Nanaimo museum looks at Chinese citizens shipped in secret through Canada during First World War

  • 📰 timescolonist
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 56 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 26%
  • Publisher: 75%

Canada Headlines News

Canada Latest News,Canada Headlines

Around 80,000 Chinese residents were shipped in secret across Canada during the First World War.

A question from a visitor to the Vancouver Island Military Museum in Nanaimo inspired a soon-to-be opened exhibit at the facility.

The collection includes the riding crop used by Canadian Corps Cmdr. Arthur Currie during the First World War, a framed photograph of Adolf Hitler that was used as a target and brought home by a Nanaimo veteran, and rare items linked to Nanaimo fighter ace Raymond Collishaw, with exhibits updated when new information or artifacts come in.

McFadden said that in 1916 and 1917, the French and British government negotiated with the Chinese government to have access to tens of thousands of male workers in Shandong Province who they wanted for labour on the Western Front in France and Belgium. McFadden said that around 80,000 Chinese men were transported in sealed railway cars for the six-day trip from Vancouver to Halifax and weren’t allowed out of the cars. Some men who died along the way were buried in unmarked graves.McFadden said work cleaning up battle zones and loading and unloading equipment and ammunition was hard and dangerous.

“They received little or no recognition in history books or war memorials for their contribution and sacrifices during WW 1,” McFadden said.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 15. in CA

Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Celebrate Asian Heritage Month with a visit to Canada’s first Chinese Canadian MuseumThe Chinese Canadian Museum is a four-storey tribute to culture and a must-see activity for locals and visiting culture buffs.
Source: vanmag_com - 🏆 55. / 59 Read more »

Canada's Grondin earns snowboard cross World Cup gold, first career Crystal GlobeEliot Grondin wrapped his season with his second World Cup gold medal of the weekend and his first career Crystal Globe in men's snowboard cross action on Sunday.
Source: TSN_Sports - 🏆 80. / 51 Read more »

Canada's Grondin earns snowboard cross World Cup gold, first career Crystal GlobeBEAUPRÉ, Que. — Eliot Grondin wrapped up the 2023-24 season making history on Sunday. The Sainte-Marie, Que., native earned his second World Cup gold medal of the weekend and his first career Crystal Globe in men's snowboard cross action.
Source: PGCitizen - 🏆 65. / 51 Read more »

Canada's Grondin earns snowboard cross World Cup gold, first career Crystal GlobeBEAUPRÉ, Que. — Eliot Grondin wrapped up the 2023-24 season making history on Sunday. The Sainte-Marie, Que., native earned his second World Cup gold medal of the weekend and his first career Crystal Globe in men's snowboard cross action.
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »

Canada's Grondin earns snowboard cross World Cup gold, first career Crystal GlobeBEAUPRÉ, Que. — Eliot Grondin wrapped up the 2023-24 season making history on Sunday. The Sainte-Marie, Que., native earned his second World Cup gold medal of the weekend and his first career Crystal Globe in men's snowboard cross action.
Source: BurnabyNOW_News - 🏆 14. / 77 Read more »

Canada's Homan finishes first in round-robin, moves into world semisThe Canadian team's numbers speak for themselves at the world women's curling championship this week. A stellar 11-1 round-robin record. An overall shooting percentage of 88.4 per cent. An impressive 96 points scored to just 53 against.
Source: TSN_Sports - 🏆 80. / 51 Read more »