We Don't Shelter Chinese! (Chapter 1)

Presentation to the Committee of the Whole (COW), 19 Dec, 2016, by Nelson's Chinese-Canadian community, within the monthly 5 minutes allowed informally to individuals/groups from the general public:

Our proposal to erect a gazebo over the Commemorative Chinatown Rock was presented 5 months ago, and as of this date the Chinese-Canadian community is still waiting to be informed of a/the next step to be taken-or-not by whom.

This - after our response to the deliberately misrepresentative "Report" on said proposal by Colin Innes, Public Works, and Mayor Kozak's subsequent very public very forceful attempt to muzzle Council on the topic, in the COW, 17 Oct. - raises questions about due diligence, even simple goodwill within this Administration.

But then - in Nelson politics are usually personal. Public input is inconvenient - thus not sought. When in form of criticism - it is resented. My occasional presentations to COWs and in blog-posts clearly have not endeared me to some on the 2nd Floor: so stalling our proposal looks like grudge-payback.

Affecting the whole local Chinese-Canadian community.

And continuing to relegate this community to the same less-than position locked-in since the Queen City's early days - even though Victoria and Ottawa have officially acknowledged and registered the historical contribution of Nelson's Chinatown to the development of BC.

Heritage still a White-is-Might issue at Nelson's City Hall!

Having no confidence in our request to be granted due process - Nelson's Chinese-Canadian community herewith withdraws their proposal for a gazebo to symbolically shelter the Commemorative Chinatown Rock at Vernon & Hall.

End of presentation.

  


Cormack-
Council-
Public
We decided to discontinue our pursuit because the ultimately accountable-to-none City Hall 2nd Floor - with Kevin Cormack, Chief Admin Officer (CAO) absolutely in charge of things local - can come-up with any reason of their/his choosing for why there can't be a gazebo - no matter how unreasonable - to which our only opportunity to respond openly - in front of witnesses - is within the 5 minutes of the Public Participation segment of a COW long after the fact.

To make this clearer: The only time Council and an individual/group from the general public (briefly) interact is when the latter make an officially prearranged presentation to Council in a COW.
Council then may deal with this specific issue in an(y) upcoming Regular Council Meeting (RCM). This as far as they can - always based on info predigested and timed for them by Cormack in a Request for Decision - with the concerned outside-party not invited to participate.
They must wait until the next COW - several weeks later - with their input/response of 5 minutes tops, but Council will not make a decision then.
Because that is only made in RCMs! 
An endless dance!

Bottomline: There usually is no here-now give-and-take between Council and concerned members of the public!

In our case, with the 2nd Floor's reasoning clearly bizarre - seemingly even somewhat unsettling to Council: they do not get involved decisively. What with politics within City Hall just as personal: they usually don't. And we can only watch from a distance.

    

Racism
While City Hall's attitude towards this gazebo - incidentally: to be funded by the Chinese-Canadian community - is unacceptable, it is understandable within the context of racist (governmental) attitudes towards non-whites prevailing in BC since its beginnings.

Examples (Chinese);
1.
The Exclusion Act becomes law on 1 July, 1923 (Dominion/Canada Day!): excluding most Chinese from immigration into Canada until 1947. The date making clear that Chinese are not, never must be Canadians. 
By Chinese called Day of Humiliation.
2.
Between 1871 and 1949 those of Chinese descent can't vote in BC. And because they're not on the provincial voters-list - they can't vote federally! 
Not being voters they can't become pharmacists, lawyers, accountants.
3.
Until 1951 the Chinese Clause in the Crown-Lease Act excludes Chinese from the system.
4.
In 1967, Chinese immigration (officially) is put on equal basis with that of other countries.
BUT!
Only in 1977 does the Citizenship Act (officially) dismantle preferential to-the-head-of-the-line treatment for British subjects applying for citizenship.
5.
In Surrey the Mongolian Bylaw of 1894 prevents all Chinese and Japanese from employment with the Corporation of Surrey. This bylaw theoretically remains in effect until 1982 when it is "discovered" on their books.
6.
In 2006 the Chinese Benevolent Society of Vancouver celebrates its 100th Anniversary. Michaelle Jean, our Governess General, congratulates the Society on its "Canadian spirit of generosity and compassion", while it is exactly the lack of any Canadian spirit of generosity and compassion which leads Vancouver's very marginally better-off Chinese community at the time to help those many among them left homeless, jobless, starving and ill by colonial moneymakers-at-any-cost.
This twisted "congratulation" coming from the person in Canada representing the inescapable pointless British queen over there. And her tiaras.
7.
Beverly J. Oda, of Japanese descent, Ottawa's Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, sends her letter to this Chinese NGO in two side-by-side columns: one in English, one in French. 
 8.
"We are the one country everybody would like to be... We also have no colonialism. So we have all the things that many admire about great powers, but none of the things that threaten or bother them."
                                             Stephen Harper, PM
                                             Pittsburgh G20 Meeting, 25 Sep, 2009

   
9.
When, in 2010, requesting $1500 from Council towards the installation of a Commemorative Chinatown Rock we are rejected initially, with Councillor Stacey opining that a plaque on a building somewhere would do. Be cheaper.
Still - the rock itself is donated privately by Cherry's Rock Farm up in the hills, and Columbia Basin Trust promptly grants separately requested $1500.
10.
In 2011 we ask Mayor Dooley to dedicate the Rock, giving him enough time to prepare. A few minutes before the dedication he asks me what to say. What is this? Where am I?
11.
When he is just about to unveil the Rock, Dooley motions uninvited Councillor MacDonald to do it with him. Ignoring Cameron Mah, leader of the Chinese-Canadian community, who is standing right there.

Nelson - no matter how progressive it looks and claims to be - is deeply conservative (spelled colonial: the mother of heritage).
Though few here would openly cop to being racist: possibly many are not even in touch with what that means.

Whether by osmosis, design or suddenly pushed down the rabbit-hole by the gazebo-issue: City Hall's 2nd Floor certainly appears racist.

  





Mayor Kozak
dkozak@nelson.ca

Colin Innes
cinnes@nelson.ca

Kevin Cormack
kcormack@nelson.ca










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