Episode Two: Smoke and Shadows: Victoria's Chinatown and Opium Trade

In today's episode we'll explore Victoria's Chinatown, which is the oldest surviving in Canada and its connection to the opium trade from the late 1800s.

Podcast links and further reading: 

• Yee, Paul (2005). Chinatown: An Illustrated History of the Chinese Communities of Victoria. James Lorimer & Company. ISBN 1-55028-842-3.
• "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
• [1] Archived 18 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
•  "Victoria's Chinatown". University of Victoria. University of Victoria. Archived from the original on 3 September 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
•  Chinatown History – Communities In B.C. – Bc Archives Time Machine Archived 18 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Bcarchives.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
• "Moore Paterson Architects". Archived from the original on 2 November 2005. Retrieved 21 March2008.
•  "HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca".
•  "Canada's Tentative List for World Heritage Sites at Parks Canada". Archived from the original on 24 February 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
•  UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Tentative Lists. Whc.unesco.org (27 June 2013). Retrieved 2013-07-12.
• Lai, Chuenyan David; Madoff, Pamela (1997). Building and rebuilding harmony : the gateway to Victoria's Chinatown. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria, Western Geographical Series. pp. 8-9. ISBN 0-919838-22-7. OCLC 35972690.

https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/time/galler02/frames/chinahist.htm?nodisclaimer=1

https://web.uvic.ca/lancenrd/AViewofVictoria/chinatown/chinatown.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.sfu.ca/chinese-canadian-history/victoria_chinatown_en.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://victoriachinatownmuseum.com/history/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/victoria-chinatown?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://web.uvic.ca/~hist66/vicvic/student/chinatown/opium/p3.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_Tan_Alley?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://amateurtraveler.com/victoria-bc-chinatown/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/willmore/wp-content/uploads/sites/5845/2021/01/lucrativetradev11.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/life/back-when-opium-use-rages-in-19th-century-port-townsend/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/ledain/nonmed4.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/rcmp-rrcmp-1940-eng.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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Transcript

Welcome to episode two of the Gaslight Chronicles, where we’ll dive into Victoria, British Columbia’s past when gas-powered streetlamps illuminated the city. I’m your host Megan Evans and in today’s episode we’ll explore how economic ambition, cultural resilience, and vice wove together to create an intriguing tale, the story of Victoria's Chinatown, born of gold fever and shaped by the opium trade! 

As a culture we seem to be fascinated by the idea of opium dens. I admit, there’s a certain romanticism to watching Johnny Depp smoking opium in the movie From Hell. But opium goes back further than that. The earliest unambiguous description of opium to which we have access was written in the third century B.C., although some scholars have cited references to opiate-like drugs dated more than 5,000 years ago. Many believe that Homer's 'Nepenthe' was opium. These drugs are obtained from the juice of the unripened seed pod of the opium poppy plant soon after the flower petals begin to fall - no other part of the plant produces psychoactive substances.

 Although 'opium eating' has been known in Asia for thousands of years, widespread use of the drug did not occur until the development of the British East India Company's wholesale opium empire in the 18th century. The practice of smoking opium developed in China soon after American tobacco was introduced to the Orient. Chinese prohibition of the British opium precipitated the 'opium war' in which the world's greatest naval power forced China to open its door to the British (opium) trade. In 1805, the major active constituent in opium was isolated - an alkaloid given the name morphine, after the Greek God of Dreams, Morpheus. 

The book Confessions of an Opium Eater, written in 1821 by Thomas De Quincy, is an autobiographical account of his experiences with opium. Sections of the book include: The Pleasures of Opium, which discusses the early and largely positive phase of the author's experience with the drug, from 1804 until 1812 and The Pains of Opium, which recounts the extreme of the author's opium experience (up to that time), with insomnia, nightmares, frightening visions, and difficult physical symptoms.

 A century and a half later the American journalist and author, Hunter Thompson spoke of opium in the book Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail 1972, he wrote: “I feel The Fear coming on, and the only cure for that is to chew up a fat black wad of blood-opium about the size of a young meatball and then call a cab for a fast run down to that strip of X-film houses on 14th Street…peel back the brain, let the opium take hold, and get locked into serious pornography.” Although it was widely understood that Hunter Thompson himself could not handle the effects of opium in real life and that is saying something.

 The concept of opium has also been parodied. In Steven Coogan’s show Dr. Terrible’s House of Horrible, in the Frenzy of Tongs episode, a tale of opium, revenge and crabs, the character Nathan Blaze smokes it claiming, “it has absolutely no effect on me, I just like the taste.” Then comes The Simpsons in Treehouse of Horror 15, in the segment Four Beheadings and a Funeral, yes, the one where Ralph makes opee-os. I could go on for hours about opium and cultural references that contribute to this vast ocean of a topic.

