物以類聚，人以群分。這是對自然界和人類社會的高度概括。222年來，超過121萬華僑華人在加拿大勞動、生活和繁衍，在不同時期和不同地域建立和發展自己的社會團體（簡稱社團），以對付種族歧視，聯絡民族情感，爲謀求經濟、政治權益和弘揚中華文化等作出巨大貢獻。有鑒於此，本人擬就加拿大華僑華人社團的建立和發展作一探索，以就正於廣大華僑華人。

　　一、1862-1922年，華僑華人社團的建立時期

　　最早來加拿大温哥華地區淘金和築路的廣東人，均是一般體力勞工大衆。他們人地兩生、語言不通和水土不服，很自然聚集在一個小地域内生活。爲了在加拿大勞動、生活以及對付種族歧視，1862年，在不列顛哥倫比亞省（今通稱卑詩省）的淘金重地巴克維利（Barkeville），從美國三藩市北來的黄深貴發起組織建立一個小社團，名曰美國洪門會分支加拿大洪順堂。後來，美國的洪門會統一稱爲致公堂，所以黄深貴在加拿大建立的洪順堂也改稱爲致公堂。

　　接着，來自美國西雅圖的致公堂友林立晃、趙喜、葉惠伯、李佐和陳躍等人於1876年在維多利亞建立致公分堂。當時，參加致公堂者絶大多數是廣東四邑（臺山、新會、開平、恩平縣）人。可以説致公堂是中國人在加拿大建立的第一個社團，而且是屬於秘密性組織。按照上述致公堂的章程目的，其管理職責主要有三：管理華僑居住社區的民政事務；管理社區内的民事刑事糾紛；管理社區的經濟事務。

　　到了1872年，來自廣東梅縣等地區的客家人在温哥華礦區建立了一個社團，名曰人和堂。至1880年左右，廣東人建立的社團已有10個。後來，在城市居住經商的華人覺得致公堂、人和堂等社團不能滿足各個階層華僑華人實際利益的需求，因此於1884年3月，由維多利亞的商人聯合簽名上書時任中國駐舊金山總領事黄遵憲（廣東梅縣人），請求他以總領事名義出面倡議在加拿大建立一個能够包容各個階層華僑華人的統一的社團，以對付種族歧視和維護共同利益。1884年6月，黄遵憲派遣黄錫銓到維多利亞發動所有華僑華人共同建立了一個統一的社團，名曰中華會館。

　　中華會館通過的章程共有37條，對會館的宗旨、組織形式、作用等都有明確的規定。中華會館是第一個統一的社區性的正式社團，自建立到20世紀，它在團結華僑華人、反對種族歧視、謀取和維護經濟政治權益、弘揚中華文化等方面都做出了巨大的貢獻。

　　二、1906-1947年，華僑華人社團初步發展時期

　　二十世紀初期，中華會館不斷發展，1906-1919年，在温哥華、蒙特利爾、温尼伯、多倫多、京士頓先後建立了中華會館。與此同時，由於華僑華人日益增多，爲了互相關照和發展，早在1903年起，來自同一個縣、一個宗族或一個行業的華僑華人，紛紛各自建立宗親堂所、行業協會、政治聯盟和文化團體等。其中以地域和宗親社團占多數，説明華僑華人的社團是以地緣和血緣爲紐帶建立起來的。這樣的社團成員，有着共同的語言、生活習慣而很容易團聚在一起，聯絡鄉情和親情，互相幫助，互相關照，爲各個成員謀得正當的權益，以保護大家在加拿大异國勞動生活的穩定和幸福。

　　三、1947-2009年，華僑華人社團蓬勃發展時期

　　1947年加拿大聯邦政府廢除《華人移民法》，實施新移民法，允準入籍加拿大的公民申請妻子及未滿18歲的子女移民，1953年又允準未滿21歲的子女及60歲以上的母親和65歲以上的父親來加團聚，以及1980年以後允準技術人員移民加拿大，加上土生華人的不斷增長等原因，華僑華人迅速增加，從1961年的58197人劇增至1996年的736015人，再增至2008年的1216537人。於是華僑華人的社團亦蓬勃發展，大部分設立在多倫多、維多利亞、温哥華、蒙特利爾和卡加利等大中城市，其特點是地域性社團、行業性社團、土生華人社團、文化社團、慈善社團大量增加，宗親性社團日漸消失。

　　爲了發揮各社團的社會功能，在廣大華僑華人的推動下，自1975-1993年曾舉行過四次全加華僑華人社團代表大會，並於1992年5月16日在温哥華召開的第四次代表大會上，一致通過决議，决定成立全加華僑華人聯合會，以便有效加强衆多社團的聯繫，更好地爲華僑華人服務。

　　爲了争取華僑華人合法權益，1980年4月，王裕佳醫生領頭創辦了全加拿大華人協進會（Chinese Canadian National Council For Equality，俗稱平權會）。本着“致力推動華人社區之團結，積極匯入加拿大主流社會，並參與三級政府的各項對華人有關的决策”的宗旨，於1984年發起聲勢浩大的要求聯邦政府平反華人人頭税運動。經過20多年的堅持鬥争，最終，總理哈珀（Steven Harper）於2006年6月22日在國會山莊向國會報告，承認人頭税和排華法案是嚴重的不公與種族歧視，並代表加拿大政府向受害的華僑華人做正式的“加拿大道歉”。

　　總之，自1858年首個華人社團形成以來，至今已151年。廣大華僑華人把各種社團當作自己的大家庭，並在這些社團的愛護、關懷和幫助下，在加拿大勞動、生活和繁衍，爲今天加拿大發展成爲發達國家和多倫多成爲世界十大經濟最富裕的城市做出了巨大貢獻，功不可没。

　　（編者按：因版面所限，本文有所删减，完整版請登陸平權會多倫多分會網站www.ccnctoronto.ca查看，又全文翻譯爲英文如下。）
　　（原載《話説唐人街》，加拿大多藝傳媒出版公司2010年版）

　　The Establishment and Development of Overseas Chinese Associations in Canada

　　Birds of a feather flock together. This is a very brief summary of the natural world and human society. For 222 years, more than 1.21 million overseas Chinese have been working and living in Canada. They set up and developed their own associations that played a significant role in combating racial discrimination, maintained history and kinship, gained economic and political rights for their members and promoted Chinese culture. Considering that, I am going to explore the establishment and development of Chinese Canadian associations in order to provide reference information for overseas Chinese in Canada.

　　　I.The Establishment Period of Chinese-Canadian Associations （1862-1922）

　　The first Chinese who came to Vancouver to mine gold and build railways were mostly general laborers. Facing a new land, language barriers, and unacclimatization, they naturally gathered together in a small region. In 1862, in order to work, live and fight against racial discrimination in Canada, Shengui Huang from San Francisco U.S., set up a small association called Canadian Hong Shun Tong, which was a branch of the Chinese Freemasons of America in the gold-mining region of Barkeville, British Columbia （BC）. Later the Chinese Freemasons of America was renamed as Chee Kong Tong. So Hong Shun Tong set up by Shengui Huang was changed to Chee Kong Tong as well.

　　Then in 1876, Lihuang Lin, Xi Zhao, Huibo Ye, Zuo Li and Yue Chen etc. established a chapter of the Chee Kong Tong in Victoria. At that time, those who joined Chee Kong Tong were mostly from the four counties of Guangdong Province （i.e. Taishan county, Xinhui county, Kaiping county, Enping county）. It can be said that Chee Kong Tong was the first association set up by overseas Chinese in Canada, and it was also a secret organization. Based on the aim of their bylaws, Chee Kong Tong had the following responsibilities: to administrate the civil affairs of Chinese Canadian communities; to deal with the civil and criminal disputes within Chinese Canadian communities; and to manage the financial affairs of Chinese Canadian communities.

