British Columbia History – June 2019
English | 50 pages | True PDF | 18.6 MB

Fear is a powerful motivator. The fear of difference. The fear of loss of power, money, influence. And fear coupled with greed is even more destructive. But, as I was reminded so eloquently by Laura Saimoto at her Vancouver Heritage Foundation talk on the history of Vancouver’s Japanese Canadian community, its internment, and its restoration of the beloved Japanese Language Hall on Alexander Street, “difference and fear may look different today” but they are still fundamentally the same. As Saimoto pointed out, the vacuum that was created in the Powell Street neighbourhood known as Japantown in 1942 when the federal government seized all properties owned by Japanese-Canadians, is, in part, what led to the current challenges of the downtown Eastside. Difference can be rooted in religion, as is explored in the first article in this issue by Vern Giesbrecht about the experience of Mennonite, Hutterite, and
Doukhobor immigrants to BC. Difference and fear can also be seen most vividly in current conversations about mental health and economics and how to help our most vulnerable neighbours. Racial difference, and its relationship to economics and power are the underlying themes in J.T. William’s article inside British Columbia History magazine is about how reserve boundaries for the Kwikwetlem people were shaped by Colonel Richard Moody and Stephen Atkins . However, looking at the world through someone else’s eyes does not always have to be a negative force, as Janet Nicol highlights in her article about artist Sybil Andrews. I wonder what would happen to our levels of empathy if we could all look at the news stories of today and replace some of the words with those from the past? Replace “robots are taking our jobs” with “power looms are taking our livelihood” or “Syrian refugees” with “displaced persons.” The similarities are obvious and, frankly, disturbing. Opening our eyes to difference through the study of history is so important, and linking the lessons of the past to the stories of today is fundamental to the well-being of our society.
Until next time,
Andrea Lister
Editor