Upon the arrival of Chinese labourers to Canada in the 19th Century, the Federal and Provincial governments passed legislation, essentially depriving these immigrants of their basic human rights. Despite facing a history of overt racism and institutional discrimination targeted against them specifically, Chinese Canadians overcame periods of separation and silence to pioneer and contribute to Canada’s society and economy.

The introduction and imposition of substantial, punitive payments (“Chinese Head Taxes”) from 1885 to 1923, caused great, economic hardship, disadvantage, and human suffering, but the perseverance and contributions of Chinese Canadians remain a timely and significant turning point in the creation of the Province of British Columbia and the founding of Confederation over a century later.

The year 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of this Act. Our aim is to educate Canadians of the injustices done to the early Chinese immigrants and to petition the Governments to contribute toward a private-public memorial to be built in honour of the Chinese pioneers in The Greater Toronto Area and other cities where the majority of Chinese-Canadians are now residing. As a parallel endeavour, we are determined to educate Canadians and others about the plight of those immigrants through films, videos, books, lectures and other media.