‘Chinatown Day’ promotes culture, hopes to create more inclusive environment

‘Chinatown Day!’ celebrated Chinese and Asian culture on Saturday, highlighting the diversity that is Chinatown’s identity. 

Hosted by the Chinatown Roundtable, the celebration offered spectators a chance to meet social and cultural organizations, dive into the history of Chinese immigration, and create a sense of unity within the Chinatown community. 

Jimmy Chan, Chinese committee leader, & president of the Chan association, said Montrealers and visitors of the city tend to have a minimalized understanding of what the neighbourhood represents, and that “it’s more than restaurants, bubble tea, and Dim sum,” he said.

“Chinatown is a place that has more than 100 years of history behind it, the hardship of our ancestors that came and paved the road for us, that’s the reason why I’m here,” Chan said.

“That’s the reason why many Chinese people are here, so it’s important for us to remember our ancestors.”

“Chinatown represents the spirit of our ancestors, our roots, our heritage.”

With dozens of attendees visiting, organizations in Chinatown opened their doors to the public to share their histories and cultural activities, including a calligrapher writing workshop where visitor’s names were written in Chinese.

Opening up the event was a lion dance presentation, something Chan says is significant to Chinese culture.

“The lion comes and gives everybody good luck, takes away the evil spirit, and makes sure everybody gets good presents, good health, and prosperity,” Chan said.

Leslie Cheung president of the Chinatown Roundtable said with Chinatown’s rich history, Montrealers are able to learn about the area and understand the continuous threats that impact their neighborhood.

“Those threats still exist, we have developers coming in there’s condos going up,” said Cheung. “And we want to make sure that even as this neighborhood changes and grows, that we have some of that historical… that part of that history that still lives in this neighborhood.

Last year, Quebec designated Montreal’s Chinatown neighbourhood a provincial heritage site, protecting nine buildings in the district from demolition or significant alteration without permission.

City councillor of Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough, Robert Beaudry, says a lot of effort is invested when working with the variety of communities in Chinatown “to enhance the district, to protect it and but also to show how [culture] and community is the vitality of the district,” he said.

Chinatown grapples with homelessness issues

Recently, Chinatown residents in Montreal have created an association to demand more accountability and change from all three levels of government to address persistent drug trafficking, vandalism, violence, and public nuisances in their neighbourhood.

With drug use being a big concern, the residents launched an initiative called “Chinatown: our home, our voice” hoping to build relationships with, and seek action from, elected officials, Montreal police as well as community and business associations.

“At the end of the day we need to develop more affordability but we need to meet each other,” Beaudry said. “It’s not an easy situation it’s Chinatown, but we are working really hard with all levels of government to solve the issue and to bring more services to the population that’s homeless.”