Latest release from Statistics Canada:

The visible minority population of the census metropolitan area (CMA) of Vancouver could more than double from 910,000 in 2006 to just over 2 million by 2031, according to new population projections.

The main factor would be immigration, as well as fertility.

During the same period, the rest of Vancouver’s population is expected to increase at a much more modest rate of roughly 12%.

These projections on Vancouver’s diversity are based on a ‘reference scenario’, that is, the medium assumptions of how the population might evolve as determined by analyzing recent demographic trends. Other available scenarios are a low-growth scenario that assumes low fertility, life expectancy and immigration, and a high-growth scenario that assumes high levels of each.

By 2031, visible minority groups could account for nearly 60% of Vancouver’s population. Of the 2 million visible minorities, one in three would be Canadian-born.

Counting both first generation and second-generation immigrants, 70% of the population of Vancouver would be either immigrants or children born in Canada of immigrant parents by 2031. This would be the second-highest proportion in Canada behind Toronto.

The largest visible minority group in Vancouver would be the Chinese, as it was in 2006. Their population could double from 396,000 to 809,000 over the next two decades. As a result, their share of Vancouver’s population would rise from 18% in 2006 to 23% in 2031.

The South Asian group, which ranked second in 2006, is likely to remain the second largest visible minority group. They would account for 14% of the population in 2031, up from 10% in 2006.

The share of Vancouver’s population having a non-Christian religion is projected to increase from 16% to roughly 21%. The proportion having a Christian religion is likely to decline from 50% to 47%.

The proportion of persons reporting no religion in Vancouver is likely to continue to be one of the highest of any metropolitan area in Canada, with this group accounting for nearly 33% of the population in 2031. This would be virtually unchanged from 2006. This situation is in part related to the high level of Chinese immigration in Vancouver. The population of Chinese origin has a high propensity to report no religion on the census.

One could only imagine how this ethnic mix would affect the already stringent race relations in Canada.

In BC, it’s very common among new Chinese immigrants that they cannot distinguish between the federal and provincial Liberals. As Campbell is becoming BC’s worst-liked politicians with the HST and the huge deficit, federal Liberal candidates better educate their constituents that they are not — please find some creative way to do that, not just “no no no, we’re no them” and nothing solid after that.

For Ontario, I’m already seeing discussions on forums such as 51.ca that people say they won’t vote for Ignatieff because of McGuinty’s latest performance (eHealth etc).

Liberal MPs in BC are already trying to make the case that the unpopular HST is a direct consequence of manipulation from Ottawa. Here’s what the Globe and Mail said earlier:

The B.C. government had opposed harmonization since the goods and services tax was introduced in 1991. Every year, the province would consider harmonization of tax rates in its annual budget process. And every year, the government would decide the disadvantages outweighed the benefits. The government even re-affirmed its opposition earlier this year, after a provincial advisory group had urged harmonization.

Ottawa altered the balance by allowing the provinces to exempt some items and by offering cash incentives, ostensibly to help with the transition. Ontario picked up $4.3-billion, which it decided to send out to taxpayers to help pay the additional cost. B.C. was offered $1.6-billion. The money will go into the government’s general revenue. Ottawa also agreed to allow B.C. to set the HST at 12 per cent, although the harmonized tax was 13 per cent in other provinces.

Mr. Hansen talked to Mr. Campbell before going to Meech Lake for the finance ministers’ meeting; he had not yet taken a proposal for harmonization to the B.C. cabinet.

Ottawa set the timetable. B.C. had to sign on by mid-July – in less than two months – so it could introduce the tax changes on the same day as Ontario. That meant Mr. Hansen had no time to signal to the public that changes were coming, no time for public discussion or consultation. Mr. Hansen said he would have preferred to announce the tax changes in the budget on Sept. 1, but had no choice. “It’s probably obvious to everybody when we made this announcement we were not prepared [to explain the impact of the tax,]” he said. “We’re working hard to catch up.”

A memorandum of understanding on HST was signed on July 23. The blending of PST and GST means that the provincial tax will be paid on everything that is now subject to GST, except for a short list of exemptions. Several goods and services currently exempt from provincial tax, such as restaurant meals and new housing, will be subject to HST. While consumers pay more, businesses will pay less. Eliminating the provincial tax on items now exempt from GST is expected to save businesses about $1.9-billion.

