Kelown华人史.之六：安息在先锋公墓的早期华人 Kelowna’s Chinese History, Part Six: Early Chinese Settlers at the Pioneer Cemetery.

作者：谭仁先

很多人可能不知道基洛纳最大的历史遗址竟然是位于Kelowna Memorial Park的先锋公墓（Kelowna’s largest historical site: the Pioneer Cemetery）。基洛纳纪念公园的公墓总占地 50 英亩，风景如画，位于迪尔沃斯山 (Dilworth Mountain) 山脚下。

Many people may not know that Kelowna’s largest historical site is the Pioneer Cemetery located in Kelowna Memorial Park. The cemetery in Kelowna Memorial Park covers a total area of 50 acres and is picturesque, situated at the foot of Dilworth Mountain.

其中先锋公墓区域拥有数百个墓地，埋葬着‘知名’和‘鲜为人知’的人们。知名的人物里面包括 Kelowna镇的创立人之一Bernard，商业街Bernard Ave就是以他命名的。也包括历史上的几任市长，和二战死亡的士兵。

The Pioneer Cemetery area contains hundreds of graves, resting both ‘well-known’ and ‘lesser-known’ individuals. Among the notable figures is Bernard, one of the founders of Kelowna, after whom Bernard Ave, the commercial street, is named. It also includes several historical mayors and soldiers who died in World War II.

但更多的古老坟墓是在华人区域，其中有名字和无名的先期华人（含日本人）墓碑多达几百块。这些华人大多是在19世纪80年代起陆续来到Kelowna的先期华人，很多人由于人头税等政府的各种歧视性政策，家人无法从国内来到身边，最后只能孤独的死去而无人祭奠。

However, more ancient graves are located in the Chinese area, where there are hundreds of tombstones for both named and unnamed early Chinese (including Japanese) individuals. Most of these Chinese were early migrants who gradually arrived in Kelowna starting in the 1880s. Many of them died lonely deaths without family to honor them due to discriminatory government policies, such as the head tax, which prevented their families from coming over from their homeland.

具体名单及信息可以通过 https://maps.kelowna.ca/public/cemeterymapviewer/ 按照姓名检索，包括名字，出生和离世日期等信息。累计埋葬数目由记录历史工作组整理中。埋葬的华人大多来自中国大陆台山。

The specific list and information can be retrieved by searching by name at https://maps.kelowna.ca/public/cemeterymapviewer/, including details such as first name, date of birth, and date of death. The total number of burials is being compiled by the Records Historical Working Group. Most of the buried Chinese individuals come from Taishan, mainland China.

期初先锋公墓的华人区域由Chinatown华人和华人社团维护，每年清明和重阳节都会进行扫墓祭拜。50年代，很多墓碑进行了重新更换。

The Chinese area of the Pioneer Cemetery is maintained by the Chinese community and associations in Chinatown, with tomb sweeping and worship conducted every year during the Qingming and Chongyang Festivals. In the 1950s, many gravestones were replaced.

2001 年和 2002 年，Kelowna市与中华文化协会（Chinese Cultural Society）、基洛纳日裔加拿大人协会和基洛纳佛寺合作，对先锋公墓进行了修复和加固。当时的中华文化协会的Ben Lee，Shi Lee ，Tun Wong 和Daivd Lai等人成立专门委员会并起到了主导性的作用。此前David Lai与 Doanld Luxton用了几年的时间制定了Kelowa公墓遗产保护计划。修复项目包括更换破损的墓碑和标记、安装岩石步道、清除不需要的植被、修复墓地以及建造一座东方建筑的怀旧凉亭，称为“永眠亭”。市政府为这个耗资 205,000 加币的项目捐助了 $105,000加币。通过不列颠哥伦比亚省 2000 年社区遗产补助计划和加拿大千年伙伴计划获得了 $80,000加币的省和联邦资金。剩余的 $20,000 加币由亚洲社区通过筹款活动提供。2015年Kelowna华人公墓被认定为华裔加拿大遗产项目。2016年12月3日刻有铭文的花岗岩石碑被安装在纪念公园公墓的先驱部分，这是全省15座纪念碑中的第一座。该纪念碑源于一份关于该省华人历史错误咨询的报告，该报告覆盖了华人社区过去所面临的不公正政策和现象，例如许多华人在 1881 年至 1884 年间修建加拿大太平洋铁路时面临的歧视性工作条件和工资，人头税和排华法案等等。碑文以反映2014年BC省政府承认过去犯下的历史性错误，并正式向加拿大华人道歉的实质性工作。那天是周六的上午，包括基洛纳华人社区的许多成员在内的数十人聚集在基洛纳纪念公园先锋公墓举行揭幕仪式。BC国际贸易部长兼亚太战略和多元文化事务部长屈特兰 ，基洛纳湖区省议员Norm Letnick，基洛纳共济会主席 Shui Lee等人出席活动。省政府为这些项目提供了10万加币的资金。活动流程包括由 Mar Jok 小学的学生表演的舞龙和洪门社团Shui Lee带领的焚香礼拜，以表达对已故华人祖先的敬意、为迟到的公义进行的道歉。BC国际贸易部长屈特兰 (Teresa Wat) 表示：“今天的活动提醒人们铭记那段黑暗时期，荣耀他们所取得的成就。” “让我们继续共同努力，消除种族主义和歧视，确保 BC 充满活力的多元文化历史上的这一可耻篇章不再重演。”

