McDougall Centre in Calgary held quite a crowd on May 1. Twenty
speakers addressed the board. Time and time again, those
requesting that the name be rescinded referred to simple and clear
evidence in a variety of dictionaries to demonstrate undeniably
that the term "Chinaman" is indeed defined as
"archaic and derogatory." The first to speak, Jon Huang,
proposed that "to eliminate this name is to strike at the
ignorance and bigotry of the past" and "get rid of a
longstanding collective racial slur." Theresa Woo-Paw,
president of the Calgary Chinese Canadian Association, Reverend
Janni Belgum of the United Church of Canada, and several
individuals, some of Chinese heritage, some not, echoed his plea.
Ken Watson had come to ask that the name remain as it was.
"This is part of our local history," he said. "It
was named by local people." Change it against their will and
"it gets changed back again," he added. Watson didn't
think the board should rescind the name-he himself had never
seen it as offensive. However, by the end of the meeting, he had
heard men and women relate personal experiences, memories of
taunts and insults involving the word "Chinaman." In
voices filled with emotion, they told of how they felt when the
word was directed at them and their families with disdain and
contempt. By the end of the two hour session, Watson rose again,
reflecting on his new understanding of how they must feel when
they see it on a map.
Kelly Charlebois, speaking on behalf of Education Minister Gary
Mar, traced the historical usage of the term. He stressed that
"neither longstanding use nor intention should allow it to be
used" when members of the Chinese community obviously find it
offensive. And he cited the historical precedent of changing
Nigger John Ridge to John Ware Ridge. Kate Gunn, executive
director of the Friends of Geographical Names of Alberta Society,
also noted that while "names.convey a sense of history and
continuity," each year across Canada, about 5,000
geographical names do change.
That evening, the board held another meeting, this time at the
Greenwood Inn in Canmore. Again, the majority of speakers lobbied
to change a name that "preserves a history of racism,"
to stop "perpetuating a dehumanizing name." Lise
Tissandier, 11 years old, was the youngest. She talked about her
Chinese friends and their families and said simply, "Chinaman
is not a respectful word."
On May 27, Community Development Minister Shirley McClellan
announced that the official name Chinaman's Peak would be
rescinded immediately due to overwhelming community concerns. Her
decision supported the recommendation by the Alberta Historical
Resources Foundation that the name be dropped, as many Albertans
do find it derogatory. The process to select a new name, involving
research and community input, began immediately.
Heritage Community Foundation Presents