According to a report using Census 2006 data on Chinese Canadian population, the number of CC in BC has surpassed 400,000.

FULL REPORT HERE (open in pdf).

Most CC live in Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. The CC proportion in Richmond accounts for 43.6% of total population. CC population is especially dense in Richmond central area — northern part of the city between No. 3 and No.4, in which 80.2% are Chinese. (That 80.2% CC is in the Census Tracts (CTs) between Lansdowne Road, Cooney Road, No. 3 Road and Granville Ave.)

Among Chinese immigrants:

READ ALSO:

• Chinese Canadian population in BC 2001-2006
• BC has highest use of non-official languages at work
• Mother tongue Chinese have highest proportion of speaking neither English nor French
• China is No.1 sender of immigrants to Vancouver
• Chinese is 3rd most spoken language in Canada: Census 2006

My friend tUCC doesn’t like Chinese malls at all, seeing them “ghettos” of new immigrants who don’t want to integrate. To me, Chinese malls or Richmond in general are only a bigger version of old Chinatowns — that the new Chinese malls share similar function as the old Chinatown to bond Chinese immigrants together, sharing businesses and cultures or even gossips.

Anyway, I’ll wish Mr Remington good luck with his Markham project. It’s interesting to note that Mr Remington is adopting the “tradition” of Asian malls where retail spaces are sold to individual investors to share the risk. It’s also interesting to note that Aberdeen Centre in Richmond BC, which has partly inspired Mr Remington’s idea to build an upscale Chinese mall in Markham, has in fact abandoned the practice of selling retail spaces to investors/shopowners but rather picking up the “conventional” way that seeing the developer as the sole landlord. The problem I see with the Aberdeen Centre is that the landlord tends to fill up all unrentable retail spaces with “niche” shops that sell rare products not catered to the majority of customers. With at least half of the retail spaces in Aberdeen are owned and operated by the developer Mr Fung, shopkeepers of these “niche” stores are not motivated to work hard; that is, they buck the conventional wisdom that’s so crucial to the success of any retail stores – the urge to work hard in order to stay alive. With a bunch of unmotivated staff trying to sell “niche” products or services that the majority of consumers don’t need is like dumping money into the sea. The results of this weird combination gives us a Chinese mall that looks like it’s offering things very different from “traditional” Chinese malls, but in fact doing hollow businesses without passion.

A huge gamble on Markham Asian mall

The proposed Remington Centre will have a vast outdoor public space with fountains — envisioned as a kind of Times Square for the Asian-Canadian market. It will be designed by Kohn Architects.

TorStar – In the depths of the worst recession in decades, one of Canada’s richest men is taking a $1 billion gamble on suburban Chinatown with plans for a massive mall and luxury hotel/condominium complex in the heart of Markham’s shopping district.

Plans for the Remington Centre, an 800,000 square-foot Chinese-themed mall adjoining a 20-storey hotel and condo tower, are expected to be announced by Toronto developer Rudy Bratty’s Remington Group at a news conference today.

“We are really proud of this – we believe it will be the pre-eminent centre in North America,” the 77-year-old Bratty said in an interview.

Bratty, ranked 58th on Canada’s wealth list by Canadian Business magazine with a personal net worth of almost $1 billion, intends to knock down his existing 325,000 square foot Market Village mall at the corner of Kennedy Rd. and Steeles Ave., further shifting the centre of Toronto’s Chinatown to the suburbs. The area is already home to three other large Chinese-themed malls.

Bratty’s timing for a GTA project of this scale is all the more audacious considering most other retail and commercial builders have closed up shop as the weak economy and job losses sap consumer confidence.

“We’re certainly taking a chance, particularly in today’s market, and I don’t kid myself that the credit markets have changed, but I think we’re offering something different than what’s out there,” says the lawyer turned developer.

First, he’ll have to contend with a banking sector that, having taken massive writedowns in recent months, is now famously cautious about lending money for any kind of development – even when the borrower happens to be Bratty.

John O’Bryan, vice-chair of broker CB Richard Ellis, says many large-scale commercial projects in Toronto are drying up because of lack of funding.

“Bankers are much more conservative and the biggest impediment (for builders) is financing,” says O’Bryan.

