Eyes in the crowd were wet with tears as Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley apologized to Chinese Canadian families during a special city council meeting Saturday.

The mayor called the official meeting to allow members of the community to see their councillors unanimously pass a motion to repeal three discriminatory bylaws. It’s been four years since city staff discovered these inactive policies and began working towards a process of repealing them. The outdated bylaws prohibit the city from employing Chinese and Japanese workers. They also place restrictions on land ownership and voting rights for people of Chinese descent.

“Please accept our appreciation for the contributions your parents and grandparents made to our community and their efforts for change,” Hurley said.

“Our actions made life

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