British Columbia’s map of historical sites soon will be expanding and becoming more culturally diverse.

British Columbians have nominated 77 places they would like recognized as historically important to Chinese Canadian history. Today Teresa Wat, Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism, has released the full list contained in the Historic Places Nomination Report.

The list paints a rich picture of the contribution Chinese Canadians have made to the province that allow everyone to enjoy today's prosperity and freedoms.

A second milestone marked at today’s event is the launch of the Province’s new Chinese Historical Wrongs Legacy Initiative Online Resource: http://www.gov.bc.ca/ChineseLegacyBC

This project addresses the Chinese Historical Wrongs Consultation Final Report recommendation that a resource be created to profile legacy projects and other web-based information related to Chinese historical wrongs. This resource includes:

• A historical account of the Chinese experience in British Columbia.
• The consultation process, including written submissions and speaker notes from the extensive provincewide consultation process culminating in the Final Report recommendations.
• The historic apology on May 15, 2014, where Premier Christy Clark committed Wat to implement the report’s recommendations.
• The purpose, membership and roll of the Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council created to support those projects.
• Descriptions of legacy projects and progress made to date.
• Additional references to historical wrongs information and resources related to the history and contributions of Chinese Canadians to British Columbia.

The online resource will grow as new project deliverables and related material celebrating the Chinese community’s historical achievements and contributions are added.

It was one year ago that all Members of the Legislative Assembly passed a motion and apology to the Chinese community for historical wrongs committed by past provincial governments. Today’s announcements, made at the Chinese Pavilion in Mountain View Cemetery, were complemented by Wat participating in a ritual inspired by the Qingming Festival ceremony that roots back 2,500 years.

This is the first time the B.C. government has paid respect to B.C.’s Chinese ancestors at a cemetery through this type of ceremony, which involves the descendants and families of those who have passed away gathering at burial sites to honour the dead and to reflect on their legacies and impact on the living.

The ceremony is still practised today throughout British Columbia, especially in cemeteries where Chinese Canadians are buried. It is only in the last 100 years that discriminatory burial practices were erased, allowing Chinese British Columbians to be buried in a non-segregated cemetery.

Quotes:

Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism Teresa Wat -

“This report listing places identified by British Columbians as having significant heritage values is recommended reading for anyone who wants to learn more about the significant legacy of Chinese Canadians. Its release, along with the launch of our online resource, marks two milestones in the work being done to implement recommendations from the final report from the historical wrongs consultation and to create a meaningful legacy for all British Columbians when it comes to addressing historical wrongs against Chinese Canadians in B.C.”

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson -

“The collaboration between the Multiculturalism Branch, the Heritage branch and Heritage BC has allowed for a comprehensive report to be written that describes the many sites of Chinese importance in British Columbia. It validates the significance of the cultural diversity in B.C.”

Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council co-chair David Choi -

“This is the first time in history that any government in Canada has come together with the community, hand in hand, at a cemetery to pay respect to all Chinese who came before us and made contributions to B.C. Not so long ago, Chinese British Columbians were not allowed to have a proper burial at any public cemetery. This is a heartening day. May our predecessors rest in peace.”

“Chinese British Columbians lived and made contributions all over B.C. and LIAC will now strive to preserve and commemorate that. The public nominations of some 77 historical sites all over B.C. relating to Chinese history in the province speaks to that.”

Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council co-chair Henry Yu -

"Chinese Canadians lived and worked in every part of British Columbia, and they were here from the first moments that non-indigenous peoples came to these shores. The 77 sites that were nominated by the public reflect this long history, and today we honour the memory of these men and women by saying that they are not forgotten, that their hard work and sacrifice in helping make the society we live in today will be remembered."

Kathryn Molloy, executive director, Heritage BC -

“Conserving British Columbia’s heritage is more than just saving old buildings, it’s about restoring community cohesiveness and honouring the diverse cultures that make up the fabric of our heritage. Working together with the Province of B.C. and the Chinese community to gather nominations and create an online, interactive map of the 77 nominated sites has been a team effort. It’s a great honour to be part of acknowledging the contributions of Chinese Canadians to British Columbia.”

Quick Facts:

• The B.C. government’s implementation of recommendations in The Chinese Historical Wrongs Consultation Final Report is guided with advice from the Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council (LIAC).
• The advisory board also works with Chinese Canadian communities and other key partners to ensure that the projects are known and communicated throughout the province.

Learn More:

Chinese Historical Wrongs Legacy Initiative Online Resource: http://www.gov.bc.ca/ChineseLegacyBC

To view the Chinese Historical Wrongs Consultation Final Report and Recommendations:
www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/downloads/Chinese_Consultation.pdf

Embrace BC - Province of B.C. multiculturalism site: www.embracebc.ca

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of International Trade and
Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism
250 356-7293

BACKGROUNDER

Historic recognition process

Heritage BC, a not-for-profit, charitable organization, was contracted to administer the public nomination process for Chinese historic places. Its mandate is to support heritage conservation through advocacy, training and skills development, capacity-building in heritage planning and funding through the Heritage Legacy Fund.

It received 138 submissions representing 77 places to be considered for recognition. At least 10 of the nominated sites will be officially recognized by the Government of British Columbia as a historic place with significance to B.C.’s Chinese community and placed on the BC Register of Historic Places and the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

Of the 138 submissions, 14 were cemeteries and approximately 18 were “Chinatowns” and community hubs, making it clear that these places have common heritage values. As a group or type, Chinese cemeteries, much like the one at Mountain View Cemetery, have significant heritage value everywhere in the province. Often, they are the only remnant or reminder of the Chinese who lived and worked in B.C. towns. Chinese cemeteries were usually an extension of early settlements, and represent the traditions and spiritual values associated with Chinese culture in B.C.

An evaluation team made up of a working group from the Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council (LIAC) and the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia (CCHSCB) will now create a shortlist of places recommended for recognition under section 18 of the Heritage Conservation Act.

That shortlist will be forwarded to Forest, Lands, and Natural Resources Minister Steve Thomson who is also responsible for heritage.

The Qingming Festival

Qingming (“clear bright“) is a Chinese ceremony that began in the Zhou Dynasty over 2,500 years ago and involves the gathering of families of those who have passed away at their burial sites, gravesites, columbaria or sites that are associated with the person's passing.

The primary motivations are to honour the deceased and the legacies of how their actions in life have shaped those of their descendants. One’s presence at the ceremony is a signal to others of the respect he or she has for the deceased.

Clearing debris away from a headstone, or cleaning or pruning grass or overgrowth is a common part of the practice, as well as “kowtowing” - the act of bowing in respect - which is done by every family member. The act is a sign of honour and respect.

Bringing “offerings“ is central to the visit to the grave site because the belief is that at this moment of time in the calendar, the passage to the other world where the spirits of the ancestors reside is open, and bringing food as well as other objects at this time means they can be “delivered“ to deceased family members.

Variations of the Qingming Festival are practised in Malaysia and Singapore.

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of International Trade and
Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism
250 356-7293