New Westminster ferry terminals to be renamed in honour of victims of Komagata Maru incident

More than a century after the KomagataMaruarrivedcarrying hundreds of South Asian immigrants who were forbidden to step foot in British Columbia,New Westminster city council has passed a motion to rename the city's ferry docks in memory of thehardships endured by those on board.

The Japanese steamship was chartered by wealthy Sikh businessman Gurdit Singh, who was then living in Hong Kong, and its passage was a direct challenge to Canada's racially discriminatory immigration rules.

When it arrived In Vancouver in May 1914, the ship was immediately met by immigration officials who refused to let its passengers, most of whom were Sikhs, disembark.

Although the vessel was detained in Vancouver, New Westminster council has voted unanimouslyto rename the city's ferryterminals to commemorate the incident.

The terminals of the city's Q to Q ferry, which carries passengers across the Fraser River between Queensborough and the New Westminster Quay, are symbolic because they represent access to the land that was denied, according to council documents.

"We are very happy," said Raj Singh Toor,vice-president of the Descendents of the Komagata Maru Society, speaking Tuesday on CBC'sThe Early Edition,about Monday's council decision.

Apainful past

The society consists of 15 families all over Canada who are direct descendants of the passengers,Toor's grandfather among them.

After being refused by the Canadian government, theKomagata Maruwasforced to return to India andwas met by British soldiers. Twentypassengers were killedand others jailed following an ensuing riot. Toor's grandfather spent five years in prison.

"A very, very painful, very hard time," said Toor, adding that passengers sometimes went up to three days while anchored off the coast without access to food or water.

Toorfirst asked the city to recognize the Komagata Maruincident in 2019. In October of that year, he shared his grandfather's story with council and asked for a park or street or something civic to be named inmemory of the passengers'sordeal.

Toortold CBC that after he spoke, council agreed to look into whether the New Westminster South Asian community helped support the ship's passengers and said if this proved to be the case, action would be taken.

On Monday, staff reported back its research founda man,Met Singh, who lived in New Westminster in 1914 and may have belonged to The ShoreCommittee a group of B.C. residents that organized to support Komagata Maru passengers through fundraising efforts, legal services and the provision of food and water.

His name is similar to Mitt Singh Pandori, a member of the committee who was known to have worked at a lumber mill in New Westminster but it's not known yet whether they were the same person.

However, it was enough proof for staff to recommend council consider naming the ferry docks and the motion passed unanimously.

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An exact date has not yet been setfor the renaming. Toor says thegesture means a lot to him.

"It's agreat reminder for New Westminster residents ... how we can learn from the past to create a better British Columbia."

LISTEN | Raj Singh Toortalks about what it means to have the city of New Westminstercommemorate the Komagata Maru incident: