Chinatown residents and merchants distributing free mooncakes to boost public safety

Residents and merchants of Montreal’s Chinatown handed out free mooncakes, bubble teas and fortune cookies Friday, in order to promote public security in the neighbourhood.

“Chinatown is open for business, we want the public not to be afraid, Chinatown, it’s definitely safe to come down,” said Bryant Chang, vice president of the Chinese Association of Montreal.

Under the theme, “Celebrating the Autumn Moon Festival in Harmony, Security and Unity”, the event is being held in collaboration with the Chinese Association of Montreal, the Sun Yat Sen Park Foundation of Montreal and CRARR, with support from local businesses.

“The reason why we’re doing this today is to reassure all the merchants, the workers, the residents in Chinatown that the environment is improved,” said Chang. “There’s still room for more improvement, of course, but it’s definitely better than it was a month ago.”

It is part of the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Plan that is being developed by these organizations and residents in partnership with law enforcement agencies to promote public security and public health in Chinatown. 

Since this summer, residents and merchants of Chinatown have been mobilizing, holding press conferences and launching a petition, to denounce problems of crime and violence in the neighbourhood.

In the last few weeks, over 1,000 signatures were collected for a petition demanding concrete change from the city.

Chinatown residents and merchants distributing free mooncakes to boost public safety. Sept. 29, 2023. (CREDIT: Alyssia Rubertucci, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Alyssia Rubertucci, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Alyssia Rubertucci, CityNews Image)

(CREDIT: Alyssia Rubertucci, CityNews Image)

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“It’s the drug dealing, the theft, the vandalism,” said  Phil Chu, resident of Chinatown, “The homelessness, it’s not the cause and it’s basically the vandalism and the violence that comes with it.”

They have been calling on Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and the Montreal police to address issues of crime and drug use in the neighbourhood.

“There’s a lot of homeless people since the YMCA closed and became a shelter and the people they don’t want to go out to risk to be harassed and to be robbed, so it’s really a big problem,” says Hindie Cheuk, who works in Chinatown.

Sign at press conference about safety in Montreal’s Chinatown Sept. 6, 2023. (Alyssia Rubertucci, CityNews)

Two weeks ago, the city’s official opposition visited the area demanding Mayor Plante invest in the area.

“We understand that’s an ongoing issue, it won’t be solved overnight,” said Chang. “We’re still waiting for the mayor to announce where the future homeless shelter will be once they close the one at Guy-Favreau.”

Mayor Plante recently said solutions were being put in place like an added police presence. The local police station says they’ve stepped up in recent weeks, and will add two more foot patrol officers by mid-October.

“We [told] the police officers,’ Don’t forget when you are transiting, just come to the Chinatown because it’s easy to take René-Lévesque when you’re coming from the west, going east,'” said Montreal police inspector at Station 21, Simon Durocher. “But come back to the Chinatown, take five minutes if you can, and patrol the area. And I know we were doing it, but I’m happy to hear that they’re seeing the improvement.”

The autumn festival event allowed police officers to meet with the community. 

“It’s to hear them because usually they won’t come to us, not everybody’s going to come,” said Durocher. “Some call us, write to us, but it’s a way to make it easy.”

“I find it very like encouraging because people, they can have some kind of help,” said Cheuk.

“It’s somewhat of a peace offering to the community to show that basically here, look, we’re all here to work together,” said Chu.