning of the Second World War, ended up moving down to Hope and were hired by government to transport the Japanese internment prisoners to Tashme, which is now known as Sunshine Valley, I believe, on the highway between Hope and Manning Park. So my parents were involved. All of us have a history with those kinds of connections over the years.

My own personal thoughts at this time: it's been a very emotional day for me to see this take place. It's something that's been a long time coming. I think we can all be very proud in this House of what we've seen here today in trying to make British Columbia a much better place.

[1515]

We can't change what's happened in the past, but we can sure as heck learn from what's happened in the past and make the future brighter for all British Columbians, no matter what your ethnicity is, where you come from or what you believe.

I'm very proud to support this, and I'm very proud to see the unanimity between everybody in this House here

[ Page 4041 ]

in pulling this together.

R. Chouhan: I, along with my colleagues from both sides of the House, stand today to support Motion 19. It makes me very proud when I hear the sentiments expressed by the members of this House in talking about the past wrongs.

I came to this country in January of 1973. I came with the feeling that I was moving to a country which was so well advanced, so educated and which provided so many opportunities for everybody. But when I arrived here, I immediately sensed that the past of this country was not forgotten. People of colour were still not treated with respect and equality.

Because of some of the incidents that occurred at that time, some of us got together, and we formed an organization called the B.C. Organization to Fight Racism. I'm a founding member of that. I remember, as a member of that organization, meeting with many of the victims of racism, visiting them and learning from their experience, understanding what went wrong.

Then in the mid-'70s, in 1975, in south Moberly Park in South Vancouver there was a young student from the South Asian community walking through that park by himself. He was stopped by a group of racist people at that time, and he was beaten to death. It made you wonder. Canada should have learned its lessons from the past mistakes. But obviously, it had not happened — at least, not until then.

Members of the Chinese community had been here for so long, had contributed so much to our country in all sectors, yet they were still suffering the pain and the hardship that their predecessors, their ancestors suffered. They continued to suffer that because the past was not recognized.

I want to say thank you to the Minister of International Trade and to members from both sides for their participation to make sure that today we stand together to say no to what has happened in the past.

In what we are saying today, we are not only talking about the past, but we are talking to make sure that our future is brighter. With this apology that we are extending unanimously in this House today, we are sending a message to all British Columbians, to all Canadians and, especially, the next generation, so that they understand that what happened in the past should not ever happen again. That's what we are doing today.

I was very pleased to hear the Minister of Education's commitment that curriculum will be developed, that education materials will be developed and that it would be sent out to all schools and everywhere, wherever it would be needed, so that people understand what happened and what should not have happened.

Much has been said today by my colleagues in this House. I just want to be here to say that I'm very happy, I'm very proud to be here at this historic moment, as my colleague from Surrey-Newton said. When we were first elected in 2005 I came to this House with the same feelings he had gone through.

[1520]

Thinking of the past, what would they have thought when they passed those kinds of policies and laws to stop us people of colour coming to Canada? Today when I sit in that Speaker's chair, it makes me wonder what we can do together, what we can achieve together if we work together.

I want to say thank you to each and every one of my colleagues. I want to say thank you to the Chinese community, all of our friends who came here today and were part of this historical moment. Let's continue to work together and make sure this kind of ugly

chapter is never repeated in our history.

Hon. S. Bond: I, too, want to begin with a series of thank-yous, most particularly to the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, who has, since her arrival in this House, had a passion and a drive to ensure that we arrived where we did today.

She worked in collaboration with and was supported by members in this House, people who have for many years wanted to find us at a place where today we could see a gallery full of British Columbians and Canadians who have waited so long to hear those incredibly important and profound words: the words that say that we are sorry.

As a 13-year member of this Legislature, there are moments in this chamber that are more memorable than others. Some moments, candidly, are some that we would probably rather forget. But today is not one of them. I'm sure that in the memories of everyone in this House, it will be a day that we will remember for all of the right reasons. There was something very powerful about looking at the faces in the gallery today and the sense of unanimity in this House about an issue that it's hard to not be emotional about.

I consider myself a very, very proud Canadian. Yet I have at times grappled with some of our historic behaviour. Today is a poignant example of one of our darker moments. The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 and then the subsequent Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, called the Chinese Exclusion Act, effectively closed off Chinese immigration to Canada. Ironically, it was established on July 1, 1923 — Canada Day, Confederation Day.