But I’m here to reflect on how it relates to Victoria, British Columbia’s past. In fact, I was surprised, if not shocked at some of the information I found, definitely nothing I learned in school, despite being born in Victoria. Social studies never covered any of this…

 Victoria’s Chinatown was the first built in Canada and began amid the Fraser River Gold Rush and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In June 1858, wealthy San Francisco merchants purchased land on Johnson Street and Cormorant Street, where Centennial Square is today. Wooden huts were constructed to house laborers from San Francisco and China. Many workers were sent to the goldfields and went to work on constructing trails and wagon roads that lead to the BC interior, while tradesmen, such as tailors and cobblers remained, providing services. Soon Chinese people started working in factories and laundries, became cooks, worked in the logging industry, canneries, operated market gardens and became domestic servants. By 1862, Fort Victoria became the City of Victoria with a population of 5,000, which included 300 Chinese residents.

Victoria’s Chinatown often captured the imagination of many Western people, believing Chinatown was a “Forbidden City” full of mysterious alleyways, trapdoors and underground passages. However, to the Chinese, Chinatown was home, it was a residential neighborhood; it was a bustling commercial district, with shops, restaurants, herbal medicine stores, and various services catering to the Chinese community. Over time, the area expanded and became a center of Chinese culture and activity in the region. 

Opium played a significant role in the development of Chinatown and the economic life of the Chinese community in Victoria during the mid-1800s. The opium trade flourished in the 1860s, driven by local demand. At this stage, opium was completely legal. Trade remained largely unregulated until 1865, when licenses and duties were introduced. This prompted smuggling as Canada had a lower duty of $5/lb compared to the US which was $10/lb. This made Victoria the perfect re-export hub. Opium dens operated openly and in fact, Victoria was home to one of the first opium factories in North America established in the 1870s, where raw opium was processed from Asia. Opium was once British Columbia’s third-largest export to the United States, after coal and furs. In fact, by the late 1880s, 13 factories were operating in Chinatown, producing nearly 90,000 lbs of opium.

I think it’s important to point out that at this time, opium and opium product usage was common and considered socially acceptable. Derivatives such as laudanum and morphine were prescribed regularly to women for menstrual cramps (little wonder that in the US in the late 1800s, 60% of opiate addicts were white, middle-class women!). In addition, opiates were given in general to those with nervous conditions, body aches and teething babies. It wasn’t viewed as vice, but as the societal norm. Opium was used recreationally alongside alcohol. There absolutely were white patrons in Chinatown opium dens such Euro-Canadians and Americans. The growing visibility of opium use among whites and heaven forbid-women, alarmed authorities.

An excerpt from “This Lucrative Trade” Opium Smuggling and Factories in British Columbia, 1863-1908, curated by Chris Willmore.

 “Under Alcohol and Opium (February, 1884) 

In the 1880s, opium was seen by many to be similar to alcohol: a potentially harmful, but legal, recreational drug. What set opium apart was its connection to Chinese trade and culture. These perspectives are displayed in the following snippet from a debate in the B.C. Legislative Assembly, read by my creative collaborator Gary O'Connor.

 “Mr. T. Davie in moving the second reading of a bill entitled ‘An Act to Prevent the Use of Opium Except in Certain Cases,’ said the habit of opium consumption was a vice that was rapidly growing upon many white youths of the town, and apart from its connection with Chinese, the drug was far more pernicious in its effects than intoxicating liquors. The revenue derived from the sale of opium amounted to $2500 annually. The principle of the bill was to prevent the use of this subtle drug except for medicinal and surgical purposes.

“Mr. Dunsmuir had no objection to support the bill if the use of whiskey, beer and tobacco was likewise prohibited. (Laughter in the house) People who used these articles, knew what they were about, and the consequences were on their own heads.

“Hon. Mr. Drake was afraid that the question of constitutionality might arise. Opium was recognized in the Dominion tariff as a merchantable drug, but this act proposed to punish all in whose possession opium should be found. He did not think the bill would be found to work unless it was materially altered.

“Mr. T. Davie said that upon consideration it would not perhaps be wise to pass the bill this session, as several constitutional points had been lost sight of when framing it, which would require to be remedied. He would therefore, with the leave of the house, withdraw the bill.”

Victoria’s Chinatown served as both sanctuary and community hub for Chinese immigrants. Organizations like the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association was founded in 1884 and became a critical cultural and political advocate—providing schooling, welfare, and activism. By 1886, Victoria’s Chinatown spanned over four city blocks and continued to grow. By the early 1900s, stretched across six blocks, housing virtually all the Victoria’s 3000 thousand Chinese residents. The district included more than 150 businesses, opium parlors, gambling dens, brothels, three Chinese schools, a hospital, theaters, community organizations, and temples. Fan Tan Alley—once known for opium dens—became infamous as North America’s narrowest commercial street.

