March

Born on June 17, 1923, in Vernon, BC, Larry Kwong (吳啟光) made history on March 13, 1948, by debuting for the New York Rangers, becoming the first Chinese Canadian and person of Asian descent to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Though his NHL appearance was brief—a single shift—it was a groundbreaking moment, challenging racial barriers in professional sports during an era of significant discrimination against Chinese Canadians and other minorities. Kwong, also known as the 'China Clipper' or 'King Kwong,' faced prejudice that limited his NHL opportunities despite a successful career in senior and minor professional leagues. His perseverance broke a significant colour barrier in hockey, paving the way for future generations of diverse athletes and becoming an inspirational figure for Chinese Canadians in sports.

One of British Columbia's oldest public burial grounds, Victoria's Ross Bay Cemetery first recorded a Chinese interment on 18 March 1873, when the grave was entered simply as “Chinaman No. 1.” Over the next several years, about twenty more Chinese burials appeared under similarly numbered entries (e.g. “Chinaman No. 2,” “No. 3,” etc.) in Block L, a race-segregated shoreline section where Chinese individuals were interred separate from white and Christian plots. Later on, winter storms eroded much of that waterfront, washing away graves. Before Ross Bay opened to Chinese burials, the Old Burying Ground at Quadra Street was used (now Pioneer Square). In 1903, the Chinese community purchased land later named Harling Point to establish BC's first exclusively Chinese cemetery. Between 1903 and 1908, many of the remaining Chinese graves were exhumed from Ross Bay and relocated to this new, more secure site.

March 24, 2005, Lillian Eva Quan Dyck (關麗蓮) made history as the first Canadian-born senator of Chinese descent and first First Nations woman appointed to the Senate. Her appointment was a landmark for Chinese and Indigenous representation in Canadian politics. Dyck (born 24 August 1945 in North Battleford, SK), a member of the Gordon First Nation and with Chinese heritage, is a respected neuroscientist and advocate. Throughout her senatorial career (until 2020), she championed issues related to Indigenous peoples, women's rights, and minority representation.

Roy Quock Quon Mah (馬國冠), born March 29, 1918, in Edmonton, Alberta, grew up in Victoria, BC. During WWII, he served as a sergeant in Force 136, preparing to lead an all-Chinese-Canadian guerrilla unit. After the war, he was instrumental in the campaign that successfully won voting rights for Chinese Canadians in 1947. From 1944 to 1946, Mah was a labour activist and organizer, successfully recruiting 2,500 Chinese Canadian mill workers into a union. In 1953, he founded Chinatown News (唐人街新聞), the first English-language publication for Canadian-born Chinese, which he edited and published, with the publication remaining active into the 1990s. As its long-time editor and publisher, Roy Mah became the face of Chinese journalism in Vancouver. Recognized for his lifelong contributions, he received the Order of British Columbia in 2003. Roy Mah passed away in 2007.