▁Gold ▁Mountain . ▁Starting ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁Chinese ▁" co ol ies " ▁were ▁brought ▁to ▁Canada ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁mines ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Pacific ▁Railway . ▁However , ▁they ▁were ▁denied ▁by ▁law ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁citizens hip , ▁including ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁" head ▁tax es " ▁were ▁implemented ▁to ▁cur tail ▁imm igration ▁from ▁China . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁a ▁ri ot ▁in ▁V ancouver ▁target ed ▁Chinese ▁and ▁Japanese - owned ▁business es . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁passed ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Im m igration ▁Act , ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Ex clusion ▁Act , ▁prohib iting ▁further ▁Chinese ▁imm igration ▁except ▁under ▁" special ▁circumstances ". ▁The ▁Ex clusion ▁Act ▁was ▁repe aled ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁in ▁which ▁Chinese ▁Canad ians ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote . ▁Rest rict ions ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁exist ▁on ▁imm igration ▁from ▁Asia ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁when ▁all ▁ra cial ▁restrictions ▁on ▁imm igration ▁to ▁Canada ▁were ▁repe aled , ▁and ▁Canada ▁adopted ▁the ▁current ▁points ▁based ▁imm igration ▁system . ▁On ▁June ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Stephen ▁Har per ▁offered ▁an ▁ap ology ▁and ▁compens ation ▁only ▁for ▁the ▁head ▁tax ▁once ▁paid ▁by ▁Chinese ▁imm igr ants . ▁Sur viv ors ▁or ▁their