We work to protect, promote and preserve the history and living culture of Montreal's Chinatown and its various communities.
Our work is in solidarity with community movements and struggles in Chinatowns all across Turtle Island.
Formed in 2019, Chinatown Working Group Montreal (CWG) is a collective of individuals and professionals from various fields, mainly of diverse Asian origins. Many of us have family and community ties to Montreal’s historic Chinatown. Learn more about CWG, or learn about us through the coverage of our work by the media.
A Plea for Montreal's Chinatown
Call for Immediate Action: We are sounding the alarm for Montreal’s Chinatown.
Unabated development and real estate speculation in the area threaten the erasure of Chinatown’s cultural identity, puts small businesses and property owners in precarious situations, and threaten the displacement of Chinatown’s vulnerable population.
Urgent action needed
The oldest block of Montreal’s Chinatown is being assembled by a big real estate developer for redevelopment under a numbered company called “Investissements 1000 St-Urbain.” This block is the historical cornerstone of Chinatown. It contains a rich and layered history of Montreal’s French, Scottish, Irish, Jewish and Chinese communities. It is key to the story of Montreal itself.
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Chinatown is a place of layered meaning for all Montrealers.
More than a tourist destination
Chinatown is a living community with senior residents, legacy and family-run businesses and restaurants, Chinese family associations and community organizations, who have collectively made the neighbourhood a Jia (“a home” and “a family”) with deep cultural, social and heritage significance.
An original sanctuary city built by communities of immigrants who faced racism, Chinatown is a symbol of how Chinese-Canadians and other minorities overcame hardship and discrimination together, helping to make Montreal a more inclusive and just society. This historic neighbourhood also serves as a model for the sort of inclusive neighbourhood and thriving cultural heritage economy we want to build for the future.
Volunteer with us
Are you concerned about what is happening in Chinatown? Do you have time, motivation and / or skills to lend us? Fill out this form!
Fill out our Survey
The purpose of this survey is to better understand the opinions and needs of residents and community members who live, work, and visit Montreal’s historic Chinatown. Your participation is voluntary, and all questions are optional.
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Please note that CWG has ceased its operations as of Sep 29, 2022. Emails sent to these addresses may not get a reply.