In 2001 and 2002, the City of Kelowna collaborated with the Chinese Cultural Society, the Kelowna Japanese Canadian Association, and the Kelowna Buddhist Temple to repair and reinforce the Pioneer Cemetery. Ben Lee, Shi Lee, Tun Wong, and David Lai from the Chinese Cultural Society at the time established a special committee and played a leading role. Previously, David Lai and Donald Luxton spent several years developing the Kelowna Cemetery Heritage Conservation Plan. The restoration project included replacing damaged tombstones and markers, installing rock pathways, clearing unwanted vegetation, restoring graves, and building a nostalgic pavilion in Eastern architectural style called the “Eternal Rest Pavilion.” The city government donated $105,000 towards this $205,000 project, with $80,000 in provincial and federal funding obtained through the British Columbia 2000 Community Heritage Grant Program and the Canadian Millennium Partnership Program. The remaining $20,000 was provided by the Asian community through fundraising efforts. In 2015, the Kelowna Chinese Cemetery was designated as a Chinese Canadian Heritage Project. On December 3, 2016, a commemorative granite stone inscribed with a message was installed in the Pioneer section of the Memorial Park Cemetery, marking it as the first of 15 such monuments in the province. This monument originated from a report on the historical injustices faced by the Chinese community in the province, covering discriminatory working conditions and wages, head taxes, and the Chinese Exclusion Act that many Chinese endured while building the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1881 to 1884. The inscription reflects the substantial efforts made in 2014 by the BC government to acknowledge the historical wrongs committed and to formally apologize to the Chinese Canadians. On that Saturday morning, dozens of attendees, including many members of the Kelowna Chinese community, gathered at the Kelowna Memorial Park Pioneer Cemetery for the unveiling ceremony. British Columbia’s Minister of International Trade and Minister of Asia-Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism, Teresa Wat, Kelowna Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick, and Kelowna Masonic Lodge President Shui Lee were among those present at the event. The provincial government provided $100,000 in funding for these projects. The event featured a dragon dance performed by students from Mar Jok Elementary School and an incense offering led by Shui Lee of the Hung Mun Society, paying tribute to the deceased Chinese ancestors and seeking justice that was long overdue. BC International Trade Minister Teresa Wat stated, “Today’s event serves as a reminder to remember that dark period and to honor their achievements. Let us continue to work together to eradicate racism and discrimination and ensure that this shameful chapter in British Columbia’s vibrant multicultural history never happens again.”

 “今天被铭记的许多华裔加拿大人都是种族主义法律和政策的受害者，这些法律和政策使他们与中国的家人永久分离——我的曾祖父就是其中之一，”Kelowna洪门社团主席 Shui Lee 说。“这座纪念碑纪念他们的遭遇和牺牲，并永久提醒人民早期华人对基洛纳和不列颠哥伦比亚省的贡献”

“Many Chinese Canadians who are remembered today are victims of racist laws and policies that permanently separated them from their families in China—my great-grandfather was one of them,” said Shui Lee, president of the Hmong Society of Kelowna. “This monument commemorates their suffering and sacrifices and serves as a lasting reminder to the people of the contributions of early Chinese immigrants to Kelowna and British Columbia.”

