Government of British Columbia Apology

Last updated on December 9, 2016

 

BC government issues formal apology to Chinese Canadians

On May 15, 2014, Premier Christy Clark issued a formal apology to Chinese Canadians on behalf the entire B.C. Legislature for the historical wrongs imposed on them by past provincial governments.

 

The litany of historical wrongs still looms in British Columbia’s society. Chinese Canadians remain justly angered and disappointed by the historical wrongs imposed on them by their provincial government. While many of the offending acts, regulations and policies were federal, often they were encouraged or initiated by past B.C. provincial governments or federal members of parliament from British Columbia.

For these reasons, on May 15, 2014, the government of British Columbia apologized for the historical wrongs of past provincial governments that were once considered appropriate. While the governments that passed these laws and policies acted in a manner that were lawful at the time, British Columbians today consider this racist discrimination unacceptable and view it with extreme indignation. A formal apology assists in providing closure on this dark period in British Columbia's history.

Formal Apology to Chinese Canadians
Formal Apology to Chinese Canadians, May 15, 2014