How could this egregious act happen in our beloved Canada? It is reported that Chinese Canadians referred to Dominion Day as humiliation day. British Columbia played a role, a significant role, in the disenfranchisement of Chinese individuals and families, leading to their separation — separation of families, husbands from wives, parents from children, despair. In this very chamber, where you've heard today how all of us feel profoundly honoured to have a place to sit, joining a relatively small

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group of British Columbians given that honour….

In this very chamber more than 100 laws, policies and regulations endorsed and, in fact, made systemic discrimination legal in our beautiful province, our beloved country. Unthinkable but true.

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In the book The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy, Chinese Canadians are urged to go to Gold Mountain, get rich so they could send home dollars to support their families. Yet — this is a quote from Wayson Choy — this is actually what happened: "Poverty-stricken bachelor men were left alone in Gold Mountain, with only a few dollars left to send back to China every month and never enough dollars to buy passage home. Dozens went mad. Many killed themselves. The Chinatown Chinese called July 1, the day celebrating the birth of Canada, the day of shame."

How do we deal with what was a dark moment not only in our country but, certainly, in our province? It starts with recognition of the wrong. It continues with a genuine and humble apology, and it's followed up by action, by education.

We need to teach our young people. We need to tell them this story. For me personally, as I looked up in the gallery, though we were surrounded by literally dozens and dozens of Chinese Canadians, it was the opportunity to see children in the gallery that gives us hope.

I was thinking about what I will do after today. How will I be different? What will I contribute to this discussion? Here's what I thought of. I actually am blessed to have two grandsons, Caleb and Cooper. They're four and two. Here's what I want to say to Caleb and Cooper today:

"Dear Caleb and Cooper,

"I hope you're having a wonderful day. I miss you very much and can hardly wait to see you. It's hard to believe how quickly you are growing up, but I am very proud of the little men that you are.

"I have watched your mom and dad teach you, correct you and love you. But I've also seen them patiently and consistently help you to learn about the need to recognize and admit when you've done something wrong, something hurtful, something unkind. Learning to say 'I'm sorry' is an important value.

"Well, today your grandma and her colleagues had to do just that. You see, many years ago, long, long before you were born, elected officials — yes, just like your grandma — made decisions. They decided that some people — in this case, members of the Chinese community — shouldn't have the same basic rights as other Canadians, as the rights that you have.

"They couldn't vote. They couldn't hold office. They couldn't own property — and a long list of other things. It seems incomprehensible to me today that anyone could consciously and repeatedly treat a group of people this way simply because they were of Chinese descent — unbelievable, but regrettably and painfully true.

"Caleb and Cooper, today we did the right thing. We said we were profoundly sorry for the acts of the past.

"As I watch you play and learn, I see you look beyond race, beyond the colour of skin, religion, ability or disability. You just see people. Today we did that too.

"The British Columbia I want for you is inclusive and welcoming, celebrating our diversity. Today we took a step closer to being that British Columbia.

"I know how much you love stories. We read them together all the time. The story of our province's treatment of Chinese Canadians is anything but funny or written in rhyme, but it is a story we must share. It gives us a chance to learn from the past and to ensure that we don't repeat the same mistakes all over again.

"The next time I hear your mom and dad remind you both to take responsibility, do the right thing and say you're sorry, my mind will return to this powerful day in the Legislature, where every single member of this House stood together and did just that.

"Thank you, Caleb and Cooper, for being colour-blind. I have every single hope and confidence that the children of your generation will learn from our mistakes and make our province and country a place of tolerance, refuge and acceptance.

"Love,

"Grandma."

[1530]

K. Corrigan: Well, I'm very pleased to stand to speak on this historic motion of apology "for more than a hundred laws, regulations, and policies that were imposed by past provincial governments that discriminated against people of Chinese descent since 1871, when British Columbia joined Confederation, to 1947" — discriminatory measures that were unanimously supported in this very room, measures and a history of discrimination that we will now all repudiate in this chamber. It's a history that can be repudiated, but it's a history that cannot be changed.

I think the lesson from that period, for now, is that we have to remember that those attitudes that allowed those laws and allowed that discrimination were the norm. We believe that we are better. We are better. But I think we have to remember our past, and it was the norm of the past. That hostility and racism was so widespread and so accepted, so average. And there were everyday people, who were not all bad people, who supported those attitudes.

