BC accused of repeating historical mistakes with New Westminster Secondary replacement plan
Posted June 9, 2016 6:51 am.
Last Updated June 9, 2016 7:21 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS 1130) – An activist is calling on the BC government not to repeat historical mistakes.
He’s angry about plans to build a new New Westminster Secondary School right next to its current location, where an old cemetery once sat.
“At that time, the racism was so bad, we were not just segregated during life, but also segregated after death,” says Bill Chu with Canadians for Reconciliation, who tells us he’s stunned by the province’s decision, given the fact the site was included on a new list of Chinese historical sites.
“It’s not as if there’s no scientific test done on the site,” he says. “In fact, they have done so many ground penetration tests on the site, they probably know exactly how many burials are there now. In the thousands. They know that.”
He’s putting the blame squarely on Education Minister Mike Bernier.
“He is doing exactly what an education minister should not be doing. He’s setting a terrible example for the kids — for the next generation — to say that it’s okay to desecrate a decommissioned cemetery,” Chu argues.
“If we understand that piece of history, then we realize how much more is needed to follow up with reconciliation at this point, rather than try to destroy something and try to repeat the same historical mistakes they have done.”
The province has said in the past that despite the designation, the site is not under any heritage protection.
