City Burnaby formally apologized for historical discrimination against people of Chinese descent, acknowledging that for more than 50 years, racist municipal policies limited voting rights, land ownership, employment and business opportunities.
apology was announced during a special council meeting Saturday that included a vote to repeal three discriminatory bylaws that remain in place despite no longer being enforced.
Mayor Mike Hurley said Burnaby takes responsibility for the racism and exclusion perpetuated by its former governments between 1892 and 1947. “Our actions have made life difficult for them and all members of the Chinese-origin community. Today we deeply regret that,” he said in his speech at the meeting.
Members of Burnaby's Chinese-Canadian community attended the ceremony, including Alfred Wu, a third-generation Burnaby resident whose grandfather immigrated to Canada in 1910.
Wu said the apology was an emotional milestone for families whose relatives were discriminated against.
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“There was a closure today,” Wu told reporters. “Burnaby has acknowledged the history of discrimination against people of Chinese descent. We have long accepted and lived with the reality of discrimination. We earned our place in Canada through the hard work of our ancestors.”
Wu said his grandfather paid a head tax in China and struggled during times of isolation, but still chose Canada as his home. “His bones were never sent back to the village and so he adopted Canada as his home. That's very important to me,” he said.
Hurley said the ceremony was emotional for him, too. “When I looked down on these families, I found it difficult to keep them together,” he later told reporters. “They’ve been through a lot and stayed positive through it all.”
As part of the apology, the city pledged to take a number of actions, including raising awareness of the contributions of Chinese Canadians to Burnaby's history, ensuring city staff are culturally competent and offering public safety programs in Chinese.
This recognition follows a two-year historical review and extensive engagement process conducted in English, Cantonese and Chinese in partnership with the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table.
The final report documented discriminatory regulations and practices, including a law that prohibited Burnaby from hiring workers of Chinese and Japanese descent, and policies that made it difficult for Chinese residents to own land or do business.
Hurley said the apology is not just symbolic, but a promise to not allow the city's past to be repeated. “Today we commit to action,” he said.
— With files from The Canadian Press.
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