To me, that goes to the possibilities of human nature, both good and bad. If we can improve, as we have, we are nevertheless always vulnerable to also becoming less human and less inclusive. Racism is always a possibility and always exists in some form or other for all of us.

That dark possibility of human nature is always there. That is why it is so critical we take these steps as a society that voices its commitment, that voices its apology. Freedom and equality are ever fragile, so all of us have to

[ Page 4043 ]

remember to reinforce it on days like today.

I'm very pleased that part of the delegation here today was James Wang. James is a member of my community of Burnaby. He's a relatively recent immigrant to British Columbia. He and his family are part of the more than 40 percent of my community who are Chinese. He is also the first mainland Chinese-Canadian recent immigrant to be elected to public office.

I asked James today what this meant to him as a relatively new immigrant. He said it was very important and very positive for him, being part of the larger Chinese community, part of a community that had experienced a very long legacy and climate of hate and discrimination. He stressed as a school trustee the importance of education, of reinforcing the values that we have talked about today through education in our schools.

I was also really pleased that Ling Chu of SUCCESS was here today. She said one of the problems for her husband's family, who experienced the laws and discrimination, was their feeling that they weren't worthy of being treated fairly, as equals. She said that that goes deeper and causes more lasting damage, which can last for generations.

Finally, as part of my personal apology, I want to thank and apologize to the veterans, some of whom were here today, who were willing to give their lives for a country that often treated them so poorly.

I add my apology to all of those in this House that we will unanimously bring today. With that, I will take my seat.

Hon. D. McRae: Today I rise in this chamber to speak as the MLA for the Comox Valley, as a citizen of British Columbia and as an educator. One thing I am proud to say in this chamber is that I had the opportunity to teach for 15 years at G.P. Vanier in the Comox Valley — a great school. We have many, many great schools across the province. I had the opportunity to teach socials 11, and a core part of that course addressed the inequities or the racism in British Columbia's past.

I was always pleased when I would teach these aspects that many of the students were unaware of and could not believe that this was part of our history, because they've grown up in a world where, for most of them, it's never been an aspect of their life. When you talk about the Asiatic Exclusion League, Komagata Maru , the Chinese head tax, it is history to them but one that they are not usually exposed to before they come into the education system.

[1535]

When they sit there, sometimes their mouths hang open, believe it or not, because they cannot believe that politicians of days before thought that this was right. As a teacher and as an adult, I'm glad the young people are incredulous. They think that this is wrong. They know it is wrong. They want to learn more, and they want to understand that those things should never happen again.

That's why we teach history in British Columbia and why we teach history around the world. We want to celebrate past successes and greatness, but we also want to recognize that history is full of imperfections and mistakes. We want to make sure young people understand that as they go forward, they can always leave the world in a better place.

The other thing is that when I stand in this chamber, I represent the Comox Valley — the village of Cumberland, the town of Comox, the city of Courtenay and the regional district. For a person just idly coming through the Comox Valley, you may often, on face value, say: "How is this story really important to your community?" I think it's important to all our communities.

I think an average visitor to our community may not realize just how important the Chinese history is to the Comox Valley. In this chamber many of my colleagues have talked about the history. We talk about the railway ending in 1885 and the injustices that started after that. Well, in 1888 many of those men who worked on the railway started looking for employment in the Comox Valley, in the coal mines.

The Union Colliery Co. said, "Yes, you can come to our community and work," and they gave them land. But the thing is that they gave them swampy land in the south part of town. They weren't allowed to live with the rest of the village of Cumberland. They were given some of the worst land in the area, but they came, and they persevered.

They worked in the mines. They worked supporting the community. They had businesses. At its peak, there were 1,500 residents of Chinese descent in the Comox Valley in the village of Cumberland, and over 50 businesses. The average person doesn't realize that, because today, of those 50 buildings, one remains.

In 1922 there was a major explosion in Cumberland. Chinese workers were prohibited from working in the mines. Around that same time, the coal industry was declining as well. Of course, the laws that we've talked about in this chamber were passed, and the numbers of Chinese residents in the village decreased. Furthermore, in 1935 a major fire hit the Chinatown in Cumberland and destroyed most of the buildings. By 1968 those that remained were deemed a hazard, and they were destroyed, leaving just one.

