| 1788 |
Captain John Meares arrives at
Nootka from China with Chinese artisans who help build a
vessel there |
| 1858 |
April, first rush of gold
seekers from San Francisco
June, first Chinese arrive from San Francisco |
| 1860 |
first Chinese woman to arrive in
British North America (wife of the owner of the Kwong Lee
Company, Victoria, BC)
increase in Chinese arrivals, mostly from Hong
Kong |
| 1861 |
Won Alexander Cumyow, first
Chinese baby born in Canada (Port Douglas, BC) |
| 1862 |
gold discovered in Cariboo’s
Williams Creek |
| 1867 |
Confederation of Ontario,
Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia |
| 1871 |
Chinese employed in Nanaimo
coalfields
British Columbia joins Confederation
increase in anti-Chinese sentiment |
| 1873 |
Anti-Chinese Society formed in
Victoria |
| 1874 |
Chinese construct Grand Trunk
Road to Hope |
| 1875 |
Chinese barred physically from
voting in Nanaimo
BC Legislature passes law to disqualify Chinese from
voting
motion to bar Chinese from employment on Victoria city
works passed |
| 1877 |
Manzo Nagano, first
Japanese person known to land and settle in Canada
(Victoria) |
| 1878 |
bill to exclude Chinese from
provincial works passed
bill levying $30 licence on all Chinese passed, leading
to a general strike of Chinese in Victoria |
| 1880 |
April, construction of CPR in BC
begins
June, Euro-Americans/Europeans and Chinese/Japanese
labourers arrive from San Francisco, followed by Chinese
labourers from Hong Kong in July |
| 1881 |
Chinese labourers arrive in
larger numbers
shortage of Chinese labour in Victoria |
| 1882 |
peak of Chinese immigration
(8,083) from San Francisco and Hong Kong
US bill prohibits immigration of Chinese |
| 1883 |
Chinese killed in riot at CPR
construction site |
| 1884 |
Chinese labourers break strike
in Dunsmuir mines
establishment of the Chinese Consolidated
Benevolent Association (Victoria, BC) by Chinese
Canadian merchants
provincial Chinese Regulation Act passed, later
disallowed
provincial act to prevent Chinese immigration passed,
later disallowed by the federal government
First Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration (1884-85) |
| 1885 |
province again passes act to
prevent Chinese immigration, later disallowed by the federal
government
head tax on Chinese set at $50
Franchise Act excludes Chinese |
| 1886 |
province inserts anti-Chinese
clauses in all private bills
Chinese construct CPR extension to New Westminster
Chinese population decreasing |
| 1888 |
US suddenly passes absolute
exclusion bill causing an increase in Chinese immigration to
BC |
| 1890 |
BT Rogers offered bonus and tax
concessions for sugar refinery in Vancouver, provided he
employ NO Chinese |
| 1891 |
increased Chinese immigration |
| 1893 |
request to raise head tax to
$100 passed, refused by federal government |
| 1895 |
Franchise Act excludes Japanese |
| 1897 |
increased Chinese and Japanese
immigration
first Sikhs in Canada, soldiers of the British Army (Sikh
Lancers & Infantry), visiting after celebrating Queen
Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee |
| 1900 |
head tax increased to $100,
effective 1901
increased Japanese immigration |
| 1901 |
Second Royal Commission on
Oriental Affairs (1901-02) |
| 1903 |
13 BC anti-Oriental bills
disallowed by the federal government
head tax increased to $500, effective 1904 |
| 1904 |
first Sikh to bring the Guru
Granth Sahib Ji (holy scripture) to Vancouver |
| 1904-08 |
first
immigration wave of Indians (almost all Sikhs) |
| 1906 |
treaty between Japan and
Canada: subjects of each power granted "full liberty to
enter, travel, and to reside in any part of the dominion and
possessions of the other contracting party"
first Sikh organisation, Khalsa Diwa Society, established
in Canada (Vancouver, BC) |
| 1907 |
increased immigration of
Chinese, Japanese, and Indians
the Kumeric, from Hawai’i, docked in Vancouver
carrying 1,177 Japanese
Asiatic Exclusion League organised in Vancouver
anti-Asiatic riot in Vancouver's Chinatown and Japantown
Gentlemen’s Agreement (Hayashi-Lemieux), limits Japanese
immigration of male labourers and domestic servants (400 per
annum)
Bowser Amendment to Election Act, adds "Hindus" to the
list of other Asian undesirables (disenfranchised, although
British subjects)
BC legislature passes act preventing Asians from entering
certain professions, and buying property in some parts of
Vancouver
Third Royal Commission on Oriental Affairs |
| 1908 |
importation, manufacture, and
sale of opium prohibited
Civic Charter excludes Indians
first Gurdwara Sahib built in Canada (Vancouver, BC)
Federal government requires
Indian
immigrants to have $200 in their possession on arrival
[European immigrants required to have only $25]
Continuous Voyage Order, an Order-in-Council, immigrants
must come by direct passage from their native country
(directed at Japanese and Indians) |
| 1909 |
Grand Trunk Pacific complains
of inability to import Chinese labour
Professor Teja Singh establishes the
Guru
