Visiting History

This summer I visited the Komagata Maru Memorial in Coal Harbour. It is a powerful piece of artwork that represents a horrible incident in Canadian history. It was humbling to sit in the memorial and see the names of the passengers engraved. So many men were sent home due to racist policies and beliefs in Canada. The Komagata Maru was a ship that came to Canada in 1914 with over 300 South Asian passengers on board. They were challenging the Continuous Journey Regulation, which stated that to immigrate to Canada, immigrants had to come directly from the country they were born in. Their story is tragic and it is something that profoundly impacts my students every year. Next time you are in Coal Harbour, look for this memorial. Take a moment to think about the men held onboard who were forced to return home. Read the signs. Look at the photos. Visit history.