‘Heartbreaking’ destruction of Chinese-Canadian heritage, as heatwave inferno consumes museum
- The Lytton Chinese History Museum and its 1,600 artefacts were claimed by the deadly fire that razed the British Columbia village last week
- The rural museum was a testament to the rich Chinese history of the region – and the dedication of the lay historian who owned the award-winning facility
For three consecutive days last week, amid a baking heatwave in British Columbia, the inland township of Lytton shattered Canada’s temperature record, topping out at 49.6 degrees Celsius (121.3 degrees Fahrenheit).
On the fourth day, June 30, the village burned to the ground.
The inferno claimed at least two lives, nearly every building in Lytton – and a precious collection of Chinese-Canadian heritage.
One of the things that a place like Lytton does is remind us of the connections and the impact of Chinese Canadians, all across the country
The destruction of the Lytton Chinese History Museum and its 1,600 artefacts documenting the lives of the region’s Chinese miners, rail workers and others, was an “incredibly heartbreaking loss”, said Sarah Ling, president of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia (CCHSBC).
The museum’s “vivid and impressive” collection was a testament to both the rich Chinese history of the region and the dedication of Lorna Fandrich, the museum’s executive director, owner and lay historian, Ling said.
“One of the things that a place like Lytton does is remind us of the connections and the impact of Chinese Canadians, all across the country, in these small towns,” said Ling, a regular visitor to the museum, about 150km northeast of Vancouver.
