Bones of our ancestors – Past and Future

I visited the New Westminster Archives this past Sunday and looked at the minutes of the Chinese Benevolent Association and of the City Council. This is in regard of the controversial planned reconstruction of the New Westminster Secondary School, which is sitted on the former Chinese cemetery; although exhumation efforts have been recorded.

Here is an urgent call from our friend Bill Chu, who has been working tiredlessly trying to preserve what he called “the last piece of history of Chinese pioneers in New Westminster”:

Dear media friends:

This is an appeal to you as a Chinese rather than as a media person (a separate Wednesday press invitation of a bigger event will be sent v. soon).

There is an urgent reply required from the Chinese community re a School District’s possible further destruction to a Chinese cemetery. As the Chinese community has been asked to answer 3 questions in a School District’s response form before 5pm March 26, we have created a website for you containing the relevant history, the response form and additional info. Please go to www.fullofnews.ca  and follow the directions therein. As the need to respond transcends city boundaries within BC, please forward this ASAP to your circle of Chinese friends, especially if you believe this is much more than just a land use issue.

Thank you for your help!

Bill Chu朱偉光

Canadians For Reconciliation加和會

I took pictures of the historic records of the CBA and the City and have spent a whole day deciphering them and translating them into English. Hopefully this information will help readers understand the issue.

Here is the deciphered texts (photo filenames in parentheses; undecipherable characters in []):

(1915 cba P.1)

民國四年新曆2月16日舊曆二月初日

為集議推舉本會館正副董人員為
正董：泗源號
副董：新錦和
參議員：
泰安棧
廣安和
晉源號
泰利和

—————————————-

(1915 cba P.2)

乙卯年三月二十三號晚集議

廣安和
杏春堂
黃篤先生
元盛號
協勝隆
怡記號
泰利和
新錦和
和興號
怡祥號
同生庚
泗源號
協源號
生利隆
泰安號
英泰號
昌盛號
晉源號
敘華軒

現日特派查員往觀葬地回復事為本埠市廳近年主意將葬仙友
(1915 cba P.3)
義地改作埠地乃誠恐以後再有改作將先友撿執不及是晚準議善後辦法均皆贊成即日付信域多利中華會館轉商各道團體俾早決奪殯儀以免延誤云云

————————————

(1915 cba P.4)

三月二十五號會議芳名列

晉源
敘華軒
協勝隆
英泰
泗源
怡祥
泰安棧
杏春堂
昌盛
黃篤生
泰利和
元盛
廣安和

是晚會議為舊尾[]先骸事因列議人少故作罷議改日再定

———–

(1916 cba P.1)

1916年三月四號晚

泰利和
生安號
昌盛號
元盛號
協勝隆
怡祥號
泗源號
晉源號
敘華軒
英泰
廣安和
新錦和

是晚集議為交盤事投[]公推新任總值理由是[]公推

正總理：新錦和
副董：泰利和
參議：
英泰
元盛
晉源
廣安和

————

(1916 cba P.2)

四月二十六號第三次集議

生安號
新錦和
黃篤生
昌盛
泗源
協勝隆
晉源
廣安和
英泰
元盛
泰利和
怡祥
敘華軒
李天立
(1916 cba P.3)
和昌
泰安棧

集議為是日接域埠中華會館來函備道是年值屆撿拾旅葬先友之期以甯陽會館統員完全責任待至工竣之後每具應派銀若干各堂照計繳交所作無名氏先友撿拾之資運歸祖國之費本處則歸本埠中華會館支理如何之處請眾公定

譚欽翁提議
域埠會館來函詢問撿拾無名氏先友撿拾與轉運加責本會館
(1916 cba P.4)
如何艱難籌集本應復函擔任以誠善舉請眾公定
黃大翁和議眾贊成

李兆平翁提議
本埠會館公款所能有限收入又無的矣可否由僑胞及各商戶擔任義捐以維會館經費
捐款辦法
。議公定各僑胞擔任會館常年經費銀二毛五仙為願高義捐多比愈多
。議各行商號及承接工藝廠名工頭擔任會館常年經費銀壹元
(1916 cba P.5)
為願顯高義捐多比愈多
黃世沾翁和議眾贊成

蔣經可翁提議
本會館可否標帖長經定於禮拜日下午一點鐘邀請各界僑胞假座愛國學校大敘會宣布本會館公款支證並撿拾無名人先友各費無著請各界僑胞樂助以維公益
李兆平翁和議眾贊成

————————

(1916 cba P.6)

十一月十三號會議

新錦和號
元盛號
昌盛號
暢南樓
晉源
英泰
(1916 cba P.7)

譚欽提議
本會館為拾先友遺骸事會館標長經通告僑胞知有親屬遺骸者請到各商號掛號以便到日辦理並定三月十五號止截為逾期不報此是為自誤
劉雲伯和議眾贊成

蔣奈君提議
無名氏先友遺骸本會館則撿拾安置妥善地位並標立號數以便後月稽查免運香
(1916 cba P.8)
港以省費用
黃大君和議眾贊成

黃大君提議
屆日撿拾先友本會館則另派監工
譚欽君和議眾贊成

(1916 cba P.9, P.10)

拾匠定價
七年以外 每具三元五
七年內 每具四元九
不合格蓋回棺 每具一元
錯開吉地 每處一元
監工李丙臣
撿匠馮永

Here’s the translated texts:

(1915 cba P.1)

1915 Feb 16

To collect our opinions our association elected the followings as chief director and vice director (all are names of businesses):

Chief director is Si Yuan Hao
Vice director is Xin Jinhe
Councillors:
Tai On Zhan
Guang An He
Jin Yuan Hao
Tai Li He

————————————————————

(1915 cba P.2, P.3)

