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British Columbia Premier Christy Clark rose in that province’s Legislative Building in Victoria yesterday and apologized for a stream of racist laws and policies that began to be introduced almost a century and a half ago to control and exploit Chinese immigration.

“While the governments which passed these laws and polices acted in a manner that was lawful at the time, today this racist discrimination is seen by British Columbians – represented by all members in this Legislative Assembly – as unacceptable and intolerable,” Ms. Clark told the Legislature.

“We believe this formal apology is required to ensure that closure can be reached on this dark period in our province’s history,” she said, adding that all parties in the Legislature acknowledged “the hardship and suffering our past provincial governments imposed on Chinese Canadians.”

It’s about time someone apologized.