But Bratty insists financing won’t be a problem.

“The bankers know what we’re planning, but we haven’t worked out the details,” he says.

Groundbreaking on the Markham project is likely 18 months to two years away.

Key to the business plan is that, unlike a traditional mall where the developer is the landlord, Bratty intends to sell the mall spaces, either to the retailers occupying the premises or outside investors – a structure commonly used in Asia to spread the ownership risk.

However, it’s not quite a done deal yet. Bratty intends to start selling units this summer, but first he needs site-plan approval from the Town of Markham for phase one, while phase two will require rezoning for residential use.

And even if he meets sales targets and satisfies his bankers, he will have to contend with major competition from other malls, including an expansion by veteran developer Sheldon Esbin’s Splendid China Tower across the street on the Scarborough side of Steeles Ave.

Esbin plans to break ground this summer, on a site formerly used by a Canadian Tire store, to expand his mall from 100,000 to 300,000 square feet.

“I think Remington will do a great job. They’re well financed and they’re smart business people,” says Esbin. “This area will be centre ice for the Chinese community.”

Not far down the road at Middlefield and Steeles Ave., developer Terry Yiu is also building a new mall, the 435,000 square foot Landmark, billed as the next largest Asian mall in North America.

That scale of development is unprecedented in North America for Asian malls, and marks the first wave of massive building – some analysts say overbuilding – in more than a decade, in pace with Chinese migration first to Scarborough, then north to Markham and Richmond Hill.

“Can you have too many Chinese malls? Sure, but you can apply that argument to just about anything,” says Bratty. “I’m confident this will work.”

Bratty cites research by Remington that says 42 per cent of new immigrants from China come to the Toronto area, where there are already more than 430,000 of Chinese descent based on the 2001 census. By 2017 that number is forecast to be 735,000 residents.

Another finding is that Chinese consumers tend to be loyal, with almost half spending their dollars almost exclusively in Chinese-owned businesses.

Having all those malls close together creates a complementary usage that promotes more destination and tourist shopping, argues Bratty, who sees his mall becoming an “international draw.”

“We looked at other malls across Canada and we learned from them and we wanted to do better,” says Bratty.

Plans for the new mall are decidedly more upscale than the sometimes junky Asian retail condos that have dominated the Markham area. Some inspiration undoubtedly has come from Vancouver’s Aberdeen Centre, a high-end condo and retail complex whose stores wouldn’t look out of place in Yorkville.

But Bratty promises his mall will be more luxurious still, with thoughtful touches. Tour bus drivers bringing guests to the mall will be looked after, for example, courtesy of a private rest area where they can nap and shower, he says.

The new mall will be designed by Kohn Architects and will also have a vast outdoor public space with fountains – envisioned as a Times Square for the Asian-Canadian market.

Beside Bratty’s Market Village complex is the 300,000 square foot Pacific Mall, perhaps more famous as a shopping destination for the latest pirated DVDs.

While the Pacific Mall looks like a giant glass greenhouse, the existing Market Village looks like it was lifted from the set of Anne of Green Gables, arising from Bratty’s goal at the time to fit his development into the farming roots of old Markham. The new mall, which will be rebranded the Remington Centre, will be connected to the Pacific Mall by a bridge.

So far, Markham council has been supportive of the scheme, although traffic congestion remains an issue.

Markham Councillor Alex Chiu says he likes the project, believing it would “bring a lot of tourism to Markham.”

However, he acknowledges “traffic is always a concern in that area” and he has yet to see a traffic report by Remington’s consultants.

Public Warning – Possible Child Kidnapping

News Release
Tuesday, June 9th , 2009

Richmond: Richmond RCMP have received information into the possibility of a child kidnapping that may occur in the next several weeks. The information at this point is extremely minimal but the priority is to advise the public so you may take the necessary precautions. It is believed the potential victim is Asian and attends one of the Richmond Elementary Schools.

Although information is limited police are also taking precautions and have a variety of resources acting on this information. Serious Crime Unit, Youth Section, General Duty and Bike Section will be pro actively investigating this.

We are urging parents to be extra vigilant. Communicate with your children and educate them on safety tips such as walking in groups and well lit, high traffic areas. If walking to school they should be walking with an adult and not another child.