March 23, 1915 evening

Attended:
Guang An He
Xing Chun Tang
Mr. Huang Du
Yuan Sheng Hao
Xie Sheng Long
Yi Ji Hao
Tai Li He
He Xing Hao
Yi Xiang Hao
Tong Sheng Geng
Si Yuan Hao
Xie Yuan Hao
Sheng Li Long
Tai On Hao
Ying Tai Hao
Chang Sheng Hao
Jin Yuan Hao
Xu Hua Xuan

We will immediately send representatives to look at the cemetery and reply to us. Cityhall of this city recently suggests that the cemetery where our deceased friends are buried to change into city lands. We afraid that there will be more changes in the future and that we might not be able to exhume our deceased friends in time. The meeting tonight decided that we send a letter to the Chinese Benevolent Association in Victoria, which will relay the message to other organizations, that we should determine what to do with the funeral matters as soon as possible to prevent further delay.

————————————————

(1915 cba P.4)

March 25 meeting

Attended:

Jin Yuan
Xu Hua Xuan
Xie Sheng Long
Ying Tai
Si Yuan
Yi Xiang
Tai On Zhan
Xing Chun Tang
Chang Sheng
Mr. Huang Du
Tai Li He
Yuan Sheng
Guang On He

This meeting was to discuss outstanding issues regarding exhumation of remains. But the number of attendents was too few that it’s decided to postpone the discussion to a late date.

——————————————————

(1916 cba P.1)

March 4, 1916 evening

Attended:

Tai Li He
Sheng On Hao
Chang Sheng Hao
Yuan Sheng Hao
Xie Sheng Long
Yi Xiang Hao
Si Yuan Hao
Jin Yuan Hao
Xu Hua Xuan
Ying Tai
Guang On He
Xin Jin He

The meeting tonight was to elect the next directors and deal with handover business.

Chief Director: Xin Jin He
Vice Director: Tai Li He
Councillors:
Ying Tai
Yuan Sheng
Jin Yuan
Guang On He

——————————————–

(1916 cba P.2, P.3, P.4, P.5)

Third meeting; April 26

Attended:

Sheng On Hao
Xin Jin He
Mr. Huang Du
Chang Sheng
Si Yuan
Xie Sheng Long
Jin Yuan
Guang On He
Ying Tai
Yuan Sheng
Tai Li He
Yi Xiang
Xu Hua Xuan
Li Tian Li
He Chang
Tai On Zhan

We are meeting today because we recently received a letter from the Chinese Benevolent Association in Victoria that this is a year that our deceased friends are to be exhumed. The Ningyang Association will coordinate the job until it finishes. All member associations should decide how much each body should cost. The money collected will then be used to ship our unamed deceased friends back to the Motherland. The Chinese Benevolent Association of this city will look after the local exhumation work. Members please decide.

Tan Qin suggests:

The Victoria CBA’s letter asks us about exhuming our deceased friends. The costs for exhumation and shipping are imposed upons us. We should frankly tell them in a reply letter that it is very difficult to raise money. Members please decide.

Huang Da seconded and the rest agreed.

Li Zhaoping suggests:

The CBA of this city has little money in its account and it has no income. Is it possible that we asks our fellow compatriots and businesses to volunteer to raise funds so that our association can continue its operation?

Fund raising methods:

It’s decided that each compatriot to share 25 cents each year, contributing to the annual operation expense of this association; donation beyond this is welcome.

It’s decided that each business and factory manager to share $1 each year, contributing to the annual operation expense of this association; donation beyond this is welcome.

Huang Shizhan seconded and the rest agreed.

Jiang Jingke suggests:

Can the association post that all compatriots are invited to a big meeting on Sunday 1pm in Patriots School? The association will then announce the way to collect money and that we are short in money to exhume our unnamed deceased friends, urging our compatriots to donate generously.

Li Zhaoping seconded and the rest agreed.

———————————-

(1916 cba P.6, P.7, P.8)

Meeting on Nov 13, 1916

Attended:

Xin Jin He Hao
Yuan Sheng Hao
Chang Sheng Hao
Chang Nan Lou
Jin Yuan
Ying Tai

Tan Qin suggests:
That we post a notice that our association is exhuming our deceased friends’ bodies; and that compatriots whose relatives’ remains are to be exhumed to register with the various businesses, so that arrangements could be made in a later date. The deadline is March 15. One who does not register before this date will have to bear one’s responsibility.

Liu Yunbo seconded and the rest agreed.

Jiang Nai suggests:

Remains of our unnamed deceased friends will be handled neatly by our association. The remains will be reburied with clearly numbered markings for future references. The remains will not be shipped to Hong Kong in order to save money.

Huang Da seconded and the rest agreed.

Huang Da suggests:

On the day of exhumation, our association will send someone to supervise the process.

Tan Qin seconded and the rest agreed.

(1916 cba P.9, P.10)

Exhumation charges:

$3.5 for each body that has been buried over 7 years or more
$4.9 for each body that has been buried less than 7 years
$1 for each that is not qualified and coffins be re-nailed
$1 for each wrongly opened burial ground

Supervisor: Li Bingchen
Exhumation worker: Feng Yong

The exhumation efforts by the Chinese in New Westminster in 1910s were in response to a city’s sudden decision to get the cemetery land back for other uses.

City council meeting minutes

Nov 9, 1914

Moved by Ald. Jardine, Sec’d by Ald. Bryson. – That the Clerk be instructed to notify the Chinese Benevolent Association that the Agreement with the City, dated March 29, 1909, giving permission to use a portion of the land on Tenth Ave., near Eighth St., for Cemetery purposes is cancelled, and all rights granted under the said Agreement are annulled.

Nov 16, 1914

Chinese Benevolent Association asking that some provision be made for a Chinese Cemetery. Rec’d and filed.

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