The Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 was enacted on July 1, 1923. Section 18 of the Act required that ALL Chinese in Canada would have to register between the period of July 1, 1923 and June 30, 1924. The Act also stopped immigration of Chinese to Canada until it was repealed in 1947.
On June 30, 1924 a Chinese Immigration form 44 (C.I. 44) recorded "MAH FUNG GUN" at the "PUBLIC HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE ... NEW WESTMINSTER B C". The form indicates MAH FUNG GUN was a 17 year old Female, born in Victoria, BC. "This patient was admitted to the Mental Hospital November 27, 1923. Daughter of TONG SHEE-625 Herold St., Victoria, B.C." The registrar signed the form "F. W. Taylor", Title "Immigration Inspector". Place and date "New Westminster, June 30th, 1924".
MAH FUNG GUN's C.I. 44 form is among a series of 9 sequentially numbered C.I. 44 forms, who were all residents of the Hospital. All were dated June 30th, 1924 which was the last day of the period mandated in Section 18 of the Act.
A search of the Royal BC Museum Genealogy records showed MAH FUNG GUN's death was recorded
---cut-here---
Registration No. Registration No 1925-09-353604
GSU Mfilm Number: 1927304
Died on 1925-09-01
Place New Westminster,
Age 18
Person Fung Gun Mah
---cut-here---
I will add some of this detail to MAH FUNG SUN's FindAGrave Memorial. I or another interested researcher will have to visit the Vancouver Public Library to look up the record on microfilm at a future date to record any relevant information. It's possible it may record Miss MAH's actual birthdate, name of parent[s], medical information, etc.
Thank you for your note about your search for your uncle’s grave. I understand your frustration. I created the new survey of the former woodlands cemetery and the interactive cemetery google map enabled website almost 20 years ago as part of a public art project/exhibition. I have been supporting this public art project for the past 20 years.
Being able to find coordinates for individual grave sites is still helpful. If you can get hold of a handheld GPS finder you can enter the coordinates available on the website next to your uncles name and then use it at the cemetery to locate your missing grave. The new handheld GPS devices are quite accurate and not overly expensive. I have included a screen shot of the map as you requested it clearly shows plot 9 in block 17. Also places it in an accurate relationship with the architectural features and the trees on the site.
Hope this helps you with your search for your uncle. Please keep us posted on your progress and of your effort to place a proper marker at the grave.
The land on which the cemetery lies (Woodlands Memorial Gardens) is owned by the provincial government and the ministry responsible is Citizen' Services. You could try contacting the Real Property Division as a start.
I too have a great uncle buried there and wish to lay a headstone for him.
I tried to find who could help me get a headstone for my uncle in 2021, but I was just shuffled around from one government agency to the next. City of New West could not even help me. Did you ever find out how to get a headstone there? I would really like to know.
I would like to visit the memorial garden and find the exact spot where my uncle is buried. His name was Gordon Scarlett. He died in 1937 at 6 years old. I have his plot # from this website, but when I clicked on the map that shows the exact location, the page won’t load because of “too many redirects”. The “full cemetery map”. He is buried in plot 9, block 17. Do you have access to this map? I would like to see a screen shot of where he is in the cemetery.
Ellen Harriett Smith (nee Moodie) was born July 16th 1883 in Manitoba to Alfred Moodie and Sophia Grace Moodie (nee Smith). Ellen grew up in Carmen Manitoba on the family farm. She married Arthur Smith in Winnipeg Manitoba Sep 9, 1908. Ellen had five children. She lived in Carmen Manitoba, Dauphin Manitoba, Humboldt Saskatchewan, Lucerne BC and Kamloops BC. Ellen and her family made Kamloops BC their permanent home in the mid 1920's.
She passed away in Essondale (Riverview) Dec 20, 1943. She had been a widow for three years prior to her death.
Hi my name is Shane Louie and I have a relative who married a William McNeil in 1919 and her name was Agnes Louis but probably spelled Louie. shane.louie@hotmail.com
Thank you for the work that has gone in to creating a compassionate memorial to those who lived and died in institutions.
I am the great great granddaughter of George Polden, who is buried at Woodlands along with his wife, Jessie, who died as Essondale 10 years prior to him.
