Shameful and racist: Trudeau on the Komagata Maru incident
Calling it racist and shameful, the prime minister issued a statement Monday on the anniversary of one of Canada's darker historical chapters.
Monday marks the 108th anniversary of the Komagata Maru incident, which led to the deaths of more than a dozen people.
The Komagata Maru was a steamship that brought 376 Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus of South Asian origin to Vancouver.
These people hoped to settle in Canada, but instead were turned away "due to the racist and discriminatory laws of the time," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
They were detained on the ship for months, and were denied access to food, water and health care. The case went through the court system, and the ship was turned back to India.
Once there, 19 people were killed and many others were imprisoned.
"Today and every day, what happened more than a century ago serves as a reminder to all Canadians of the importance of treating each other with dignity and respect, fighting racism and discrimination in all its forms, and promoting equity and inclusion. We will continue to learn from the mistakes of our past to ensure they never happen again," Trudeau's statement said.
British Columbia Premier John Horgan also released a written statement on the anniversary, describing the attitude the passengers were met with as "hostility, prejudice and injustice."
He said those on the ship were students, labourers and former soldiers who wished to contribute once settled in Canada.
Both levels of government have previously issued apologies for their roles, as has the City of Vancouver.
"There is more work to do. How far we have come is a testament to the incredible resiliency in our province, including those who stand up to injustice and try to make B.C. safer and more equitable for everyone," Horgan said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.