Interview with Gwendolyn Morey (McCutcheon) Land
Audio by Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society
Interview between Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society’s Penny Lett and Gwendolyn Morey (McCutcheon) Land
Date: 1983
Location: Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack Museum and Archives, Add. Mss. 418
Penny Lett interviews former nurse Gwendolyn Morey (McCutcheon) Land and discusses Chinatowns in Chilliwack, the Masonic Hall, festivities and gifts, and funerals.
Transcript:
Lett
Can you tell me about Chinatown?
McCutcheon
Oh Chinatown was a thriving, interesting place in those days. Um, we were just less than a mile from there. And, the buildings were (unintelligible), they were high, narrow buildings and well I think, uh, there was a common wall between each dwelling, you might say.
Lett
So they were all sort of attached to each other?
McCutcheon
Yes, and on either side of the road, and then eventually a Masonic hall was built. And they had a grand opening, all the dignitaries from Chilliwack and the dragon dance and the whole bit. And oh, I mustn’t forget Christmas Day (unintelligible) day for the old fellow. He would come every Christmas morning just laden with some beautiful Chinese silk thing for mother, and he would have Chinese candies, lychee nuts, firecrackers galore, and just everything and we had a hilarious time on Christmas morning with all the fireworks and that.
Lett
And where would he have gotten these things?
McCutcheon
In Chinatown. They had them there at all times. And I remember attending a Chinese funeral one day, it was quite, it was quite, (unintelligible), they had paid mourners, and they put a huge roast pig on top of the grave and then they would scatter just reams of, of paper with holes punched in them.
Lett
What was that for?
McCutcheon
Apparently the Devil had to go through all these holes in all this paper, and by that time the spirit would have departed.
Lett
So he’d be safe from the devil.
McCutcheon
Yes.
Lett
Isn’t that interesting. Well, can you tell me about the fire in Chinatown?
McCutcheon
No, I was away at that time. It was a real Chinese community at that time.
Lett
And they had their own sidewalks too didn’t they?
McCutcheon
Yes, yes.
Lett
And these would be, um… (Lett is cut off)
McCutcheon
Lots of dogs and cats around. I’d leave there were times; I’d leave when they used to eat the odd fat cat. And they ate suckers, and catfish, and all those things out of the, the river, the Chilliwack River beside them, which were just adjacent to Chinatown where (unintelligible) sits now.