关于2014-2016年期间BC省政府就道歉的动议及后期和解安排等调研和征求意见等过程，将另外文记述。里面将体现 OCCA – 当时的华加协会，洪门Shui Lee，以及Tun Wong，Ben Lee，arthur Lo等人的贡献。

The research and consultation process regarding the motion of apology from the BC provincial government during the period of 2014-2016, as well as the subsequent reconciliation arrangements, will be documented in another text. It will reflect the contributions of OCCA – the Chinese Canadian Association at that time, Hung Mun Shui Lee, and individuals like Tun Wong, Ben Lee, and Arthur Lo.

公墓历史游览项目 Cemetery Historical Tour Project

每年加拿大全国范围的亚洲月活动期间，在Kelowna 博物馆的组织下，史学家鲍勃·海耶斯 (Bob Hayes) 都会牵头进行多主题的公墓游览讲解活动，其中主题之一就是纪念华人、日本人和印度人对社会的贡献。向与会者讲述了早期定居者的故事以及亚裔社区在基洛纳发展过程中所发挥的作用。

During the Asian Month activities across Canada each year, historian Bob Hayes leads a multi-themed cemetery tour organized by the Kelowna Museum, with one of the themes commemorating the contributions of Chinese, Japanese, and Indian individuals to society. Participants are told stories of early settlers and the role that the Asian community played in the development of Kelowna.

我们的倡议：Our Proposals:

1. 每年清明节，请前去鲜花扫墓祭奠；
2. 每年亚洲月，参加纪念性和知识性的游览活动；
3. 春节期间，请前来请年祭奠。

1. Every year during the Qingming Festival, please go to the cemetery to pay tribute with flowers;
2. Every year in the Asian month, participate in commemorative and educational tour activities;
3. During the Spring Festival, please come to pay tribute to the New Year.

附墓碑的全文：Full text on the tombstone:

“ 2014年5月15日，省长克里斯蒂·克拉克在不列颠哥伦比亚省维多利亚市提交了一项获得不列颠哥伦比亚省立法机关一致通过的动议，正式就针对BC省华裔社区的历史错误道歉。今天，我们为省政府在历史上所作出而当时被认为是恰当的行为，表达我们的悲痛和遗憾。通过这些法例和政策的政府当时的行为被认为是合法的，但是在今天，由省议会全体成员代表的卑诗省民所看到的这类种族歧视，是不可接受和不能容忍的。我们相信这个正式的道歉是必需的，以确保对本省历史上的黑暗时期作出了结 。今天省议会的道歉，标志著我们对过去省政府强加於加国华人的艰辛和苦楚所表达的最深切遗憾。省议会全体成员肯定，加国华人在我们的历史中，在受到历史上不公平和具歧视性的法例压迫时，以宽容和尊严展现的毅力。我们亦都肯定加国华人对卑诗省的文化、历史和经济繁荣所作出的重大贡献。我们谨代表卑诗省和省议会全体成员，诚挚地为省政府的历史错误道歉。我们为过去省政府制订的歧视性立法和种族歧视性政策而道歉。我们确保这将不会再发生。”

（In Victoria, British Columbia on May 15, 2014, Premier Christy Clark delivered a motion passed unanimously by the British Columbia legislature to officially apologize for historical wrongs against BC’s Chinese Canadian community. Today we express our sorrow and regret for historical provincial government practices that were once considered appropriate. While the governments which passed these laws and policies acted in a manner that were lawful at the time, today this racist discrimination is seen by British Columbians –represented by all members of the legislative assembly – as unacceptable and intolerable. We believe this formal apology is required to ensure that closure can be reached on this dark period in our province’s history. The legislative assembly’s apology today signifies our deepest regret for the hardship and suffering our past provincial governments imposed on Chinese Canadians. The entire legislative assembly acknowledges the perseverance of Chinese Canadians that was demonstrated with grace and dignity throughout our history while being oppressed by unfair and discriminatory historical laws. Moreover, we acknowledge the overwhelming contribution by Chinese Canadians to British Columbia’s culture, history and economic prosperity. On behalf of the Province of British Columbia, and on behalf of the entire legislative assembly, we sincerely apologize for the provincial government’s historical wrongs. We are sorry for the discriminatory legislation and racist policies enacted by past provincial governments. We will ensure that this never happens again.）

注：本文用于 kelowna华人历史记录工作组资料收集和线索整理阶段，以便后期使用。