Speeches – 2008
The Honourable Jason Kenney
Historical Recognition Program to the Chinese-Canadian Community
Toronto, Ontario, May 8, 2008
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be in Toronto, and in particular, to have this opportunity to speak to members of the Chinese-Canadian community.
Well back in Canada' s history, in fact before Confederation, more than 15,000 Chinese labourers came to Canada to assist with the construction of a national railroad.
Since that time, people of Chinese origin have played a pivotal role in building this country, and according to 2006 Census figures, more than 1.3 million Canadians currently claim Chinese ancestry.
Your community, like others, embraced the Canadian values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law.
The list of people of Chinese heritage who have made their mark on Canadian society is long and includes illustrious people from all walks of life. For example:
- Norman Kwong, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta;
- Fashion designer Alfred Sung;
- Journalist Jan Wong;
- And Michael Chong, the Member of Parliament for Wellington– Halton Hills and the former Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport.
Chinese Canadians are one of the 215 ethnic groups that are part of Canada' s proud history and contribute to Canada' s success.
At the same time, I think everyone in this room would agree that Canada' s past includes actions that are inconsistent with the values Canadians hold dear today.
The Head Tax imposed on Chinese newcomers in the late nineteenth and the twentieth century is a good example of this. So were the changes to the Chinese Immigration Act that effectively excluded most Chinese immigrants to Canada until 1947.
Our government believes it is important to ensure that Canadians have opportunities to learn about our history, including and perhaps especially the difficult periods that are part of our past.
As you know, in June of 2006, Prime Minister Harper offered a full apology for the Head Tax and announced the Government would make ex gratia symbolic payments to living Head Tax payers and conjugal partners of deceased Head Tax payers. To date, payments of more than 13 million dollars have been made.
The Prime Minister also announced that the Government of Canada would provide funding for new Historical Recognition Programs.
Today, I am pleased to announce that we are following through on this commitment.
The Community Historical Recognition Program and the National Historical Recognition Program will support commemorative and educational projects that are both community-based and national in scope.
The Community Historical Recognition Program will make funding available for communities that were affected by wartime measures or immigration restrictions – communities like yours.
As part of this program, five million dollars will be available for community-based projects related to the experiences of the Chinese-Canadian community with respect to the restrictions that were imposed on its members.
Our government believes it is important to acknowledge your experiences and to highlight your contribution to the building of this country.
The Community Historical Recognition Program will provide Chinese-Canadian organizations with access to funding for commemorative and educational activities that will ensure you have an opportunity to share your community' s experiences with the Head Tax and immigration so that all Canadians can understand them.
Funding will also be available under the National Historical Recognition Program for federal government departments and agencies to engage in national initiatives aimed at educating all Canadians on Canada' s history related to wartime measures and immigration restrictions.
In closing, I look forward to seeing the initiatives Chinese-Canadian organizations will undertake with funding from the Community Historical Recognition Program.
And I would like to thank everyone for coming today.