Chinatown Working Group (CWG) started out as a small group of volunteers fighting accelerated gentrification efforts in Montreal’s historical Chinatown. Since 2018, we have been able to accomplish some incredible successes alongside our community partners. For example, we have successfully gained provincial heritage status for some of the most historical parts of Chinatown at the provincial level, and an enlarged area of Chinatown has been designated a neighbourhood of historical significance. These advocacy efforts have also highlighted the need for more formal and sustainable organizations to accomplish CWG’s mission to protect, preserve, and promote Montreal’s historical Chinatown’s culture and its communities.
Therefore as of September 29, 2022, CWG has officially closed its doors.
We do this with a heavy heart, but know that the fight is not over. CWG’s many functions have evolved into new organizations with more capacity and infrastructure to help carry on CWG’s efforts in more sustainable ways than our fully volunteer-run initiative.
Who are these new organizations?
The need to empower community voices and build open lines of communication with all levels of government is why CWG advocated for the creation of the Chinatown Rounctable, including securing funding to support its operations. The Chinatown Roundtable is a multisectoral community board that will be the liaison between various levels of governments and the community, share information among different community sectors, and help build consensus around issues facing Chinatown and its communities.
Jia Foundation is a registered non-profit organization offering pathways for people to connect with Montreal’s Chinatown in meaningful ways and explore their sense of belonging in this space. Its mission is to protect and promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Montreal’s Chinatown by creating projects that activate public spaces and significant historic buildings through storytelling and intergenerational exchange, as well as to develop expertise and tools that the community can use to map out and advocate for its future.
Thank you everyone, we’re moving forward in solidarity.
We want to thank you and the community for your support and hard work over the last four years. Chinatown and its communities will continue to face new challenges, and we hope that you will get involved with at least one of these organizations, based on their respective activities.
Follow the Chinatown Roundtable if you are interested in:
- Community mobilization
- Empowering Chinatown’s community voices
- Ensuring effective implementation of the City’s Chinatown Action Plan
Follow Jia Foundation if you are interested in:
- Conservation of tangible and intangible heritage in Chinatown
- Storytelling and intergenerational exchange
- Developing expertise, capacity and tools for Montreal’s Chinatown communities
In solidarity,
Chinatown Working Group
