Colourful abstract illustration with overlapping organic shapes and patterns

Cultural redress

The cultural redress team works with communities to acknowledge and address the impacts of past City of Vancouver actions, policies, and regulations that resulted in the exclusion and discrimination of racialized communities

This work focuses on recognizing historic harms and addressing the ongoing impacts of discrimination, displacement, and cultural erasure.

Cultural redress areas
Cultural redress areas are places where Council has worked in partnership with communities on formal redress initiatives.

These areas include:
- Chinatown 温哥华唐人街
- Hogan’s Alley
- Paueru-gai (Powell Street) パウエル街
- Punjabi Market ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਮਾਰਿਕਟ

Official apologies

Apology to Japanese Canadians community

In 2013, Council issued a Formal Apology (29.5 KB) to the Japanese Canadian community for discrimination, dispossession, and internment during the Second World War.

Staff are engaged with local Japanese Canadians on their community-led collaborations and initiatives to recognize the history and heritage of Japanese Canadians through Paueru Gai (Powell Street), Hastings Park, and Kogawa House.
Apology to residents of Chinese descent

In April 2018, Council delivered a Formal Apology (40 KB) for past discrimination against residents of Chinese descent. The apology acknowledged the wrongdoings of past legislation, regulations, and policies of previous City Councils.

Staff are working with community on the implementation of the Chinatown Cultural District Framework (9 MB).
Apology for Guru Nanak Jahaz (Komagata Maru) tragedy
Apology to the Italian Canadian community

In 2022, Council formally apologized for injustices experienced by Italian Canadians during the Second World War.

Following the federal government’s declaration of war against Italy in 1940, certain Italian men were designated as ‘enemy aliens.’ As a result, nearly 36 men in Vancouver were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to prisoners-of-war interment camps, despite there being no proof of wrongdoing.