New exhibit sheds light on the contributions and identities of early 1900s South Asian workers at Fraser Mills.
A new online exhibit from Coquitlam Archives reveals the under-represented community of South Asian millworkers at Fraser Mills in the early 1900s. Their names, previously unrecorded in other documentary sources, are now highlighted in this historical project.
Titled ‘Fraser Mills Logbook Illuminates South Asian Millworkers,’ the exhibit comes after three meters of newly processed textual records were analyzed, leading to insights on the workers’ identities. The exhibit includes the Fraser Mills Company accident logbook, images, and a names list available online at coquitlam.ca/FraserMillsLogbook.
The project follows a 2022 web exhibit from the City Archives which prompted further analysis by the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive. This collaborative effort aimed to delve deeper into the Fraser Mills accident logbook, which spanned records from 1912 to 1923.
Within the logbook, documentation of injuries such as bruised legs, cuts, fractures, and one death was found. This analysis confirmed that many workers were of South Asian origin, predominantly Punjabi and Sikh.
This collaboration between Coquitlam Archives and the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive provides evidence of a significant South Asian presence at Fraser Mills. Their contributions were previously unrecognized in archival resources like voters lists due to voting rights restrictions at the time.
The logbook, now accessible to a broader audience, allows further research into the South Asian pioneers at Fraser Mills. It also provides a linkage to other materials across Canada, opening new avenues for historical research.
This project exemplifies the evolving nature of archival records. Originally intended to document workplace incidents, these records now serve to reveal a vital chapter in the history of Fraser Mills and the diverse communities that resided and worked there.
It highlights the innovative ways archivists work to fill historical gaps concerning marginalized groups including women, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ2S+ community, and people of color, ensuring their stories are included in the historical narrative.
The Coquitlam Archives aims to preserve and make accessible its collection of records, enhancing public engagement with regional history. Further information about the archives can be found at coquitlam.ca/CityArchives.
For media inquiries, contact Jaime Sanford, Archivist, at archives@coquitlam.ca or 604-927-3900.
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam is derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word kʷikʷəƛ̓ əm, meaning “Red Fish Up the River,” and honor the traditional and ancestral lands of the kʷikʷəƛ̓ əm, including those historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ and other Coast Salish Peoples.