As the dark storm clouds of the Chinese Exclusion Act1 descended upon the Chinese community in 1923, they ignited an incredible drama: a story of love, loss, conflict and two sensational, headline-grabbing courtroom dramas. At the centre of this storm was a middle-aged Chinese logger, a diminutive, 26-year-old Chinese woman, and three Canadian-born children.
The logger, Wong Boo Chow, had arrived in Canada in 1912 and laboured in the boom-and-bust forest industry on Vancouver Island. He left behind in China a wife and child, whom he continued to support.
On July 1, 1923, Canada’s Chinese Exclusion Act went into effect and barred all new immigration from China. Now, with no hope of ever bringing his family to Canada, Wong Boo Chow dedicated himself to securing his future in his adopted…
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British Columbia History (Digital) - 1 Issue, 57.4 Winter 2024