In connection with the University of Victoria’s History Department, Victoria: A City Goes to War is a database of digital microhistories on Victoria’s involvement in World War I – this project is one of many in the collection. This site has been made with the hope of exploring a contribution to the war effort not often included in popular histories, despite the large Chinese Canadian population in BC.
We would like to acknowledge that neither of the site’s authors speak any Chinese dialects and that we have done our best to maintain the respect and level of importance this topic deserves. Many of the sources available through the University of Victoria’s Archives, the Chinese Canadian Benevolent Association, and the Chinese Presbyterian Church are untranslated and, because of this, the authors have been unable to explore the full extent of local sources. Likewise, the time constraints of this project limited our outreach efforts to local organizations. As a final note, we have used some of the period’s discourse to show how people were talking about the issues we covered. When this terminology is used, it is enclosed in apostrophes to indicate that these are not our words, rather those of our sources.
For the complete list of sources and continued reading please see the References page.
About the Authors
Kate Riordon is an undergraduate student in the Department of History with a major in Canadian History in her final year of study. Born and raised in Alberta, this class has provided me with the opportunity to explore a topic not readily available in my home province. By being able to explore a topic new to me not only as a resident of Victoria but also a historian, I have gained a new appreciation for the sacrifices made in WWI and those whose stories have thus far gone untold.
Kate Siemens is a 5th year undergraduate student in the Department of History. From Vancouver Island, her historical interests span the globe with a focus on how BC’s history intersects with global currents in the 19th and 20th centuries. This was her first class on World War I, and she enjoyed learning how the war affected life in Victoria.