Nanak Mining and Trust Company to organise and secure
the economic welfare of the Sikh community
Continuous Voyage Order used to exclude Indians |
| 1910 |
Canadian Northern and Kettle
Valley Railway Bills pass with stipulation that white labour
be used
Fourth Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration
Chinese immigration again increasing
Immigration Act sanctions Continuous Voyage Order; orders
all Asian immigrants, except Japanese/Chinese, to be in
possession of $200 upon landing |
| 1912 |
Republic of China established
Chinese immigration continues to increase
first Sikh baby, Hardial Singh Atwal, born in Canada
(Vancouver, BC) |
| 1914 |
Naturalization Bill stipulates
5-year residence and adequate knowledge of French or English
Komagata Maru affair,
refusal to allow Indians (376) to land in Vancouver, BC |
| 1914-18 |
World War I
200 Japanese volunteer for service with Canadian army in
France (1916-1917); 54 killed and 92 wounded |
| 1917 |
Provincial laws make it illegal
for Chinese-owned restaurants and laundromats to hire white
women (also in SK, MB, ON) |
| 1919 |
Japanese fishermen control
nearly half of the fishing licences (3,267); DOF reduces
number by limiting to "white residents, British subjects and
Canadian Indians [Natives]"
resident Indian men allowed to bring
wives
and children under 18 |
| 1919-21 |
increased opposition to
Orientals and Europeans from veterans and businessmen |
| 1921 |
BC passes resolution in favour
of complete exclusion |
| 1923 |
new Immigration Act, in effect
excludes Chinese; consuls, merchants, and students exempt
Gentlemen’s Agreement, same categories as 1908 but now
limited to 150 annually |
| 1928 |
revisions to Gentlemen’s
Agreement, wives and children are now included in the 150
per annum quota |
| 1931 |
enfranchise Japanese veterans of
the Canadian Expeditionary Force (80) |
| 1936 |
Japanese Canadian Citizens
League delegation goes to Ottawa to plead for franchise
(unsuccessfully) |
| 1937 |
revival of anti-Asian agitation
(result of the Manchurian Affair) |
| 1939-45 |
World War II; Chinese join armed
forces voluntarily |
| 1941 |
despite citizenship, Japanese
are excluded from military service
registration of all Japanese (March 4); later required to
carry registration card that have their thumbprint and photo
(August 12)
attack of Pearl Harbor (December 7) |
| 1942 |
Chinese protest lack of
franchise, their restriction from certain professions, and
anti-Chinese clauses in government contracts
evacuation and internment of Japanese; men to road camps
and women/children to detention camps (Greenwood, Kaslo, New
Denver, Slocan, Sandon, and Tashme, BC); confiscation and
disposal of property without owners’ consent |
| 1944 |
Chinese conscripted |
| 1945 |
150 Japanese volunteer for
service with Canadian army in Asia (January-May)
Japanese, Chinese, Indians, and Natives who served in
WWII are granted the provincial vote |
| 1946 |
"repatriation" of Japanese and
Japanese Canadians (3,964) to Japan
Gretta (Wong) Grant becomes the first Chinese Canadian
woman lawyer called to the bar (Ontario) |
| 1947 |
Chinese wives and unmarried
children allowed to enter Canada
repeal deportation of Japanese Canadians
repeal of The Chinese Immigration Act of 1923
repeal discriminatory clause in BC Provincial Elections
Act (included Chinese and Indians, but excluded Japanese);
allows entry into previously barred professions such as
pharmacy, accountancy, and law |
| 1948 |
federal franchise granted to
Japanese Canadians |
| 1949 |
enfranchisement of Japanese and
Native Canadians in BC |
| 1950 |
Narjan Grewall, Canada's first
Sikh city councillor (Mission, BC) |
| 1951 |
anti-Chinese clauses in Crown
leases dropped |
| 1955 |
Harban Singh (Herb) Doman
establishes
Doman
Industries Ltd., which becomes one of Canada's largest
lumber companies |
| 1957 |
Douglas Jung becomes the first
Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament (Vancouver Centre) |
| 1962 |
racial discrimination in
immigrant selection removed (emphasis on education and
skills) |
| 1967 |
immigration based on point
system; all Asian Canadians are allowed to sponsor relatives |
| 1978 |
second wave of Vietnamese
refugees escaping after the withdrawal of U.S. forces from
Vietnam in 1975 |
| 1982 |
Mr. Justice Wallace (Wally)
Oppal appointed to the BC Supreme Court |
| 1986 |
Monmohan (Moe) Sihota becomes
the first Indo-Canadian MLA |
| 1988 |
Canadian Government’s formal
apology for the wrongful incarceration, seizure of property
and the disenfranchisement of thousands of Canadians of
Japanese ancestry
David Lam becomes BC's Lieutenant Governor |
| 1993 |
Harban (Herb) Dhaliwal
(Vancouver, BC) and Gurbax Singh Mahli (Malton, ON) become
the first Indo-Canadians elected to Parliament |
| 1995 |
$975 application fee for
immigrants and refugees |
| 1998 |
Vivienne Poy becomes the first
Chinese Canadian senator |
| 1999 |
Adrienne Clarkson becomes the
first Chinese Canadian Governor-General |
| 2000 |
Ujjal Dosanjh becomes the first
Indo-Canadian premier (BC) |
