Cumberland BC: The Cumberlander Articles Section
Chinatown · 8th October 2009
Editor, with permission.
Originally published by Comox Valley Record
October 06, 2009 3:00 PM
An important record of Cumberland’s history has returned to the village.
The original deed for the Chinese Cemetery was donated to the Cumberland Museum and Archives last week by descendants of the men it was sold to over 100 years ago.
“The Cumberland museum is very happy to have this important piece of local history in its collection to ensure its preservation for the future,” said Frank Carter, chair of the museum board.
The deed outlines the two acres of land that the Dunsmuir Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Company sold to Lai Yuen, Quong Me Lung and Tai On for $40 to be used as a graveyard for the village’s Chinese residents. It was signed by James Dunsmuir.
Low Hock Shun was called Lai Yuen after the name of his business — local residents John Leung, Joyce Leung and May Gee are his grandchildren.
The deed is dated Sept. 21, 1897 — but it was never registered officially with the province, so ownership of the land still legally rests with the railway.
Shirley Tong, another grandchild of Low Hock Shun who lives in Port Coquitlam, had the deed and gave it to John Leung for donation to the museum. The donation was witnessed by Ken Lowe of Vancouver, Low Hock Shun’s youngest son.
John then brought it to the museum, where archive and collections manager Wendy Fried accepted it.
October 06, 2009 3:00 PM
An important record of Cumberland’s history has returned to the village.
The original deed for the Chinese Cemetery was donated to the Cumberland Museum and Archives last week by descendants of the men it was sold to over 100 years ago.
“The Cumberland museum is very happy to have this important piece of local history in its collection to ensure its preservation for the future,” said Frank Carter, chair of the museum board.
The deed outlines the two acres of land that the Dunsmuir Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Company sold to Lai Yuen, Quong Me Lung and Tai On for $40 to be used as a graveyard for the village’s Chinese residents. It was signed by James Dunsmuir.
Low Hock Shun was called Lai Yuen after the name of his business — local residents John Leung, Joyce Leung and May Gee are his grandchildren.
The deed is dated Sept. 21, 1897 — but it was never registered officially with the province, so ownership of the land still legally rests with the railway.
Shirley Tong, another grandchild of Low Hock Shun who lives in Port Coquitlam, had the deed and gave it to John Leung for donation to the museum. The donation was witnessed by Ken Lowe of Vancouver, Low Hock Shun’s youngest son.
John then brought it to the museum, where archive and collections manager Wendy Fried accepted it.
Michelle Peters and Wendy Fried accept the original deed for the Cumberland Chinese cemetery from John Leung. Photo by May Gee