Mr. Lau - Kamloops, BC - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Within the cemetery is a Chinese pagoda styled gazebo, within which are several informational signs telling us of aspects of the Chinese community, the cemetery, and individuals who are buried here.

The cemetery was begun in the 1860s, with the first interments being those of Chinese miners who died in the Kamloops area. Later, when the CPR's transcontinental line was being built through this area in the mid 1880s, thousands of Chinese railroad workers lived in the area, many drifting elsewhere after the completion of the railway. Many, however, remained in the area and are the ancestors of much of the present Chinese community in Kamloops. Every year the Ching Ming Festival is still performed out of respect for those buried in this cemetery.

The cemetery itself is now a British Columbia Heritage Site.

Mr. Lau

Mr. Lau, a laundry owner in Kamloops for many years, was buried in the Kamloops Chinese Cemetery. After his death his wife and family moved to the United States, where Mrs. Lau eventually died. Mr. Lau's grandson wanted to move his grandfather's remains to Sacramento, California to be reburied beside his wife. Before coming to Kamloops, the grandson had a dream. His grandfather came to him in this dream and told him that he did not wish to be moved. He liked it where he was.

When Mr. Lau's grandson arrived in Kamloops he recognized the cemetery as the one he had seen in his dream. He said he could now understand why his grandfather felt at peace in these surroundings, because the view of the river and the mountains was so beautiful.
Mr. Lau continues to lie at rest in this cemetery.
From the sign