Calgary Public Library

Trouble on Main Street, Mackenzie King, reason, race, and the 1907 Vancouver riots, by Julie F. Gilmour

eng

other

Trouble on Main Street

by Julie F. Gilmour

History of Canada

Mackenzie King, reason, race, and the 1907 Vancouver riots

The weather on September 7, 1907 was hot and tempers were short. British Columbians had always been sensitive to Asian immigration and had become increasingly fearful over the summer. The residents of Vancouver had established a bipartisan Asiatic Exclusion League aimed at Japanese, Chinese, and South Asian immigrants. The league had widespread support among trade union organizations and churches, and a parade during the Labour Day weekend was scheduled. The result was a violent riot that drew the world’s attention to Vancouver, to Canadian immigration policy, and to Britain’s 1902 alliance with the Japanese. This book traces the impact of these events on the life and work of future prime minister W.L. Mackenzie King, and on Canada’s relationships with Britain, the United States, China, Japan, and India. c2014

specialized