Claus Schunke passed away on April 5, 2019.
Claus made many contributions to our area, including getting KCR’s building on the register of Chinese Canadian historic places. In 2016, he successfully nominated Nelson’s former Chinatown as a provincial heritage site and organized the memorial stone that now sits at the corner of Vernon and Hall Streets containing an inscription acknowledging the significance of Chinese culture in Nelson’s history.
Schunke had lived in China and visited there annually.
KCR listeners may also remember him for his 16-part radio show in 2009 about the Chinese community in Nelson, “Chinese Feed”. Listen to the episodes listed below. Claus won a 2010 National Community Radio Award for his work.
Bill Metcalfe of the Nelson Star took this photo of Claus with Cameron Mah seated by the memorial stone in 2016.