MONTREAL
CHINATOWN
FIGHTING FOR HERITAGE DESIGNATION
Why does Chinatown matter?
Montreal’s historic Chinatown is the last surviving Chinatown in the province of Québec, and amongst the very first Chinatowns in Canada. For the past 140+ years the Asian-Canadian/Sino-Québécois community have continually lived and operated out of this neighbourhood. More than a place of commerce and tourism, Chinatown continues to be a gathering place of memory, history, cultural practice, and identity for generations of Asians in Montreal.
Why does Chinatown and its buildings need heritage designation?
Montreal’s Chinatown is one of the few Chinatowns in Canada to have kept some of its original architectural authenticity. Generations of cultural practice, community activity, and cultural production have ingrained Chinatown’s buildings with a rich historical patina that personifies our community’s resilience, ability to adapt and reinvent, and belonging to the historical narrative of the city. Heritage protections for Chinatown will ensure an economically viable approach to development that will allow the community and cultural heritage that has thrived in this neighbourhood for the past 140+ years to not be erased from the urban landscape. It will unlock new avenues of community connection and resident retention while bolstering a thriving cultural heritage economy in Chinatown.
OUTREACH BOOKLET
A primer on our work meant for mobilisation and raising awareness on the most pressing issues. Print and distribute!
Mini-pamphlet size