Diverse Communities, Multiculturalism

Pathways

Vietnamese Canadian Experiences in BC

Through the perspective of Vietnamese Canadian artist Chrystal Phan and others, we take a closer look at the journey of people who came to Canada from Vietnam as refugees and settled in British Columbia in the years 1979–80.

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Paldi

Learn about this extraordinary community on Vancouver Island, established in 1917 by a man named Mayo Singh.

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Landscapes of Injustice

This pathway examines the displacement and dispossession of thousands of Japanese Canadians in Canada in the 1940s.

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Hope Meets Action

This pathway is connected to the exhibition Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum. The exhibition and pathway explores the connections between historical and contemporary Black experiences throughout BC.

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Object-Based Learning

This pathway is especially for teachers who want to use object-based learning in the classroom. Includes lesson ideas and online support.

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Family (Grades K-3)

Every family has a unique and special story. At the Royal BC Museum we have lots of stories—and histories—about British Columbia families. Come and explore! (Grades K-3)

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The Punjabi Experience in British Columbia

Explore interviews from the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley. Learn more about the experiences of early Punjabi immigrants to Canada.

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Residential Schools and Reconciliation

How do we reconcile past wrongs? Look at documents and objects from the Royal BC Museum’s ethnology collection and archives to learn about the effects of Indian residential schools and think about how we can reach reconciliation.

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Acknowledging Past Wrongs

Look into documents and artifacts from the Royal BC Museum and Archives to uncover how the Chinese Canadian community was treated in BC’s past.

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Early Chinese Canadian Experiences in British Columbia

Did you know that there has been a connection between China and BC for over 225 years? Explore the Royal BC Museum and Archives and use our collections to find out more about early Chinese Canadian history.

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Voices from the Past

Oral history recordings are like time machines. They transport us to the past and help us learn about the people and places of British Columbia. They are uniquely personal accounts of the past from the people who actually lived it. What can you discover about British Columbia’s past by listening?

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BC’s Gold Rush

In 1858 word of gold rang out in the Fraser Canyon, setting off a dramatic migration of people and propelling this once remote region of western North American into the modern age. What can you discover about BC's gold rush?

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Tradition in Felicities

Canada’s oldest Chinatown is in Victoria, BC. The Royal BC Museum exhibition Tradition in Felicities used video, photographs and the written word to celebrate the community of this national landmark. Teachers look for lesson plans in Watch!

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Entries

Japanese Tea Garden in Esquimalt

By UVIC Public History 2017 Grad Student Project

Hayato Takata and Yoshitaro Kishida opened the garden on July 11, 1907. Two Takata brothers started to run the garden as a family business in 1922. The Takata family was interned in 1942. Their houses and the garden were vandalized and destroyed. The rest of their belongings were sold off by the government. [BC Archives-E-01902] Learn more about this image at BC Archives here.

Transcript of an Interview with Hideo Kokubo

By UVIC Public History 2017 Grad Student Project

Hideo Kokubo was interviewed in Vancouver in 1973 in a project by Reynoldston Research and Studies. He discusses life as a fisherman in BC in the 1940s and mentions how the government seized Japanese Canadian fishing boats during the Second World War. [BC Archives-AAAB8584] Learn more about this interview at BC Archives here.

Miners at the Awaya Ikeda Mine, Haida Gwaii

By UVIC Public History 2017 Grad Student Project

The owner of the Ikeda Mine, Arichika Ikeda, died in 1939 but the ownership of his mine came under the jurisdiction of the Custodian in 1942. His wife, Kaoru Ikeda, interned in Slocan, was made to release her rights to the property as well as their family house. She died after four years of internment in the spring of 1946. [BC Archives H-04580] Learn more about this image at BC Archives here.

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