Just last weekend my family and I decided to go walking there. The village of Cumberland recognizes the importance of the Chinese community, and, recognizing the past to our community, they have created a park. It's called Coal Creek Historic Park. The one building is still there, the trails are there, the pictures are there for people to see, but there are no people. One of the reasons there are no people in this area is because of the actions of government.

It is important that our young people understand that

[ Page 4044 ]

government can do great things. In the past government has done bad things as well. It doesn't go away, but it is so important to stand in chambers like this and recognize injustices, apologize and go forward in society.

British Columbia is an amazing province. It is a province for all British Columbians. It will be a province for future generations they'll be proud of, but let's not hide our past. I'm proud as a history teacher and as a resident of the Comox Valley to stand in the chamber and recognize that the past wasn't perfect. We will make restitution as we go forward and apologize, and all our children will grow up in a better life.

J. Darcy: It's a great honour to rise today, together with my colleagues on both sides of the House, on this historic occasion and on this very, very moving day, especially when the galleries were filled by members of the Chinese-Canadian community. It was especially moving to hear the speeches on both sides of this House by those MLAs of Chinese and South Asian descent, and by all the members in this room who have spoken.

Like others who have spoken before me, I want to take it back home to my own community. I was reminded when the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant was speaking earlier. She mentioned a former Premier, Richard McBride.

[1540]

An elementary school in my community is called Richard McBride. There are probably many of them across the province. I spoke in a classroom in grade 5 in that school a few months ago about what we do in this Legislature, what the job of an MLA is. I tried my best to describe it. It was difficult.

Then I decided to talk to them about the apology that we were discussing towards Chinese Canadians. Now, this was as multicultural a group of students as you would see in any classroom, and they kind of stared at me, many of them. Many of them were from families of Chinese descent. They stared at me. They didn't really, many of them, understand what I was talking about when I asked them what racism was.

Interestingly, even though most of the children in the classroom were of Asian descent and many of them of Chinese-Canadian descent, it was a young boy whose father was African American who said: "I know what that is. My father told me that he was treated differently because of the colour of his skin."

I tried to engage them more, and I said: "What do you do if you've done something wrong?" All the hands went up. "Well, you apologize." "That's right. And then what do you do next?" "Well, you never, ever do it again." "How do you know what it is you shouldn't do again?" One girl said: "I'd go and talk to the person I hurt and try and understand how it was that I hurt them."

I thought that was so profound, because that really is what we're talking about today. It's about really, fully appreciating that history of racism and discrimination in such a way that we make sure we never do it again, and that's by taking action, going forward.

I also want to bring it home to my community of New Westminster more broadly because of what we've talked about in this House today — about how the racist laws and discrimination that were acted upon and promulgated in this House also permeated our whole society. The city of New Westminster is referred to in many of those historic documents.

Bill Chu, the founder of Canadians for Reconciliation, came to our city council in 2009 and said: "New Westminster has a whole lot of things on its books that you ought to look at." Then my city council embarked on a process of reconciliation with the Chinese-Canadian community about both understanding our history as well as talking about what it is we need to do, going forward, so that we never, ever do it again.

Chinese Canadians settled in New Westminster as early as 1867, when we were the capital of British Columbia. By the turn of the century there were about 1,680 persons of Chinese descent in our community. But as early as 1874 you can begin to see — on the books of our city council — bylaws, regulations and motions that were every bit as racist and discriminatory towards Chinese Canadians as anything passed in this House. In fact, many of them urged this Legislature to act and urged the federal government to act.

A Chinese road tax, 1878; a bylaw in 1879 restricting the number of Chinese and others residing in one house; a specific motion brought forward about a Chinese person who had leprosy. In 1884: "All contracts let by this council for street-making" shall have a clause in them "prohibiting the employment of Chinese labour of any kind."

One prohibits processions with Chinese banners and music. Another calls on the CPR, with respect to the extension of the railway to our community, that every possible precaution be taken "to exclude Chinese labour from being in any capacity employed" or in any way connected and calling attention to the fact that "cheap Mongolian labour has already been too heavily felt by the whole population of British Columbia."

[1545]

These motions go on. Others talk about leprosy, one saying that the chairman of the board of health be authorized to have a building erected for the use of Chinese patients with smallpox on the same lot and with a good fence dividing it from the hospital used by whites. Another is about a cemetery, again separating whites from Chinese people who were to be buried there. Subsequently, there are motions about a Chinese hospital that at one point agreed that a Chinese hospital could be established and then later put very severe restrictions on it.

I mentioned a cemetery which features very prominently in our history as a city because it is the site of

[ Page 4045 ]

a graveyard, actually, without markings for individual graves for First Nations people and Chinese Canadians — and a different cemetery for white people. Later the place where the Chinese were buried was ordered to be dug up or to be abandoned.

This continues. There are motions…. I say this as someone who has spent her life in the trade union movement. A union coming forward and saying that there was an Oriental working in Neilson's foundry on city work and then subsequently an investigation where the owner of the company, the founder, was very quick to say that yes, he was employing Orientals but he could certainly dispense with their use.

I could go on. I'm very proud that my city council undertook to dig up that history so that the people of our community could understand it fully and could then embark on a process of reconciliation within our own community, just as we're doing on a provincewide basis.

I want to underline what some of my colleagues have said earlier — that an apology is just the beginning. It is, indeed, a historic step and a very emotional and powerful day in this House, but it is significant when it is the beginning of a true process of reconciliation, and that includes education, as we've talked about.

I had the honour at lunch, at the reception, to speak to a Dr. Henry Yu, who says that when he engages in education in his classes, he has pictures of…. You know, it's the picture we've all seen of where the last spike was driven, which is all middle-aged and older white men in suits with lots of moustaches and beards — and no pictures, of course, of the Chinese-Canadian labourers who built that railroad, who did the most dangerous work. One labourer was killed for every mile of rail that was laid.

He said what he tries to do…. I raise this as just one example, because it would be such a powerful way in our education system not just to add more facts and figures. To show students and show future generations in a very visual way, he presents a photo instead that has, yes, those people at Craigellachie where the Last Spike was driven but also has inserted pictures of Chinese labourers who may have been involved in building that railroad.

It's about a whole lot of things. It's about education. It's about our employment policies. It's about having employment programs where, indeed, if we bring people from other countries, it shouldn't be to treat them as cheap labour but should instead be a step. It should be about a path to citizenship. When we embrace a wide range of those policies, we will really have learned the lessons from our history to make sure that in British Columbia we never, ever do it again.

S. Hamilton: I'm honoured to speak on behalf of my constituents in Delta North to support this motion. It is an historic day for all British Columbians. I hope that many years from now people will be able to look back at this day and appreciate the importance of this apology.

We can look back at our own past and shake our heads at what passed as acceptable behaviour. Previous speakers have noticed the number of laws and regulations that were created a century ago, rules created with the intent of discriminating against people of Chinese descent.

Canadians have learned the value and benefit of tolerance, and these days we actually celebrate our differences, a far cry from what happened many years ago. British Columbia is a province that was built by people with diverse cultural backgrounds. Our Legislature reflects that now, even if it didn't in the past.

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Our cities and towns were built by individuals and communities who came from across the globe. Many came from China to try and build a better life in Canada. But look what they found. Look what they had to endure, but endure they did. Despite some of the most abhorrent laws that made immigration so difficult, many Chinese still settled in British Columbia. Those settlers created tight-knit communities that looked out for each other and worked hard to become important connections to their regional economies.

We look back now and see these qualities: community-minded, hard-working, a strong sense of culture. These are values we see in early Chinese communities, and those same values continue to exist today. And aren't these the same values we see in all Canadians?

I'm proud of this government for making a formal apology for historic wrongdoings, and I'm thankful it was done properly, sincerely and in a way that everyone, regardless of their politics, can support.

It's not easy admitting to wrongdoing, especially to the type of intolerance that was officially accepted and even entrenched in laws for far too long. We should never forget the dark times, but we should also celebrate where we are today. While we deserve to pride ourselves for being a tolerant people, we can never rest on our laurels. We need to move forward and ensure that our children and our grandchildren understand the value of our province's Chinese pioneers.

There's strength in diversity, and we are stronger today because of our ancestors' differences. They shaped who we are now and give us the Canadian identity that is truly unique in the world. Our government believes in ensuring all British Columbians, as well as new immigrants, have the information to understand our multicultural history. British Columbia has always been a multicultural place, despite attempts to force it to be otherwise.

I hope this apology will help heal any lingering wounds. The Chinese community in British Columbia is a vital part of our fabric, the fabric of our society, and we're thankful for all the contributions this community has made to this province.

