Immigration Ban

During the winter of 1913, the City of Vancouver was spending $150,000 on unemployment relief. Public works were cut down and before spring, the provincial government came to the assistance of the city in caring for the jobless. Jonathan Rogers made a plea, unconvincing, that the depression had "shaken down" the financial structure and business was again on a sound basis.

He did go on to admit that speculation was extinct, no capital and little credit was available for even the soundest business. The Vancouver Board of Trade was pressing the provincial government for that last relief for a business community on the ropes - a moratorium on debts and taxes. The "pause" had become a depression and that depression was close to becoming a calamity.

Vancouver was fortunate enough to escape large-scale labour trouble. However, the shadow of that turmoil hung over the city.

Mackenzie and Mann - notorious "friends" of the McBride government - had taken over the Dunsmuir mines at Nanaimo and Ladysmith. The two were using Japanese and Chinese workers as strike-breakers in a major stoppage, backing them up with "special police".

There was wild rioting in Nanaimo and the Vancouver lawyer who was acting premier, W.J. Bowser, reverted to the old B.C. pattern and threw 1000 militiamen into the town to break the strike. For the previous six years, Oriental immigration was limited and that made the Chinese and Japanese much less of a threat to Vancouver workers in hard times. The Dominion government now banned immigration in B.C. but the threat was to be suddenly and dramatically revived.

The ban on Chinese and Japanese immigration was within in the powers of the government of Canada. However, the ban imposed on East Indians by order-in-council in 1913 was found invalid by Chief Justice Gordon Hunter of the Supreme Court of B.C. The East Indians were British subjects and therefore Canada could not exclude them. A special new orders-in-council applied only to entry into British Columbia and it was a complicated by a requirement of "direct passage" from the land of the immigrant's nativity. 

This ban insulted the pride of the Indians and a Sikh, Gurdit Singh, decided to test it.  Singh has identified as a wealthy landowner, as a "Punjabi agitator" and as a secret agent of the Japanese government. (The Japanese was insulted by Canadian immigration policies and resentful of the riots of 1907.)

Singh recruited 375 Sikhs, partly farmers and partly time-expired veterans of the Indian Army. The East Indians chartered the Japanese steamship Komogata Maru. The Indians boarded the steamship at Hong Kong, stopped at Yokohama en route and arrived at the William Head quarantine station (on Vancouver Island). The ship was granted permission and sent on to Vancouver. There she anchored in the stream, waiting immigration examination.

So what happened with the people aboard the Komogata Maru? Wednesday, I will tell you more.

Thanks to the book Vancouver, From Milltown to Metropolis by Alan Morley for the above information.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill

Chinatown

This is 524 Pender Street - in 1904 when this photo was taken by Philip Timms, there was no division of East and West Pender - of the manager of the Timms and Company Print Shop, George F. Timms and his son, Max.

Philip Timms took this 1907 photo of boarded up buildings in Chinatown after the race riots.

These last two photos, taken by Philip Timms, show businesses damaged during the race riots of 1907.

Today, I want to talk to you about Vancouver's Chinatown. Like most North American Chinatowns, ours was established and maintained by segregationist policies and racist attitudes among the local citizens and government. 

Chinese immigrants, like the European settlers, came to Canada looking for a better way of life. Often, they were given the lowest jobs for the poorest pay. The first wave of Chinese immigrants came over in the 1850s during the Fraser gold rush. However, CPR engineer, Andrew Onderdonk recruited between 8,000 and 17,000 Chinese workers between 1881 and 1885 in order to build the mountainous sections of the railway around Yale. This influx is what led to the formation of Vancouver's Chinatown.

These people worked for half the wages of the white labourers and often sent money home to China. Many of the Chinese were stranded in BC after the railway was completed. The CPR had no further use for them and took responsibility for the people they brought over. The Chinese settled in an area near Pender and Carrall Streets, which the called "Saltwater City". This 'city' soon reached the shores of False Creek.

Even though the Chinese helped build the railway that cemented Confederation, many of them dying in the process, they were not rewarded or welcomed. As we know, a 'head tax' was put on each new Chinese arrival, making it difficult for the male Chinese population here to bring over their wives and children.

W.M. Bruce took this photo on March 29, 1902 of the laying of the cornerstone for the Carnegie Centre.

The Metropole Hotel and Oaks Cafe on Abbott Street. Photo by Stuart Thomson, taken in 1925.

Looking east from near Carrall to Columbia in 1904. This section of what is now East Pender was called Dupont Street until 1907. The businesses and men are Chinese. Photo by Philip Timms.

In 1906, this is what the 400-500 blocks of Carrall Street looked like. From left to right - Methodist Chinese Mission, 445 Carrall St., Sam Kee & Co., 433 Carroll St.. Sun Sun Fine Tailoring, 429 Carrall St. Express horse - wagon. Philip Timms is listed as photographer.

By the dawn of the twentieth century, approximately 2,100 Chinese people lived in Chinatown. Most of them worked in their own small business since they were excluded from many occupations. The laws of the time prevented Chinese from voting and prompted many confrontations. Two noteworthy events include a riot in 1887 and a 1907 rampage. In 1907, members of the Asiatic Exclusion League marched on Chinatown, looting and destroying property. 

