Sanctuary in an Unwelcoming Land

Like the tracing board, this banner evokes a legendary temple, the Temple of Ko Kai, which features in the rituals of the Chee Kung Tong, or “Chinese Freemasons”. This secret society provided a variety of services to Chinese immigrants who faced racism and hardship in Canada. Library and Archives Canada and the Canadian Museum of History jointly preserve a collection of artifacts and documents recovered from the abandoned Chinese Freemasons’ Hall in Cumberland, BC, which illustrate the society’s role.

Accounting Records for the Second Fundraiser for the Vancouver Freemasons’ Property (translation)
Chinese Freemasons of Canada, about 1926
Ink on paper
© Library and Archives Canada, e011316507

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