Excerpt from the Daily Colonist newspaper, published on March 1, 1887.

February 24, 1887, arsonists burned down laundries during an anti-Chinese riot in Vancouver, marking one of Canada's earliest and most significant large-scale expressions of racial hostility faced by Chinese immigrants. This event occurred amidst a climate of economic anxiety and discriminatory policies, such as the recently imposed Head Tax, targeting Chinese labourers who were often scapegoated. The riot not only resulted in significant property damage but also terrorized the Chinese community, highlighting their extreme vulnerability and the lack of protection. It underscored the intense anti-Chinese sentiment in British Columbia, contributing to further exclusionary measures and leaving a lasting scar on the community, demonstrating the harsh realities faced by early Chinese settlers in Canada.