I would like to begin by acknowledging the hard work done by many of my colleagues that
has brought us to this historic moment here today.
From my own caucus, I thank the Members from Surrey-Newton and Winnipeg North
for their tireless advocacy. They have petitioned the Canadian government for years to make
the apology that we will make today. I thank them for their commitment to this cause.
From the Opposition benches, special mention must be made of the Members from Calgary Heritage,
Calgary Midnapore and the former Member for Surrey North. Each deserves recognition for
the work they have done to seek resolution for victims and their families.
As do the many organizations that have sought the same, in particular, the Professor Mohan
Singh Memorial Foundation.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in this House to offer an apology on behalf of the Government
of Canada, for our role in the Komagata Maru incident.
[Applause]
More than a century ago, a great injustice took place.
On May 23, 1914, a steamship sailed into Burrard Inlet in Vancouver. On board were 376 passengers
of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu origin.
Those passengers, like millions of immigrants to Canada before and since, came seeking better
lives for their families. Greater opportunities. A chance to contribute to their new home.
Those passengers chose Canada. When they arrived here, they were rejected.
They were rejected because, at the time, the Government of Canada had passed legislation
on uninterrupted direct passage. In other words, people who travelled directly to Canada
alone were authorized to land in Canada.
This measure prevented or would prevent people from far off lands like India from coming
to Canada because at the time it was impossible to come directly without having a stop over
somewhere along the way.
When the Komagata Maru arrived in Canada, only a few passengers were allowed to disembark.
Under the legislation, the boat and its passengers were forced to turn around and leave.
Members of the community attempted to convince authorities to revisit their decision, but
they wouldn’t.
And on July 23, 1914 – two months after their arrival – the Komagata Maru and its passengers
were escorted from the port by the Canadian Army. They were forced to return to India.
19 passengers were killed and several others were jailed.
Canada does not bear alone the responsibility for every tragic mistake that
occurred with the Komagata Maru and its passengers.
But Canada’s government was, without question, responsible for the laws that prevented these
passengers from immigrating peacefully and securely.
For that, and for every regrettable consequence that followed, we are sorry.
[Applause]
For that, and for every regrettable consequence that followed, we are sorry and we offer our
most sincere apologies.
I apologize, first and foremost, to the victims of the incident.
No words can erase the pain and suffering they experienced. Regrettably, the passage
of time means that none are alive to hear our apology today.
Still, we offer it, fully and sincerely.
For our indifference to your plight.
For our failure to recognize all that you had to offer.
For the laws that discriminated against you, so senselessly.
And for not apologizing sooner.
For all these things, we are truly sorry.
I also wish to apologize to the descendants of the passengers of the Komagata Maru, including
those who are here with us today.
We can never know what your lives would have been like had your relatives been welcomed
to Canada.
The ways in which your lives would have been different.
The ways in which Canada would have been enriched.
Those possibilities are lost to history.
And for that – and to you – we apologize.
Just as we apologize for past wrongs, so too must we commit ourselves to positive action
– to learning from the mistakes of the past, and to making sure that we never repeat them.
That is the unique promise and potential of Canada.
We believe that everyone deserves a genuine chance to succeed – regardless of who they
are, where they’re from. Every day, the Canadian Southeast Asian community is an example
of that success and our success.
We believe, we know that diversity is a strength. We are strong not in spite of our differences,
but indeed because of them.
And we believe in the values enshrined in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including
multiculturalism.
Mr. Speaker, before I finish, I would like to acknowledge one more Member who has helped
to bring the Komagata Maru incident to our national attention – our Minister of National
Defence.
[Applause]
In an interesting historical note, before entering political life, the Minister was
the commanding officer of the British Columbia regiment Duke of Connaught’s Own – the
very same regiment that once forced out the Komagata Maru.
A century ago, the Minister’s family might well have been turned away from Canada. Today,
the Minister is an essential member of this government and sits here in this House.
[Applause]
Sits in this house, in a House that includes immigrants. That includes the daughters and
sons – and granddaughters and grandsons – of immigrants.
The very makeup of this House should remind us all that when we have the choice between
opening our arms to those in need or closing our hearts to them, we must always choose
the more compassionate path.
When we see injustice, we must speak up, and attempt to make things right.
When we make mistakes, we must apologize, and recommit ourselves to doing better.
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a country unlike any other. We are all blessed to call it home.
Let us always endeavour to do better, and to be better.
Let us do that in honour of the victims of the Komagata Maru incident, and in honour
of every courageous person who leaves behind family and familiar things, to bring to Canada
the very best of who they are.
Thank you.
[Applause]