V. Huntington: I appreciate this opportunity to speak to this momentous apology for historic wrongs.

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Firstly, I want to thank the Minister of International Trade and for Multiculturalism for her genuinely non-partisan approach to this important moment in B.C. history. I'd also like to thank the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant for her dedicated and thoughtful contribution to the process.

Delta, like so many other communities, had a sizeable Chinatown. Over 350 souls lived in Ladner, having made their way to the Fraser River delta after the gold rush panned out. These men — for most of them were men — lived in a cluster of homes and businesses just down the river from Ladner village. They were cannery workers, washermen, store owners and farmers. They worked hard, lived hard, did good and did bad things — just like all of us.

There are many sad stories that can be told, but there are also many stories of great perseverance and achievement. The families Lowe and Chung remain well known in Delta and carry that memory of a once bustling Chinatown on the banks of the Fraser River.

That entire community burned to the ground in 1929, and most of its citizens dispersed to other areas of Vancouver. Perhaps one day the legacy fund will give us the opportunity to search for the memories and the remaining history that rumour says may lie with the benevolent societies.

I know that the people of South Delta — indeed, all of Delta — join me in saluting this recognition of a community that endured a sad and unfortunate past. Their future, thankfully, will be much brighter.

Hon. T. Lake: It is indeed an honour and a privilege to be a member of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia today, a very historic day as we acknowledge and recognize the historic wrongs that have been committed in the province of British Columbia and apologize to the people of British Columbia, specifically to the people of Chinese descent whose descendants were treated disrespectfully by our predecessors.

I come from the city of Kamloops, and I saw in the gallery today a colleague of mine whom I sat with on city council from 2002 to 2005: Joe Leong. Joe has been working with the Kamloops Chinese Cultural Association for many years. He and his wife, Maley, were here today, and I'm thankful that they were here on this historic day.

[1555]

Joe has spent much of his life working to acknowledge and to ensure that the people of Kamloops and British Columbia understand the contribution that Canadians of Chinese origin have made to our community, specifically around the building of the railways.

In Kamloops we are at the junction of the CPR and the CN Rail, and of course, we know, from all of the members that have spoken today, the great contribution that those of Chinese origin made to creating Canada through their work on the railways of our great country.

We also know the terrible conditions under which they were forced to work, over 600 that died in the construction of the transcontinental railway. The

section between Yale and Kamloops was one of the most difficult, one of the most expensive and one of the most dangerous stretches, so there were many Chinese workers on the railway who lost their lives in that section.

At that time, there was no place to bury the Chinese workers in the city's cemetery. It was simply not allowed, so a local rancher dedicated some of his land so that Chinese ranch hands who worked with him would have a place to rest when their lives came to an end. This is the Chinese heritage cemetery, which is the last vestige, really, of the pioneer Chinese community in Kamloops.

The Kamloops Chinese Cultural Association takes responsibility and looks after that heritage cemetery and ensures that the people of Kamloops understand the heritage and the history of the people who worked in ranching and on the railway. Their lives are commemorated there today.

I want to take a moment to thank Joe Leong and the members of the Kamloops Chinese Cultural Association for ensuring that the contributions of those of Chinese descent made to the city of Kamloops….

While the Chinese community in Kamloops is relatively small, it is mighty. In fact, the first mayor of Chinese descent in North America was Peter Wing, who was the mayor of Kamloops for three terms starting in 1966. He received the Order of Canada and the Order of B.C. and was an outstanding leader of our city.

Not only was he the first mayor of Chinese descent in North America; he was the actually the first native-born son to be the mayor of Kamloops. His family came to Kamloops from a Cantonese province. He was born in Kamloops in 1914 and went on to become one of our greatest leaders, which exemplifies the contribution that immigrants of all countries make to our great country.

I'm an immigrant. I came from England in 1967 when I was ten years old. It was relatively easy for an immigrant from England to make their way in Canada. We looked the same; we sounded the same. We were easily assimilated.

Other young children who came from other countries didn't have it so easy, because they were a little bit different. Maybe they had different coloured skin or they spoke different languages. I saw those children ostracized in many instances because of the inherent fear, I believe, of things that are different from us.

That is the only explanation I can find to explain the terrible things that were done to people of Chinese descent in British Columbia in this Legislature in the past: the fear. The fear of the unknown. The fear of something happening that will displace or upset the comfort and the expectations of the people living here.

I think that is a basic human trait. It's not a nice trait, but I think it is part of our nature.

