Collectivité

Chinese Nationalist League

192?-

In 1913, Moose Jaw is reported as having the largest Chinese population in Saskatchewan, primarily concentrated in the River Street area.

The Chinese Nationalist League was formed in support of the movement to replace the monarchical government of Qing or Manchu dynasty in China with a republic. The leading figure in this movement was Dr. Sun Yat Sen, who is seen as the founder of modern China. There were branches in most of the larger Chinese populations in Canada and the United States.
A number of unsuccessful uprisings occurred during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Following the successful Wuchang uprising in 1911 and the abdication of Emperor PuYi in 1912, there continued to be internal power struggles up to the victory of the communist elements over nationalist factions.

Branches of the Chinese Nationalist League are known to have been in Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and North Battleford.

The Moose Jaw branch operated from 37 or 39 River St. West [there are conflicting references] and 330 River St. West [this may just be the same location following changes to Moose Jaw’s building numbering system].

The League disappears from the Henderson Directories at the outset of World War II and reappears afterwards as the Chinese Nationalist Party. The Chinese National Party is listed in Henderson’s City Directory as being located at 112 River St. West from 1950 until 1963.
The League was briefly outlawed in 1918 under the War Measures Act as China was an ally of Britain and Canada and the Canadian government could not be seen as allowing a group to work against the government of China.

The numerous variations in name reflect changes within the group, changes to political factions in China and in many cases, just variation in translation to English.