Cpl. Jennifer Pound says, “If approached, kids need to know that it is okay to misbehave. Talk to your kids and ensure them that it is important for them to draw attention to themselves. It is okay to yell and scream and do whatever they can do to get the attention of passer-bys.”

If you have any information regarding this matter please call Cpl. Row at 604-207-4713 or if you
wish to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Nearly nine-in-ten ethnic and new Canadians feel overall quality of life in Canada is better than their home country (86% with 44% much better in Canada and 42% somewhat better in Canada). One-in-ten believe quality of life is about the same between the two countries (9%) and only 5% believe the opposite is true – quality of life is somewhat better in their home country.

Despite a better overall quality of life, ethnic and new Canadians view their social life and job opportunities less favourably. Specifically, the poll finds that four-in-ten ethnic and new Canadians consider their social life to be better in their home country than in Canada (42% with 15% much better in home country and 27% somewhat better in home country). This is compared to three-in-ten who have a better social life in Canada (28% with 13% much better in Canada and 15% somewhat better in Canada). A significant minority view their social life to be the same in both countries (30%).

Views are split for job opportunities. Slightly more than one-third think job opportunities are better in Canada (39% with 18% much better in Canada and 21% somewhat better in Canada), while an similar percentage believe there are better job opportunities in their home country (36% with 9% much better in home country and 27% somewhat better in home country). One-quarter feel there is no difference between Canada and their home country when it comes to job opportunities (25%).

“Immigrants come to Canada seeking a better life for their family and children. Though quality of life (i.e., air, environment) is perceived to be better in Canada compared to their home country, there is still disappointment with job opportunities. Recent immigrants to Canada are well-educated with professional degrees, and have extensive skills and work experience. More companies need to create or participate in programs to hire these new Canadians who are able to make an immediate contribution to the Canadian economy. They are our solution to Canada’s rapidly aging workforce, which we risk losing to reverse immigration back to their home countries,” says Jill Hong, Vice-President at Ipsos Reid in Toronto.

These views are similar across various demographic subgroups: gender, household income, and province (British Columbia vs. Ontario). However, a few differences between population subgroups exist. In particular, South Asians are more likely than Chinese to view aspects of life in Canada positively compared to their home country:

• South Asians are more likely than Chinese to feel overall quality of life is much better in Canada than their home country (62% vs. 37%);
• South Asians are more likely than Chinese to view their social life as better in Canada than their home country (48% vs. 21%); and,
• South Asians are more likely than Chinese to consider job opportunities to be better in Canada than in their home country (71% vs. 27%).

As well, those who have lived in Canada less than 10 years are more likely to view their social life as better in their home country than in Canada (56% vs. 35% of those who have lived in Canada for more than 10 years).

The Multicultural Connection Panel allows ethnic and new Canadian respondents to conduct online surveys in multiple languages including Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, Hindi and English. This panel is housed in Ipsos Reid’s Interactive Forum (IAF) software which is a custom panel platform. The panel offers marketers the opportunity to reach Canada’s growing segment of ethnic and new Canadians at a fraction of the cost of traditional research with this population.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid study fielded from November 24 to December 1, 2008 and from March 11 to March 31, 2009. This online survey of 329 adult ethnic and new Canadians was conducted using Ipsos Reid’s proprietary “Multicultural Connection Panel” – an online panel of more than 3,000 ethnic and new Canadians including: African Canadian, Chinese, East Asian, Latin American, South Asian, South Pacific, Southeast Asian, West Asian/ Arabian/Middle Eastern, and West Indies. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online studies of this nature, however, an unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of ±5.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

March 23, 2009

NDP MLA Jenny Kwan Makes a Statement in Legislature and Calls for to Preserve the Chinese Cemeteries in New Westminster

I want to tell all Members about the attempts being made to preserve what has been called the “last piece of Chinese heritage in New Westminster”.

It is not commonly known that New Westminster once had a bustling Chinatown area and that there were 1,600 Chinese residents by the late 1800s.

Those who died were often buried in a number of cemeteries near an old public cemetery.

This is currently the site of New Westminster Secondary School which was built in 1948, largely on top of the various burial grounds.

There is now very little trace of New Westminster’s Chinatown after demolitions over the years that were ordered by the City which saw the buildings as fire hazards.

The new plan to demolish the high school and build a new one could disturb the Chinese cemetery and destroy one of the last links to the New Westminster Chinatown.

Bill Chu, the founder of Canadians for Reconciliation, is active in seeking to preserve the history of the Chinese communities in British Columbia along with the chinese benevolent association.

bill has made some concrete suggestions to deal with the issues, including:

Chinese communities should be consulted on the planning, construction methodology, and demolition of any part or the entire site.

With the exception of a memorial park, the use of the area of the cemeteries should 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.

A portion of the area should be developed for a properly designed memorial park.

As a minimum, such will contain:

* A monument or plaque to commemorate the contributions of the Chinese in New Westminster from the 1800’s to now.

* A permanent display of the detailed history of Chinese in New Westminster including all racist laws and measures passed to limit the rights of Chinese in voting, migration, work, etc.

* 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, businesses, etc.

* A religious shrine where tribute can be paid to the forefathers

Bill also proposes that the history of the Chinese community be incorporated into school curriculum so that children in New Westminster will grow up knowing the full history of their City.

There was similar racism against the Chinese across the Province.

Bill Chu proposes that the City of New Westminster works with the Province to ensure that the history is understood everywhere in BC.

I ask all members to support these recommendations to ensure the preservation of Chinese history in New Westminster as part of ensuring that the contributions of the Chinese to the development of British Columbia are not forgotten.

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.

READ ALSO:

5 points suggested to deal with NW school development

B.C. group warns school development could disturb former Chinese cemetery

Bones of our ancestors – Past and Future

Indian Chiefs in full support for Chinese Canadian quest to protect historic sites

Exposing historic sites left exposed, neglected

Premier promises to protect historic Chinese pioneers’ sites

New Westminster, south of Vancouver, once had lively Chinatown district that counted 1,600 Chinese residents by the late 1800s.

Those who died there were often buried in one of a collection of cemeteries adjacent to an old public cemetery – the current site of New Westminster Secondary School.

The school was erected, largely on top of the various burial grounds, in 1948.

Today, there is little left of New Westminster’s Chinatown after decades of demolitions ordered by the city, often condemning the buildings as fire hazards.

Now, the high school is set to be demolished and reconstructed, with the old cemeteries likely to become parking lots.

The group Canadians for Reconciliation wants to ensure the development doesn’t disturb the burial grounds of the region’s early Chinese settlers, and others.

“This is a remnant of a once-bustling Chinatown – we need to think of the historical value of something like that,” the group’s founder, Bill Chu, told a news conference in nearby Richmond, B.C.

“It’s not our intent to stop children from going to school. However, we always need to bear in mind that nobody should pit the living against the dead, either.”

It’s unclear how many bodies, if any, are still buried underneath the school and the surrounding parking lots and fields.

It was traditional at the time for Chinese families to exhume bodies and return them to China, and the school board believes that would have happened to nearly all of the remains.

But Chu said it’s possible not all bodies were removed, and more work needs to be done to be sure.

A small area was tested using radar and more than 200 possible graves were identified, although Chu said the testing only covered a small area that didn’t include the sections of Chinese cemetery.

Chu wants more extensive testing for the whole area.

“Things can happen whereby they may not necessarily be exhumed and taken back to China,” said Chu.

The school district says the new school will likely be built on a field that isn’t believed to be a former cemetery, but parking lots are expected to cover large parts of the cemetery land.

The former cemeteries will still be protected under B.C.’s Heritage Conservation Act, but Chu said he wants even stricter controls on what could happen to the land.

Chu said the former cemeteries should be limited to parking and landscaping, and nothing should happen without consulting the Chinese community.

He also wants a plaque erected about the history of the land and of the city’s Chinatown, and thinks students in the school should learn about that history as well.

The chair of the school district, James Janzen, said there will likely be some sort of display commemorating Chinese Canadians who were buried there, as well as others including First Nations.

He said the school board will be working with provincial regulators to get approval for any development, which could include more underground testing.

But Janzen said the site of one of the Chinese cemeteries has been dug up before and nothing was found, and there’s little evidence more bodies remain in the other former Chinese cemeteries on the lot.

“It has been kind of extensively redeveloped already, and there didn’t seem to be any evidence of any human remains,” he said.

