Chinese Head Tax Payer in Winnipeg Receives Redress
WINNIPEG, December 1, 2006 - The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Justice, Attorney General of Canada, and Member of Parliament (Provencher) is pleased to announce that a Winnipeg resident who paid the Chinese Head Tax will receive a $20,000 cheque."I am proud that Canada's new Government is continuing to fulfill its commitment to Chinese Head Tax payers by providing these symbolic payments," said Minister Toews.
"With the delivery of ex-gratia payments to living Head Tax payers, we are taking one more step toward recognizing past experiences and hardships and to contributing to healing in the Chinese Canadian community," said the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women.
On October 20, 2006, Minister Oda participated in a ceremony in Vancouver to present the first ex-gratia payments. These payments follow from the official apology to Chinese Canadians for imposition of the Head Tax, made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on June 22, 2006, on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Details are being worked out for the application process for symbolic payments for living persons who were in a conjugal relationship with a Head-Tax payer who is now deceased.
The Head Tax was imposed on Chinese immigrants entering Canada from 1885 to 1923. Similar legislation existed in the Dominion of Newfoundland, which imposed a Head Tax on Chinese immigrants from 1906 to 1949, before joining Confederation.
Information:
Chisholm Pothier
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
819 997-7788
Mark Quinlan
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice
613 992-4621
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