5 points suggested to deal with NW school development

The following contains Bill Chu’s Five-Point Suggestion to deal with New Westminster’s highschool redevelopment plan and the needs to preserve what he calls the “last piece of Chinese heritage in New Westminster”. These are the first concrete suggestions from the founder of Canadians for Reconciliation. In my opinion, they are fair and workable.

Preamble: The conditions are really the next rather than first in the process of reconciliation. In other words, some vital step needs to take place before conditions and peace can be considered between two parties. So this morning I started off by explaining the ingredients of such a process: truth, justice and mercy. Truth is what I tried to do with the website: to present the historical context of the disappeared Chinatown. Justice is what the two communities need to aspire to after knowing the truth. Mercy is what one community needs to offer after the other has apologized so that a lasting peace can befall.

With the history delivered this morning, I added my conditions on the potential development on the Chinese cemeteries area:

1. The Chinese communities are to be consulted on the planning, construction methodology, any future alternation and demolition of any part or whole of the above said site
2. With the exception of #4 below, the use of the area will be restricted to surface parking and landscaping only. Apart from adding both Chinese cemeteries to the data base under Heritage Conservation Act, a restrictive covenant that no building or structure is to be built is to be added to the title of the parcels containing both Chinese cemeteries.
3. There cannot be any lowering of grade from existing of more than 18 inches. To aid future planning, reasonable raising of existing grade is acceptable.

4. A portion of the area will be developed for a properly designed memorial park. As a minimum, such will contain:

• a) a monument or plaque to commemorate the contributions of the Chinese in New Westminster from the 1800’s to now.
• b) a permanent display of the detailed history of Chinese in New Westminster including all the racist legislations and measures passed to limit the rights of Chinese in voting, migration, working, etc..
• c) a permanent map and photos showing details of former Chinatown before and after the Great Fire of 1898, with locations of significant Chinese community groups, business, etc..
• d) a religious shrine where tribute can be paid to the forefathers

5. The Chinese history in New Westminster must be incorporated into the curriculum of schools so that children in New Westminster will not grow up not knowing the history that happened in their City. Since the rest of the Province has engaged in similar racism against the Chinese and will benefit from the above education, we propose the City to work with the Province to extend the above to the rest of the Province.

The following is a list of major events of the Chinese pioneers’ community in New West compiled by Bill Chu:

1858-1864
Gold rush led to migration of Chinese miners and a boom in NW. Chinese contributed to local economy through operating laundries, vegetable gardens, preparing firewood, etc..

1866
Chinatown grew on Front Street. Chinese provided cheap labor for fish cannery.

1881-1885
Thousands of Chinese though not wanted wre needed to build the CPR. NW became a prosperous center for large movement of people and goods. Towards the end of CPR construction, racism and Chinese unemployment exploded.

1885-1923
Head tax was imposed only on Chinese immigrants to discourage their coming

1887-1907
anti Chinese riots in Vancouver. Anti Asian League formed in 1907 in NW led by owner of local paper and building inspector, inciting hostility against Chinese community

1888-1898
economic boom due to completion of CPR

1892
Chinese successful in having a Chinese cemetery at the south end of the current NWSS site.

1898
Great Fire of NW burned down 60 blocks including Chinatown. Chinese merchants were not allowed to rebuild on Front Street since it was considered too close to Downtown. They then rebuilt around the “swamp”, an area to the west and uphill from Columbia.

1904
CBA built a home for seniors at 825 Victoria (later became CBA’s Building)

1909-1914
Chinese leased a 2 acre parcel for cemetery (located east of NWSS) but lease was cancelled in 1914

1912
NW forced demolition of part of Chinatown to suit plan to redevelop area as industrial area

1913
With a depressed economy, NW City council initiated the non-hiring of Chinese laborers.

1914-1916
World War 1 brought sharp rise in rice price and 80% unemployment among Chinese, some of whom returned to China. Building inspector condemned core buildings in Chinatown and council sought an orderly schedule for their demolition.

1919
Provincial Fire Marshall declared Chinatown as “a fire trap in the heart of the City” and ordered the demolition of a large part of Chinatown

1923
NW MP W G McQuarrie tabled the notorious Chinese Exclusion Act in the Parliament resulting in a “bachelor society” in Chinese communities across Canada

1941
Chinese population dropped to 400 in NW

1979
CBA donated its historic building to NW which demolished it within months. The large lot laid in waste for decades until it was turned into a dog park in 2008.

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