The federal government got into the fray in 1923 with the Exclusion Act, which effectively prevented Chinese immigration. It took 25 years for the act to be repealed. During this time, the population of Chinatown dwindled. The old died or moved out of the area. It was the bravery of Chinese-Canadian soldiers in World War II that forced the Feds to repeal the act and give Chinese-Canadians the vote. Wives and children, newly arrived, settled in Chinatown and Strathcona. 

Chinatown was threatened in the 1960s when the city's freeway plans might have demolished both neighbourhoods. Fortunately, residents' protests not only stopped the roadway but also prompted a greater appreciation of this part of the city's heritage.

Philip Timms caught this photo in 1904. This is Looking west from Columbia to Carrall on E. Pender St. (Dupont until 1907). Chinese men are on the street along with several wagons and a dog. In the background is the Central School (centre). 

In 1926, Stuart Thomson took this photo of the Chinese Branch of the Royal Bank.

The Bailey Bros took this 1887 photo looking east on Dupont Street (now Pender)

October 25, 192. Stuart Tomson photographed the funeral procession for David C. Lew

In 1971, Chinatown was designated a historic district and in 1979, a streetscape improvement program emphasized the architecture and ambience of the area. Vancouver's Chinatown is Canada's largest and home to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden, the Chinese Cultural Centre, unique buildings (You've seen many of them in past entries of the Vancouver Vagabond) and many small businesses.

Given the time and history of when many of Vancouver's streets were named, it isn't surprising that few streets are named after the Chinese population. There are over 770 streets in Vancouver and only Chinatown's Canton Alley, which disappeared in 1954 and Shanghai Alley refer to this ethnic group who did so much for the growth of this city and country.

Andrew Onderdonk is the only CPR official not have anything named after him - that was at his insistence.

A 1917 photo of the Sam Kee building, a truly unique building. The photo was taken by the Dominion Photo Co on September 20. If you want to know why this building is unique, see this entry

October 1921, photo taken of the Union Station by the Dominion Photo Co. It is still there today but has been renamed. Read about here.

 November 19, 1921, the Dominion Photo Co took this picture of the Ceperley, Rounsefell and Company building. It is at 739 West Hastings Street.

July 1927 and the Province newspaper building is decorated for Dominion Day. Photo by Dominion Photo Co.

I want to thank the book, Namely Vancouver by Tom Snyders and Jennifer O'Rourke for the above information and the Vancouver Public Library for the photos.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

The Dominion Photo Co took this January 5, 1928 photo of the Yet Sang Company.

The Dominion Photo Co took this photo of Shanghai Alley on February 14, 1944.

Chinatown - East Pender Street looking West towards Carrall in 1912 as captured by the Dominion Photo Co.

Philip Timms snapped this shot looking east on the 100 block of East Hastings on the north side.

McGeer's War on Crime

McGeer's war on crime also targeted Chief Constable John Cameron. Cameron was charged with Celona of “to effect a public mischief by perverting the course of justice.” Colonel W.W. Foster (remember him from the post office sit down strike?) and he led the investigation.

For the first time, the Vancouver Police Department used a wire tap. The officers were stationed at the Carter-Cotton building, listening in on Celona's telephone conversations. The detectives heard conversations between Celona and police officers and Colonel Foster stated the officers were advising Celona how to avoid conviction. Unfortunately, the sound quality was so poor the tapes weren't able to be used as evidence.

Prosecutors had other evidence against Cameron. He partied with Celona at Cameron's ranch, Celona's house and on the police boat on a cruise in Howe Sound. Officers took the stand and stated it was necessary to occasionally mix with criminals to gather information. There was no evidence that Cameron had gained monetarily through his connection with the Italian immigrant or any sort of agreement between the two so John Cameron was acquitted.

Unfortunately, Joe Celona wasn't so lucky. He was charged with running a disorderly house at the Maple Hotel on Hastings Street and procuring girls for prostitution. However, what really rankled the prosecutor, Dugald Donaghy, was that Chinese men frequented the hotel.

“There are no words in the English language to describe the abhorrence of [white girls] being procured exclusively for the yellow men from China,” Donaghy told the court. “That these girls should be submitted to crawling yellow beasts of the type frequenting such dives.”

Celona was sentenced to 22 years in prison but an appeal reduced the sentence to 11 years. In five years, with good behaviour, Joe Celona was paroled and out on the streets. However, his freedom didn't last long. There was a public outcry and a campaign led by Mayor Lyle Telford saw Celona re-arrested and sent back to the BC Penitentiary in New Westminster. 

Many people felt that Celona's political connections got him out early but there was nothing unusual about his case. Celona did have a nefarious reputation and that was probably one factor that helped send him back to prison. The other was the fact that the year was 1940 and he was Italian. Many felt he should be deported back to fascist Italy. 

What an interesting segment of Vancouver history. I am grateful to the Past Tense website for the above information. I will tell you more on Friday.

I hope you find the beauty around you.