A local First Nation raised similar concerns about the school development last year.

The Tsilhqot’in, a central Interior B.C. nation also known as the Chilcotin, said a former chief who was hanged in 1865 may be buried beneath the school, along with hundreds of others.

The band is asking for DNA testing on any remains found at the site.

————

Cemeteries under high school
Chinese want site protected as new building planned

The Province – A Chinese group went public yesterday with a plea that nothing ever be built on the site of New Westminster Secondary School because the building and its grounds sit atop several cemeteries.

The school, which dates to 1948, is to be replaced.

But when the school board began planning to build a new high school, it discovered that part of the site had served as New Westminster’s public cemetery from 1861 to 1907. Another portion, known as Douglas Cemetery, was used from 1907 to 1920.

That meant part of the school property came under protection of the provincial Cemeteries Act.

But other sections, used for two Chinese cemeteries, have no such protection.

“The whole area needs to be scanned for human remains,” said Bill Chu, founder of Canadians for Reconciliation, who noted that natives, hospital patients and prisoners from the old B.C. Penitentiary are also buried in the area.

His group has created a website — www.fullofnews.ca — in a bid to gather support to take to the school board at the end of the month.

Chu wants a memorial park built on part of the site that would include signs recalling the once-thriving Chinatown.

Beyond that, he suggested nothing else go on the site beyond surface parking and landscaping.

He’d also like the all-but-forgotten history of the Chinese incorporated into the curriculum.

“I think we deserve some dignity in the city and have our history put in memory so we won’t forget them,” he said.

Chu was backed by Conservative MP Alice Wong (Richmond).

“We now have a choice to honour a link to our past . . . and to pay respect to our forefathers who laboured in obscurity, facing both discrimination and untold hardships,” Wong said.

The reason the school was built atop a cemetery remains a mystery, said former Royal City archivist Archie Miller.

Miller has seen notes from a 1939 meeting about the site that discussed dealing with the cemetery properly. By 1946, when a military camp left the site, plans were again being made for the site’s future.

By then, however, “no longer [was] there any reference to ‘cemetery,’ ” he said.

The school’s funereal background doesn’t seem to bother the students.

“We’re not creeped out by the thought,” said Grade 10 student Annie Tsang. “I know we should respect it and all, but it’s not a big deal.”

Jim Alkins, project manager for the school’s reconstruction, said the latest incarnation of the $125-million project has the new school moving outside the cemeteries.

The two big decisions to be made, he said, are designating the exact cemetery zone and “what do you do with the area designated?”

Those decisions will be part of a request for funding that will go to the Ministry of Education before the end of June.

READ ALSO:

5 points suggested to deal with NW school development

B.C. group warns school development could disturb former Chinese cemetery

Bones of our ancestors – Past and Future

Indian Chiefs in full support for Chinese Canadian quest to protect historic sites

Exposing historic sites left exposed, neglected

Premier promises to protect historic Chinese pioneers’ sites

Chinatown Society Heritage Buildings Association – Cultural development is a key revitalization strategy identified by the community. Through a grant from the City of Vancouver, the Chinatown Society of Heritage Buildings Association is conducting a Cultural Development Study to identify the wide breadth of arts and cultural activities and groups that take place in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, the contributions this creative sector makes to the community and the opportunities for artists and groups to grow and collaborate.

Information will be gathered through short interviews and surveys in the next four weeks. The Study will produce a report with recommendations to the City of Vancouver and other funders for potential funding and support in the future for arts, culture and heritage in Chinatown.

Fred Mah, President of the Association comments, “The information from this study will help us to formulate strategies and recommendations to connect the arts and cultural producers, participants and supporters in Chinatown with the larger Downtown Eastside networks. There are many exciting and unique cultural opportunities in Chinatown that are not so well known. There is good potential for the artistic community to grow by attracting more arts and cultural activities back into Chinatown and to collaborate with existing organizations, businesses and building owners. We hope to contribute towards a dynamic and modern Chinatown with a strong cultural identity beyond 2010.”

Artists and groups are encouraged to take part by contacting the Association at 604.879.5550 or email chsbasurvey@gmail.com.

Chinatown Society Heritage Buildings Association
華埠僑團傳統建築協會
118 Keefer Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6A 1X4 (604) 879-5550

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