Recap of Canada Day “THE WALL” Installation

Celebrating a day of uniting communities and encouraging reconciliation

On July 1st, 2023, the Burnaby Village Museum hosted Burnaby's Official Canada Day celebrations offering multicultural family entertainment, musicians, displays, and activities. As part of the City of Burnaby’s effort to address past injustices, they supported us in presenting "The Wall", a public art installation commemorating the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923. This remarkable project, created by artists Yi Chen and Muchen in collaboration with us at NAFVan, served as a powerful tribute to Chinese Canadians who faced decades of discrimination in this country, while also promoting unity and healing in our community.

As part of the Canada Day events and activities, the installation was met with speeches from Canadian elected officials and members of the indigenous community, as well as traditional indigenous dances. The event also acknowledged Canada’s history of discrimination against people of indigenous descent.

The event was a huge success, with approximately 7000 people showing up to see the installation and participate in the festivities. Attendees were moved by the powerful symbolism of the ice wall, which represented the barriers erected against the Chinese community. As the ice melted, it served as a metaphor for a brighter future and the dismantling of discriminatory barriers.

The installation was a great opportunity for attendees to reflect on the importance of personal responsibility and active participation in driving societal transformation. It was a reminder that acknowledging past injustices is essential to cultivating a deeper understanding and healing within our community.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers, supporters, and everyone involved in making this event a huge success.

Thank you to our supporters, including The Burnaby Village Museum for hosting us, The City of Burnaby for their part in leading reconciliation, and FEIART group for presenting the installation.

We would also like to express our deep gratitude to our volunteers who took the time to assist us in carrying out the installation and providing education and guidance to visitors of the event.

Thank you to our sponsor M&Z Wealth Management for helping make this event possible.

Together, we have created a profoundly moving artistic tribute to the Chinese Canadian community and have contributed to the development of a more inclusive and respectful society.

We look forward to continuing the impact of this project by hosting variations of this installation in different cities around Canada.

For those who missed the event, we encourage you to visit our Instagram or www.nafvan.com/thewall for further details and updates.

We will be releasing a special film made about the installation shortly, so keep an eye on our social media and website.