MEDIA ADVISORY - June 29, 2006

Walk for Redress to Mark Chinese Head Tax/Exclusion on Canada Day:  
Still Humiliation Day Without Appropriate Redress to Head Tax Families

Vancouver, BC – The BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants 
will mark July 1 - Canada Day – with a Walk for Redress.  The Conservative 
government’s June 22 unilaterally imposed redress package ignored and rejected 
calls from head tax families for a just and honourable settlement. The BC 
Coalition calls on the federal government to commit to complete the two stage 
framework presented by redress groups to Canadian Heritage Minister and 
Beverley Oda and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Jason 
Kenney at a March 24, 2006 consultation in Toronto.   

Date:   Saturday, July 1, 2006 – Canada Day
Time:   11:00am call time – walk to begin shortly after
Place:  Courtyard in front of Sun Yat-Sen Gardens
        50 East Pender, Vancouver

The two stage framework calls for an apology and as well as urgent appropriate 
redress to surviving head tax payers and spouses. This was completed June 22, 
2006. The second step is appropriate redress to head tax families without 
surviving tax payer or spouse to be completed by July 1, 2007, the 60th 
anniversary of the Chinese receiving the federal vote and 100th of the Chinatown 
race riots in Vancouver.

The BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants are today’s 
Chinese Canadians. We are from different ages, from all walks of life, 
all having one thing in common. They or someone in their family paid the 
head tax.
 
We are neighbours, friends and family who have endured journeys of 
hardship, sacrifice and suffering due to the effects of more than six decades 
(62-years) of racial discrimination specifically targeted at the Chinese in 
Canada. We welcome all Canadians to join us in this quest for justice and honour 
for our Chinese adventurers and pioneers and their families. 

- 30-