Recognition Needed for Chinese Pioneers, Organization Says

To that end, Bill Chu has been lobbying the British Columbia government to protect Chinese historical sites.

A placer mine in the Fraser Canyon that was worked by Chinese pioneers probably in the late 1850's. Bill Chu

Bill Chu is a man on a mission. He wants the Chinese pioneers who toiled to build the Canadian Pacific Railway—and often died in the process—to be recognized for their part in building Canada.

To that end, Chu, who came to Canada from Hong Kong in 1974, has been lobbying the British Columbia government to protect Chinese historical sites and build a pioneers’ memorial museum.

He says the lack of documentation of the long history of Chinese in B.C. has led to Chinese-Canadians being viewed as “newcomers” and “perpetual immigrants.”

“Right now if you try to find the history of the Chinese in B.C., you wouldn’t be able to find it as far as the school curriculum goes, and yet we have been here in big numbers and contributed hugely to the prosperity of this province.”

Chu points out that B.C. would not be part of Canada today if the CPR hadn’t been built. Back in the 1860s, the promise of a rail line linking the west coast with the rest of Canada put a stop to a threat by B.C. to join the United States.

History has it that Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada, stated that without Chinese labour there would be no railway. Subsequently, between 1881 and 1885 more than 17,000 Chinese arrived in Canada.