The first federal opium restriction came in 1895, when the government made it illegal to sell opium for non-medicinal use. Medicinal opiates like laudanum or morphine were still widely available through pharmacies. To reiterate, opium consumption was not confined to the Chinese community, white Victorians-men and women, especially in the working and seafaring classes, also smoked and consumed opium products.

The first restriction came as a response to growing moral panic, anti-Chinese sentiment and concerns over social order. Many white Canadians, including labor groups felt threatened by Asian workers, accusing them of taking jobs and driving down wages, this fueled the formation of the Asiatic Exclusion League, a group that formed in 1907, modeled after similar movements in the United States.

On September 7, 1907, the Asiatic Exclusion League held a rally at Vancouver City Hall, where up to 9,000 people gathered, after fiery speeches, they marched through the streets, attacking homes and businesses in Chinatown and Japantown. Rioters destroyed storefronts causing tens of thousands of dollars in property damage. Residents were also threatened. No one was killed, but there were many injuries and communities were deeply shaken.

The Canadian Government sent the Deputy Minister of Labour, William Lyon Mackenzie King to investigate. His inquiry confirmed the damage and recommended compensation for Chinese and Japanese merchants. While acknowledging the economic importance of immigrants, the racist attitudes of the era shined through, therefore some businesses only received partial compensation. 

 This leads us to some of Canada’s immigration policies that were introduced. There was a “Gentlemen’s Agreement” in 1908 with Japan, limiting Japanese immigration. Also, the “Continuous Journey Regulation” of the same year, which restricted South Asian immigration, mainly aimed at Indians, who were British subjects at the time up until 1947. During Deputy Minister King’s investigation, he acknowledged the use of opium in Vancouver’s Chinatown, which directly influenced the creation of the Opium Act of 1908, the first anti-drug law in Canada.

Now that opium was illegal that did not curb its usage and drove the trade underground. Legitimate Chinese merchants were shut down, but small-scale illegal opium dens and smuggling rings emerged. Smuggling from China and the US was common, and Victoria’s port served as a key entry point. Police began raiding opium dens, making public arrests which portrayed Chinese residents as criminals, fueling xenophobia. These disruptions only deepened the division between Victoria’s Chinese residents and the white population.

Drug laws eventually expanded and by 1911, morphine, cocaine and cannabis were illegal. The Royal Northwest Mounted Police (later the RCMP) targeted suspected traffickers and focused disproportionally on Chinese communities. The expanded laws also made simple possession illegal, creating a new class of offenders. Victoria’s Chinese community became a target for drug enforcement propaganda, painting the Chinese as corrupting white society, despite evidence that white users made up a growing share of the market. By the 1930s the opium trade largely vanished, replaced by newer drug laws and a change in social habits. However, the long-term stigma from decades of criminalization remained in Victoria’s Chinese community.

Victoria’s Chinatown did not “heal” overnight — the healing process took many decades and the key ingredients included:

• Strong community institutions providing mutual aid and preserving culture
• Legal reforms, civil rights, and immigration policy shifts
• Physical restoration and heritage conservation giving space dignity and visibility
• Public acknowledgement and commemoration of past injustice

In 1979, Victoria’s City Council introduced a Chinatown rehabilitation program. The city painted and cleaned the buildings, improved sidewalks, and planted ornamentals. It installed Chinese-style lamp posts and bilingual street signs. The city also built an iconic Chinese arch, a care facility, and subsidized housing. In 1983, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the district. In 1995, Canada’s Historic Sites and Monuments Board designated Chinatown a site of national and architectural significance.

Growing up, when family visited from England, Chinatown was always on our to-go list and we’d spend the afternoon browsing the beautiful trinket shops and curiosities that seemed to go on for miles and miles. And of course, we’d buy White Rabbit candy (which is addictive by the way) and stop to take photos at the iconic Gate of Harmonious Interest. So, if you’ve never been to Victoria’s Chinatown, I highly recommend it, it is more than a neighborhood—it’s the oldest surviving Chinatown in Canada and the only one in North America to retain its 19th century townscape.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Gaslight Chronicles where we dove into the history of Victoria’s Chinatown and the opium trade. We only really scratched the surface, so if you’d like more information, links to materials can be found in the podcast notes. And if you enjoyed our exploration into Victoria’s history, consider rating and reviewing our podcast and subscribing for more hidden stories from Western Canada. Until next time, stay curious, Vancouver Island!  

Gaslight Chronicles was written and narrated by Megan Evans. Produced and edited by Megan Evans. Executive producer Gary O’Connor. Additional voices by Gary O’Connor. Music included Sweat Peas by Arthur Benson and When Pigs Fly by Mike Franklyn courtesy of Epidemic Sound. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you found us. Reviews are key to keeping Gaslight Chronicles on the charts so people can find the show. Thank you so much!