Their existence was kept a secret. My grandfather didn't speak of our family history and took anything he knew to his grave. George and Jessie were his grandparents, but he would never know them. They died at Essondale before he was born. My heart aches for them and somehow feels like a piece that's been missing has finally been found. I'm sorry it took us so long, George. And I'm so thankful I now know where to visit you.
Frederick George Polden (George) was a pioneer who immigrated to Canada at the young age of 20 with his wife and infant daughter, Rose. They arrived in Quebec City and moved west, having three sons along the way. Their youngest son, Charles Arthur Polden (Charlie), is my great grandfather.
George enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force as part of the 1st Canadian Pioneer Battalion. He was a carpenter. The unit fug and built the trenches on the front lines of WWI. It isn't known if Jessie was admitted to Essondale before he returned home, and if so, what happened to their four children. Charles was 5 or 6 when his father went to war. He was 10 when his mother died. George died ten years later, also at Essondale.
Charles had one biological son, Arthur Charles Polden (Art), my grandfather. His children are Dean Arthur Polden and Lisa. Dean had two children, Brianna (myself) and Jarrett Charles Polden.
Rest in peace, George. May your memory never again be forgotten.
The comments made about your great grandmother break my heart. My great great grandfather and grandmother are buried at Woodlands. They were a secret my family kept for 3 generations which I recently uncovered. I visited their final resting place here just yesterday and am still processing what happened to them and so many like them, although I do not know why they ended up at Essondale.
The generational trauma really stands out to me. My father isn't a part of my life, and his father took this family history with him to his grave, never uttering a word about his dad or his grandparents. The son of my great great grandparents who died at Essondale was likely left an orphan. I imagine this began a long and poorly understood chain of trauma and absent fathers in my family.
If there ever is a support group for the descendents, I am absolutely eager to be a part of it.
Sending strength and with you in solidarity.
May your great grandmother's memory be remembered with compassion.
My great grandfather left New Brunswick and headed west leaving behind my great grandmother and my grandfather. How he ended up here is covered in a shroud of mystery. I do know my great grandmother was notified of his death but my grandfather refused to bring his body home.
The Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 was enacted on July 1, 1923. Section 18 of the Act required that ALL Chinese in Canada would have to register between the period of July 1, 1923 and June 30, 1924. The Act also stopped immigration of Chinese to Canada until it was repealed in 1947.
On June 30, 1924 a Chinese Immigration form 44 (C.I. 44) recorded "MAH FUNG GUN" at the "PUBLIC HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE ... NEW WESTMINSTER B C". The form indicates MAH FUNG GUN was a 17 year old Female, born in Victoria, BC. "This patient was admitted to the Mental Hospital November 27, 1923. Daughter of TONG SHEE-625 Herold St., Victoria, B.C." The registrar signed the form "F. W. Taylor", Title "Immigration Inspector". Place and date "New Westminster, June 30th, 1924".
MAH FUNG GUN's C.I. 44 form is among a series of 9 sequentially numbered C.I. 44 forms, who were all residents of the Hospital. All were dated June 30th, 1924 which was the last day of the period mandated in Section 18 of the Act.
A search of the Royal BC Museum Genealogy records showed MAH FUNG GUN's death was recorded
---cut-here---
Registration No. Registration No 1925-09-353604
GSU Mfilm Number: 1927304
Died on 1925-09-01
Place New Westminster,
Age 18
Person Fung Gun Mah
---cut-here---
I will add some of this detail to MAH FUNG SUN's FindAGrave Memorial. I or another interested researcher will have to visit the Vancouver Public Library to look up the record on microfilm at a future date to record any relevant information. It's possible it may record Miss MAH's actual birthdate, name of parent[s], medical information, etc.
hi Leah
Thank you for your note about your search for your uncle’s grave. I understand your frustration. I created the new survey of the former woodlands cemetery and the interactive cemetery google map enabled website almost 20 years ago as part of a public art project/exhibition. I have been supporting this public art project for the past 20 years.
Being able to find coordinates for individual grave sites is still helpful. If you can get hold of a handheld GPS finder you can enter the coordinates available on the website next to your uncles name and then use it at the cemetery to locate your missing grave. The new handheld GPS devices are quite accurate and not overly expensive. I have included a screen shot of the map as you requested it clearly shows plot 9 in block 17. Also places it in an accurate relationship with the architectural features and the trees on the site.