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It is also part of our nature to recognize when we do things that are disrespectful, that are inherently wrong. So today has been a very important day for us to look back and to say that we should not wilt in the face of fear. When things change, we should embrace change. We should not fear change and create terrible laws to hold people down and to fan the flames of fear in others, which is what I believe we have done in the past.

Many today have spoken about how our children today are colour-blind. I have three beautiful daughters, and I'm proud to say that I find that is the case as well. They have friends of all ethnicities, and they don't think anything of that. It doesn't even register on their radar. So we're very hopeful in the province of British Columbia.

I think this is a lesson for us. As we worry about fear and fear of change, we have to remember, when we're dealing with things today, when we're dealing with First Nations issues today, that there are some people in our province who fear that things may change, that balances shift. So I think today is a lesson for us for today and for the future in the way we deal respectfully with each other, as we ensure that we apply fairness, love and honesty to our decision-making.

I want to thank the Premier of our great province. I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition. I want to thank all of the members of this is House, particularly the Minister of International Trade and for Multiculturalism, for the work they have done to bring us to this day today. It is a remarkable day in this Legislature and the province of British Columbia, and I'm proud to be an MLA in this House today.

N. Simons: I'm honoured today to be in this House on this historic occasion. I want to start by thanking my colleague from Vancouver–Mount Pleasant, and I'd like to thank the Minister of International Trade and for Multiculturalism and all of my colleagues from both sides of the House who have spoken, sometimes quite personally, about what this apology means. I'd just like to say I'm speaking on behalf of the entire population of Powell River–Sunshine Coast, who I believe are with me in saying that I fully embrace the motion that has been put forward.

I hope that this is an opportunity for our province to recognize that we have quite a bit of power in this place, and we need to make sure that we steward it well, based on our knowledge and based on our understanding of our place in this world.

My hope is that through this effort today, through the recognition of historic wrongs, that will stop us from ever thinking about people in ways that devalue them — that we constantly work at focusing on our strengths and how we share so much in common. I think we need to make sure that the legacy projects speak clearly about our past in a way that we recognize that we have a lot to learn.

I also hope that every opportunity exists for us as community members and as people from diverse backgrounds to come together through the arts — through music, though dance, through theatre and through opera — and through sport and through cultural activities. When the weaving of those fabrics takes place, the fabric becomes stronger, and the possibility of actions such as those taken over so many years by people in this Legislature are less likely to occur.

I fundamentally believe that is the purpose of an apology — to acknowledge the wrong is done and to hope, and to express the hope, that together we can prevent things like that from happening again. So thank you to all of those who were involved in such a dedicated way to make sure that we can come here as British Columbians, as people who share values, to say that we won't let that happen again.

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S. Gibson: It's a great honour for me to speak today at this auspicious moment, this auspicious day here in our Legislature, and to rise on behalf of my constituents of Abbotsford-Mission to support this motion regarding an official apology to the Chinese community of British Columbia.

The Chinese community has made untold contributions to the whole province — and, especially, my riding of Abbotsford-Mission in many areas — in farming, rail, community life in general. It's very important to acknowledge that.

The community has always been an integral part of our culture, our history and our prosperity of this province. We acknowledge that today, and the earlier speakers have, I think, expressed that very well, articulated that. However, as we know today, there's a dark side to the story. The Chinese communities had to overcome many historic wrongs and barriers, including systematic discrimination — a word that we can hardly imagine using in modern life here in British Columbia today.

From Confederation to the end of the Second World War, past provincial governments introduced more than 100 laws — it's hard to believe — regulations and policies that discriminated specifically against people of Chinese descent. These laws and policies denied the Chinese community's fundamental rights and privileges and full participation in modern civil society.

It's troubling to imagine that this province — which is known today for diversity, respect and inclusiveness — was once a place that discriminated against any individual of any ethnicity. In particular, of course, today we're focusing on the Chinese community and the tragedy that represents.

Today, through our awareness of what is now right and wrong, we can work towards creating a better and more just place to live for our families, to create the prosperous and welcoming community that we all value. Today

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inclusiveness, respect and understanding for others are basic values of our modern, multicultural society. Recently, the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism travelled to communities throughout our province — thank you for doing that — as a part of the consultation process.

Today this government is allocating $1 million for legacy initiatives and taking action on those suggested initiatives, including updating B.C.'s education curriculum to include information on the historic wrongs, so that young people ca