Diverse Communities, Multiculturalism
Pathways

1In 1 playlists
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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Learn about this extraordinary community on Vancouver Island, established in 1917 by a man named Mayo Singh.
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This pathway examines the displacement and dispossession of thousands of Japanese Canadians in Canada in the 1940s.
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1In 1 playlists
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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2In 2 playlists
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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1In 1 playlists
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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7In 7 playlists
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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5In 5 playlists
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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7In 7 playlists
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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9In 9 playlists
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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5In 5 playlists
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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7In 7 playlists
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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2In 2 playlists
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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1In 1 playlists
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.

1In 1 playlists
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.

1In 1 playlists
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.
Media

History in Perspective
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Hannah’s Story
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Journey to Freedom Day
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Little Saigon
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Escape to Freedom
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British Columbians Respond
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Sital Dhillon
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Nsibe Puri
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Nadeem Kulwant Parmar
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This Week in History – Season 8 Episode 11: The Fascinating World of Sponges
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This Week in History Season 4 Episode 20 Chinatown Butcher
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Punjabi Canadian Legacy
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Guangzhou to British Columbia
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Jagger
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Jagger with Project
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Faith’s Video
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Sehrtaj’s Video
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Fish Butchering Machine
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Chinese Opium Scale
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Chinese Legacy in BC
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Bossi Family Trip to Italy
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What’s Your Story? with Dr. Evan Adams
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What’s in a Name?
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Chinese Canopy
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Dhan Kaur Labh’s Family
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Mud Silk
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FINAL Surjit Singh Tatla
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FINAL Sohan Singh Labh
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FINAL Rajinder Singh Gill
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FINAL Mukand Pallan
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FINAL Gurbakhsh Singh Narang
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FINAL Amarjit Singh Heer
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Definitions of Terms
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MP Todd Doherty – BC Punjabi Intercultural Initiative
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Secondary School lesson plan
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Elementary School lesson plan
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web_i-56109
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web_e-02875-1
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web_d-01288-1
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Rajinder Singh Gill
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Surjit Singh Tatla
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Gurbakhsh Singh Narang
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Mukand Singh Pallan
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Amarjit Singh Heer
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Sohan Singh Labh
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Youbou Sawmill
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Island of Voices by RoyalBCMuseum
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Fire and Opium
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Mud Silk
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Bean Sauce and Drums
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David Lai at the Immigration Building
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Shaft Entrance
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A Request for Wages Not Paid to Chinese Workers (1865)
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Roman
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Henry Vivian “Paddy” Acland
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Kelvyn
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Vlad
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Michal
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Nur Sabrina
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Joyness
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Ha
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Kohtaro
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Deportation_of_Chinese_workers_by_Penticton
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Fred Soon Interview – Jobs & Education
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Fred Soon Interview – Chinese Immigration To BC
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Fred Soon Interview – Conditions Inside The Immigration Building
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Fred Soon Interview – Detained at the Immigration Building
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Fred Soon Interview – Getting to BC
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english_apology
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GR-0429.3100
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act-respecting-chinese-immigration
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act-to-amend-qualification
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An Act to Regulate Chinese Population of BC
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An Act to prevent the immigration of Chinese (1884)
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An Act to prevent Chinese from acquiring Crown Lands (1884)
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A Request for Wages Not Paid to Chinese Workers (1865)
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Connecting our Collections with the Community
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A Chinese Coin to Raise Canadian Dollars
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Chinatown – Cumberland
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Chinese Head-Tax Certificate, 1911.
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Maria Ticket
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Nam Sing
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Chinese Opera Music
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Chinese New Year
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A Letter from Chinatown
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Chinese Opera Scenes, Vancouver, 1944
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The Sisters of St. Ann
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Whisky Bottle
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Freemason Manual
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Fan
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Bells
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Tickets from Hong Kong to Victoria
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Fire Pump
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Gold Rush! Educator Resource Guide
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Pierre Trudeau Interview
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TeacherGuide_ACenturyAgo
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Henry Nathan Jr
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Neversweat Tunnel
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Prospector
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Gold Rush Music Collection 3
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Tom-Bown-Alex-Phillips
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A Chinese Coin to Raise Canadian Dollars
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Shirley Chan
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Lesson plan for TiF video secondary
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Lesson plan for Tif video elementary
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Chinese Freemason’s Lantern Animation
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Children in 1900
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Cannery Workers
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Gold Miner
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Chinese Railway Workers
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Chinese Merchants
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Lee Yut Wah Ida
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Chinese Woman
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Joss House
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Fisgard Business
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Fire Insurance Map
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Family on Comorant Street
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Orphanage Children
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Chinese Arch
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Jon Joe (Chow) and Charlayne Thornton-Joe
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Wah Doc (Wally) Low and Frank Low
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Bonita Mar and Lena Lee
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Reta Der, Corinne Wong and Gerald Quan
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Dr David Chuenyan Lai
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