[BCMA] DECLARING CHINATOWN “AN HISTORIC SITE OF CONSCIENCE” PROPOSED

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

*Victoria World Heritage Steering Group*

*MEDIA RELEASE*

*February 25, 2022*

            *DECLARING CHINATOWN “AN HISTORIC SITE OF CONSCIENCE” PROPOSED*



            The UNESCO Victoria World Heritage Project Steering Group is
marking *British Columbia Heritage Week* with the launch of the Project
website, *“THE VICTORIA HERITAGE OBSERVATORY”.*



https://victoriaworldheritage.org



                The Group, a coalition of local volunteers, is
investigating the feasibility of nominating Victoria for listing as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.



            One of the first “situation briefs” posted to the new site
suggests declaring Chinatown a historic “Site of Conscience”.



“Chinatown, as a place of contested memory, could be registered with
the *International
Coalition of Sites of Conscience*. This global network of historic sites,
museums and memory initiatives connects past struggles to today’s movements
for human rights.



“As such, Chinatown’s presence in Victoria’s Old Town, and its
interpretation, could promote reconciliation after deeply dividing events
by “turning the page”. Erasing the past can prevent new generations from
learning critical lessons. It can also compromise opportunities to build a
peaceful future”



            A major focus of the Group is examining the exclusionary nature
of Victoria’s standard heritage narrative. Only recently have we begun to
seriously recognize the role of First Peoples in the founding and early
development stories of the region.



            Two other papers released on the Observatory website explore
the significance of Victoria’s geological and natural habitat histories.



            Some thirty more Briefs are in preparation and planned for
release shortly.



            The intent of the *Observatory* is to monitor the state of
heritage conservation in Victoria, as well as track developments within the
Project itself.



            Other components of the website explain the nature of the
UNESCO nomination project. It also provides a list of resources to support
a re-examination of what heritage means to the local community. Another
feature is a “Dashboard” of significant facts on the region’s heritage
industries.



            “An eventual objective might be provision of a forum for
discussion on heritage topics of local critical interest” said Martin
Segger, the acting coordinator of the group.



                                                            -30-



*Martin Segger, Co-ordinator pro tem*, *Victoria World Heritage Steering
Group*        *Contact: msegger at uvic.ca <msegger at uvic.ca>*





We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional
territory we stand, and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose
historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
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