Permanent Komagata Maru Place street signs installed at Canada Place Way

Komagata Maru Place signs at Canada Place Way. (City of Vancouver)

A number of colourful “Komagata Maru Place” street signs can now be found along Canada Place Way in downtown Vancouver.

The newly installed permanent signs honour the Komagata Maru racial incident that took place in Coal Harbour in 1914, when over 300 passengers of Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu origin, mainly from British India, were prevented from disembarking in Vancouver due to government discrimination.

After two months of waiting in Coal Harbour, the Japanese ship carrying all of the passengers was forced to return to India, where at least 19 passengers were killed by British soldiers upon the ship’s return.

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To commemorate the incident, Canada Place Way now has a secondary, honorary name, and the newly installed prominent street signs designed by local artist Jag Nagra. There are also storyboards affixed to lampposts to provide passersby with the ability to learn more about the historical incident and the artwork.

komagata maru place canada place way vancouver

Komagata Maru Place signs at Canada Place Way. (City of Vancouver)

This secondary, honorary name and the permanent street signs were approved by Vancouver City Council in May 2023.

“It was an honour to gather with members from South Asian Canadian communities this morning at Komagata Maru Place to reflect on this tragic chapter of our shared history. As a City, we are committed to learning from the past and building a more inclusive future,” said Mayor Ken Sim in a statement today.

Nagra added, “Being able to share our community’s stories through art is something that’s so important to me and it’s an immense honour to have had the opportunity to create artworks for Komagata Maru Place. My aim was to reflect the plight of the passengers and to humanize their stories, struggles, and the discriminatory practices they faced.”

Unveiling the Komagata Maru Place sign today, in recognition of the tragedy that occurred in 1914 when the ship and its passengers were refused entry into our nation.

This is more than a sign, it’s a tangible reminder that symbolizes the lives lost and affected due to… pic.twitter.com/EnrfJhtSNl

— Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) February 10, 2024

Komagata Maru Place signs at Canada Place Way. (City of Vancouver)

The new installations along Canada Place Way are in addition to the nearby 2012-built major Komagata Maru memorial at the eastern end of Harbour Green Park.

Over the past two decades, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments have made various formal apologies for their historic role in the Komagata Maru incident and created initiatives to allow communities to acknowledge and honour the incident and its victims.

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