© SFU David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communication | All Rights Reserved
The Chinese Canadian History Project Council within the David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communication at Simon Fraser University has developed educational materials for use by schools, community organizations, new immigrants, and tourism to educate students, the Canadian public, and visitors to Canada about the contributions of Chinese Canadians, over more than two centuries, to the building of Canada.
The background to events leading up to this book began in the 1990s with the David Lam Centre cooperating with Chinese partners in the production of the historical documentary film, Canadian Steel, Chinese Grit, which was released in the year 2000. The film’s success led us to publish the first trilingual Brief Chronology of Chinese Canadian History, a large illustrated wall chart, updated in 2012 to cover 222 years of Chinese migration, segregation, integration and contributions in Canada. We thank Dr. David Chuenyan Lai, Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of Victoria and Adjunct Professor with SFU’s David Lam Centre, for his research and writing of the English text for the chart. Thanks also to Ms. Liang Xiaomei for translating the English text to Chinese and Mr. Martin Tzou to French.
Following publication of the latest Canada-wide chronological chart, we decided to publish a series of booklets focusing on specific Chinatowns across Canada, starting with Canada’s oldest Chinatown in Victoria, published in 2011, and followed by Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montréal, and finally Calgary in 2016. Each of the Chinatowns in the series includes a thematic focus and narrative of “budding, blooming, withering and rehabilitation.” We invite the reader of this book to give serious thought to the question of the future of Canada’s Chinatowns, which we believe are significant social and cultural sites essential to maintaining Canada’s national memory while contributing to a more complete understanding of our shared history.
Victoria is a prime example of a “Revived Chinatown,” whose rehabilitation was brought about through cooperation between the City and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, led by a rehabilitation committee chaired by Dr. David Lai. The mayor and city council were convinced that there was economic potential and heritage value in preserving and revitalizing its historic Chinatown. On the opposite extreme is Calgary Chinatown, where virtually all of the old buildings were demolished and replaced by new high rise buildings. Edmonton South Chinatown was demolished and assigned a new site for the old Chinatown businesses and associations to move into. The Toronto old Chinatown was virtually destroyed through the expansion of the new city hall, and many businesses and associations gradually moved to the Dundas and Spadina areas which became known as Toronto Central District Chinatown. Hence, Calgary Chinatown, Edmonton South Chinatown, and Toronto Central District Chinatown are called “Replaced Chinatowns.”
At the time of this publication, Vancouver’s city council has not yet committed itself to an overall plan for the revitalization of its withering Chinatown without destroying the historic architecture and their culturally unique functions, which together determine the character of the neighbourhood.
This book is also a contribution to Canada’s sesquicentennial celebration, Canada 150. Our project is both a public information project and a statement of advocacy for maintaining the viability and integrity of Canada’s historic Chinatowns.
We are thankful to our Honorary Patron Senator Vivienne Poy for her tireless efforts in promoting this educational project among Canadian Members of Parliament, the Senate and community organizations. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the institutions, associations, community groups, chambers of commerce, municipal governments, and individuals who have contributed their generous financial support to this project. All contributions are allocated to the Chinese Canadian Heritage Fund established in 1998 for the express purpose of supporting research and the production of educational materials related to Chinese Canadian history.
Thanks are also extended to our colleagues and research assistants for translating the English texts to Chinese and French. For example, Mr. Jack W Lee and Mare Bernier translated the English text of Montreal Chinatown to French.
© SFU David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communication | All Rights Reserved
