British Columbia History 55.4 Winter 2022

Major anniversaries offer opportunities for history lovers. They give us a chance to look back; to rediscover stories at risk of being lost or forgotten; and ponder how our past still shapes us today. The year 2023 will mark a sad milestone in Canada: 100 years since the passing of the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act (more commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act). This unprecedented and hostile piece of legislation launched the darkest period for Chinese in Canada. Dubbed the “Cruelty Act” by the Chinese community, the despair and misery it caused lasted for almost a quarter century and affected tens of thousands of lives. The ripple effects continued long after the Act was repealed in 1947. Today, the details of this period are largely forgotten, even among Chinese Canadians…

1 Inclusive and Diverse Voices The BCHF includes people, stories, research, and stewardship projects from Indigenous communities and geographically and culturally diverse communities from around BC. 2 Evidence Based Storytelling The BCHF is committed to research-based publishing that acknowledges the rights and wrongs of the past and provides a catalyst for dialogue. 3 Supporting Preservation The BCHF knows that the preservation of historical records, both tangible and intangible, is critical to the ability to present and discuss history. We support historical archives and projects that catalogue unwritten and unbuilt history. 4 Accessible and Relevant The BCHF puts accessibility at the centre of its storytelling. We listen to what the public is curious about and create information that puts history into context. Through British Columbia History magazine, and new uses of technology, including social media…

We are looking forward to our upcoming interview with Karen Aird of the FPCC on climate change and Indigenous cultural heritage, which will appear in our Spring 2023 issue. In the meantime, if you haven’t had a chance to dig into the FPCC resource library, now’s your chance to look at the ever-growing collection of material, from the new Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts Toolkit, to the Indigenous Cultural Heritage Stewardship Toolkit, to FPCC guidance on territorial acknowledgement. Satisfy your curiosity. Support your professional practice. Keep checking back to see what’s new. Find it all at https://fpcc.ca/…

‘sometimes I find myself more drawn or tied to my candian nationality. I also have a genuine desire to learn and know more about my Filipino roots-particularly through literature,” says my friend and mentor James Roy Catingub. James, a second-generation Filipino born and raised in BC, is an aspiring teacher who was inspired by the passion of his mentors. He’s currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Culture at St. Mark’s College near UBC. He grew up in a Filipino-dominant community; within this community, James did not feel like a “minority.” His childhood was rich with Filipino culture. He was raised in a household that valued religion and family, and he attended religious events with his family. As a child, he was fed authentic home-cooked Filipino dishes.…

1 BC War Hero Honoured in Northern Ireland The son of a Canadian war hero has unveiled a stone statue of his father in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland. Robert Hill Hanna immigrated to BC from County Down in 1905, and at age 27 enlisted with the 29th Battalion in Vancouver. His November 1914 attestation papers describe him as a “lumberman” with fair hair and blue eyes, standing 5 feet 7-½ inches (171 cm) tall. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his efforts at the 1917 Battle of Hill 70 in northern France. With all of his company officers either killed or wounded, Hanna led a party against a fortified machine gun nest under heavy fire. His citation reads, “[H]e rushed through the wire and personally bayoneted three of the enemy and…

The Sherman Grinberg Film Library, located in Los Angeles, is the home of historic newsreels created from 1897 to 1957 by Paramount and American Pathe. While the films have been stored in film vaults since the early 1960s, there are now over 49,000 historic film clips available on the company website for teachers, students, and researchers to watch and download for no cost. More footage is added daily. Currently there are 120 clips specifically about “British Columbia” on the website that can be found by entering town names or by browsing. The Grinberg Team recently contacted the British Columbia Historical Federation about finding ways to share its footage of places and events in British Columbia, or other footage with organization members. “I have been a Media Archivist for almost 30…