Hope this helps you with your search for your uncle. Please keep us posted on your progress and of your effort to place a proper marker at the grave.
Cheers!
MdeC
Site Administrator
Screenshot 2024-11-06 at 4.16.33 PM.png
The land on which the cemetery lies (Woodlands Memorial Gardens) is owned by the provincial government and the ministry responsible is Citizen' Services. You could try contacting the Real Property Division as a start.
I too have a great uncle buried there and wish to lay a headstone for him.
I tried to find who could help me get a headstone for my uncle in 2021, but I was just shuffled around from one government agency to the next. City of New West could not even help me. Did you ever find out how to get a headstone there? I would really like to know.
Hello,
I would like to visit the memorial garden and find the exact spot where my uncle is buried. His name was Gordon Scarlett. He died in 1937 at 6 years old. I have his plot # from this website, but when I clicked on the map that shows the exact location, the page won’t load because of “too many redirects”. The “full cemetery map”. He is buried in plot 9, block 17. Do you have access to this map? I would like to see a screen shot of where he is in the cemetery.
Thank you,
Leah Shuler
Ellen Harriett Smith (nee Moodie) was born July 16th 1883 in Manitoba to Alfred Moodie and Sophia Grace Moodie (nee Smith). Ellen grew up in Carmen Manitoba on the family farm. She married Arthur Smith in Winnipeg Manitoba Sep 9, 1908. Ellen had five children. She lived in Carmen Manitoba, Dauphin Manitoba, Humboldt Saskatchewan, Lucerne BC and Kamloops BC. Ellen and her family made Kamloops BC their permanent home in the mid 1920's.
She passed away in Essondale (Riverview) Dec 20, 1943. She had been a widow for three years prior to her death.
Hi my name is Shane Louie and I have a relative who married a William McNeil in 1919 and her name was Agnes Louis but probably spelled Louie. shane.louie@hotmail.com
Thank you for the work that has gone in to creating a compassionate memorial to those who lived and died in institutions.
I am the great great granddaughter of George Polden, who is buried at Woodlands along with his wife, Jessie, who died as Essondale 10 years prior to him.
Their existence was kept a secret. My grandfather didn't speak of our family history and took anything he knew to his grave. George and Jessie were his grandparents, but he would never know them. They died at Essondale before he was born. My heart aches for them and somehow feels like a piece that's been missing has finally been found. I'm sorry it took us so long, George. And I'm so thankful I now know where to visit you.
Frederick George Polden (George) was a pioneer who immigrated to Canada at the young age of 20 with his wife and infant daughter, Rose. They arrived in Quebec City and moved west, having three sons along the way. Their youngest son, Charles Arthur Polden (Charlie), is my great grandfather.
George enlisted in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force as part of the 1st Canadian Pioneer Battalion. He was a carpenter. The unit fug and built the trenches on the front lines of WWI. It isn't known if Jessie was admitted to Essondale before he returned home, and if so, what happened to their four children. Charles was 5 or 6 when his father went to war. He was 10 when his mother died. George died ten years later, also at Essondale.
Charles had one biological son, Arthur Charles Polden (Art), my grandfather. His children are Dean Arthur Polden and Lisa. Dean had two children, Brianna (myself) and Jarrett Charles Polden.
Rest in peace, George. May your memory never again be forgotten.
Michael,
The comments made about your great grandmother break my heart. My great great grandfather and grandmother are buried at Woodlands. They were a secret my family kept for 3 generations which I recently uncovered. I visited their final resting place here just yesterday and am still processing what happened to them and so many like them, although I do not know why they ended up at Essondale.
The generational trauma really stands out to me. My father isn't a part of my life, and his father took this family history with him to his grave, never uttering a word about his dad or his grandparents. The son of my great great grandparents who died at Essondale was likely left an orphan. I imagine this began a long and poorly understood chain of trauma and absent fathers in my family.
If there ever is a support group for the descendents, I am absolutely eager to be a part of it.
Sending strength and with you in solidarity.
May your great grandmother's memory be remembered with compassion.
My great grandfather left New Brunswick and headed west leaving behind my great grandmother and my grandfather. How he ended up here is covered in a shroud of mystery. I do know my great grandmother was notified of his death but my grandfather refused to bring his body home.
Pages