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The first Chinese came to British Columbia from California in 1858, drawn by the gold of the Fraser and Cariboo. As early as 1860, taxes against them were being proposed and debated. Anti-Chinese feeling grew steadily throughout the 1860s and 70s, and in 1878 the Legislature passed a Bill to exclude Chinese from all public works. For politicians seeking election, an anti-Chinese stand was imperative.

However, all British Columbians wanted the railway—the Canadian Pacific Railway that would unite Canada from sea to sea. And if it couldn’t be built without the Chinese, then they would grudgingly accept the Chinese.

Thousands of Chinese came to work for the CPR between 1880 and 1885. At the peak of railway construction in the Fraser Canyon, some 8000 Chinese were employed. During the five year period, an estimated 1500 died.

Throughout those years and well into the next century, Legislation against the Chinese persisted, as did anti-Chinese feeling on the part of many citizens. In spite of such discrimination, the Chinese presence continued to grow, becoming an integral and enriching thread in the fabric of Canadian society.