　　In 1872, the Hakka people from Mei county of Guangdong province established an association named Yan Wo Benevolent Association in the mining regions in Vancouver. By 1880, the number of associations founded by Cantonese was more than ten. Later, the Chinese merchants living in urban areas thought that some associations such as Yan Wo Benevolent Association and Chee Kong Tong could no longer meet the needs of Chinese Canadians. Therefore, in March 1884 the merchants in Victoria wrote a letter to Zunxian Huang （from Mei county of Guangdong province）, Consul General of Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco, requesting him to propose the establishment of a united association which could include Chinese Canadians at all levels in order to fight against racial discrimination and maintain common benefits. In June, Xiquan Huang, who was sent to Victoria by Zunxian Huang, mobilized all overseas Chinese to establish a unified body called Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.

　　There were a total of 37 bylaws, indicating the specific goal, structure and role of the association. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association is the first formal unified association for the Chinese Canadian communities. From its fouding to the 20th century, it has made tremendous contributions in uniting Chinese Canadians to fight against racial discrimination, gain and maintain both economic and political rights and benefits for overseas Chinese and promote Chinese culture.

　　II.The Initial Development Period of Chinese-Canadian Associations （1906-1947）

　　In the early twentieth Association developed continuously. From 1906 through 1919, Chinese Benevolent Associations were established in Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg, Toronto and Kingston. Meanwhile, since 1903 the Chinese Canadians from the same counties, clans or trades were establishing their own clan-type associations based on their trades, political alliances and cultural communities as a result of the increasing number of Chinese-Canadians who longed for mutual care and development. Among these associations, those reflecting local communities from China and clan type ones were in majority, indicating that Chinese Canadian Associations were predominantly established based on kinship and geography. Sharing the same language and life styles these community members easily gathered together to maintain history and kinship, to help and care for each other, to gain reasonable rights for themselves and to protect their daily work and life in Canada.

　　III.The Vigorous Development Period of Chinese-Canadian Associations（1947-2009）

　　In 1947, the Federal Government of Canada abolished “the Chinese Immigration Act”, implementing a new immigration law that permitted overseas Chinese who had become Canadian citizens to apply for family reunionification with their wives and children under 18 years of age. In 1953, children under 21, father over 65 years of age and mother over 60 were allowed to join their families in Canada. After 1980, skilled workers were allowed to immigrate to Canada as well. Immigiation and Canadian born Chinese, The Chinese community has been growing quickly, due to immigration and Canandian born Chinese. The population of overseas Chinese in Canada increased sharply from 58,197 in 1961 to 736,015 in 1996 and once again increased to 1,216,537 in 2008. Accordingly, Chinese Canadian associations developed vigorously. These associations were mostly located in metropolitan areas such as Toronto, Victoria, Vancouer, Montreal and Calgary. The characteristic of these associations is that regional, professional, native born Chinese Canadian, cultural and benevolent associations were increasing rapidly whereas clan type societies were disappearing day by day.

　　In order to further exert the social functions of various societies, driven by overseas Chinese, four Congresses of Canada Overseas Chinese Associations were held during the years 1975-1993. In the Congress held on 16th May, 1992, a resolution to establish a National Congress of Chinese Canadians was passed unanimously in order to better strengthen the relationship among associations and better serve all overseas Chinese in Canada.

　　For the rights and benefits of Chinese Canadians, Doctor Joseph Wong founded the Chinese Canadian National Council for Equality （CCNC） in April 1980. Based on the mission to strengthen the union of Chinese Canadian communities, to actively integrate into mainstream Canadian society, and to get involved in the various decision-making processes at all three levels of Government related to Chinese Canadians, the organization launched the influential Chinese head tax redress campaign in 1984. After consistent effort of over 20 years, Prime Minister Steven Harper finally submitted a report to Parliament Hill, admitting that the Chinese head tax and Chinese Exclusion Act were examples of injustice and racial discrimination. He made a formal apology to those Chinese Canadian victims on behalf of the Canadian government on June 22, 2006.

　　In conclusion, since the first Chinese Canadian community was formed in 1858, 151 years have passed. Chinese Canadians regard these associations as part of their own families. They have been working, living and breeding under the love, care and help of these families, making great contributions to Canadas development as a country and Tornto as one of the top 10 most economically prosperous cities in the world.

　　（原載My Chinatown, Published by Toart Communicatons Ltd, 2010）