Chinatown, Winnipeg

Last updated
Chinatown, Winnipeg
Neighbourhood
Wpgchinatown.jpg
Chinese Cultural Centre in Winnipeg's Chinatown
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Province Flag of Manitoba.svg  Manitoba
City Winnipeg
Area
 • Total0.1 km2 (0.04 sq mi)

Chinatown is an neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that was formed in 1909 and serves as an enclave of Chinese expatriates. [1] [2]

Contents

Located on King Street between James and Higgins Avenues, adjacent to the Exchange District, it was officially recognized in 1968. Winnipeg's Chinatown is home to many shops and restaurants, including Asian grocery stores and an herbal products store. [1]

In more recent years, as of 2021, a newer de facto Chinatown in the city's Fort Richmond area has seen more Chinese-Canadian businesses open every year. [2]

History

19th century

Winnipeg's earliest documented Chinese residents were Charley Yam, Fung Quong, and an unnamed woman who came from the United States in 1877. [3] After the completion of the first phase of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) line in 1885, hundreds of Chinese began to settle the Prairies. [3] Also in 1885, nearly all immigrants of Chinese descent were required by the Chinese Immigration Act to pay a head tax of $50. By 1886, the Chinese community had opened 8 laundries. [4]

At this time, most Chinese arrivals originated from Chenshan Village in Heshan County, Guangdong Province. They tried preventing non-Heshan people from settling in Winnipeg by ambushing non-Heshan people at the railway station, assaulting them, and forcing them to continue heading eastward. In consequence, an undetermined number of Chinese immigrants who were originally headed to Winnipeg, ended up in Fort William and other eastern cities. At times, those who settled in Fort William returned in groups to Winnipeg to assault the Heshan people there. This conflict, among other things, development for a Chinatown in Winnipeg did not make headway for several years. [4] In addition, by 1900, the federal head tax had risen to $100, and three years later to $500.

20th century

In 1909, a handful of Chinese stores were established on King Street between Pacific and Alexander Avenues, a few blocks north of Winnipeg’s city hall and market square. By 1910, a small cluster of Chinese businesses began to develop, and the Chinese population increased 5 times by 1911 compared to the 109 Chinese residents in 1901. It developed just outside the core of the central business district, Exchange District. [4] [5]

During the decade of the 1910s, various organizations were founded in Chinatown, including the Chee Kung Tong, the Chinese Nationalist League (or Kuomintang), the Chinese Empire Reform Association, and the Chinese Benevolent Association, as well as various clan associations such as Gee How Oak Tin Association. The Chinese Christian Association, established on Logan Avenue, organized services and English language classes for Chinese residents. [4]

By 1919, Winnipeg had the 5th-largest Chinatown and Chinese community in Canada, with 900 men and a handful of women. [3] In 1921, Chinatown covered 6 city blocks bounded by Princess and Main streets, and Logan and Rupert avenues, with King Street as its main business street. Around one-third of the 800 to 900 Chinese people in Winnipeg worked in the city’s 300 laundries, while the remaining two-thirds worked as cooks, domestic servants, or labourers. [4]

In 1923, the 1885 Chinese Immigration Act was revised to exclude virtually all Chinese from entering Canada, and was colloquially known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. [6] Until it was repealed in 1947, few wives and children had been able to join husbands and fathers in Canada. [3]

By 1970, an increasing number of middle-class Chinese families began moving out of Chinatown. Moreover, urban renewal projects were occurring nearby, including the Disraeli Freeway and a new civic centre and concert hall on Main Street. Not wanting to see the destruction of their neighbourhood, the community of Chinatown formed the Chinatown Development Corporation in 1971 to create a large-scale development plan for Chinatown. [5] In 1981, Joseph Du and Philip Lee successfully lobbied Mayor Bill Norrie, the Manitoba government, and federal ministers to revitalize Chinatown with the construction of the Dynasty Building, Mandarin Building, housing complex, and the Chinatown gate. [3] The Winnipeg Chinatown Corporation was subsequently established that year, followed in 1983 by the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre being incorporated as part the overall development project. [7]

The Winnipeg Chinatown Non-Profit Housing Corporation (CNHC) was established for the construction of the Harmony Mansion, which officially opened on 13 September 1986. [4] The Dynasty Building and the Mandarin Building were completed in 1987. [1]

Since 1987, much of Winnipeg's Chinese population has migrated to a stretch of Pembina Highway, between the Perimeter and Abinojii Mikanah. Approximately 25% of Winnipeg's 12,700-strong Chinese-Canadian community live in a cluster of neighbourhoods in south Fort Garry, while downtown's historic Chinatown is now home to 3% of the city's Chinese-Canadian population. [8]

21st century

Started in 2009 as a way to commemorate the centennial of Winnipeg's Chinatown, a yearly street festival called the Chinatown Street Festival has been held in the neighbourhood. [9] The festival features traditional dancing, singing, martial arts, food and a merchant market. [10] In 2011, the two-day festival expanded to include First Nations and African dance groups, as well as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. [11]

In 2011, a new affordable housing project was announced for Chinatown, called the Peace Tower. Costing an estimated $12.7 million, the project was planned to see the construction of a 48-unit, 7-storey apartment complex to be built at Princess Street and Logan Avenue. [12] Construction of the tower began in June 2011; in December, the building at 271 - 273 Princess, known to most as Ham 'n Eggs Grill, was demolished as part of the project. [13] The first tenants moved into the building in spring 2013. [4]

In November 2012, the Shanghai Restaurant was demolished in preparation of the building of the Peace Tower. Built in 1885, the building briefly housed Winnipeg's City Hall in the 1880s. [14] [15] The new building opened June 2013.

In more recent years, as of 2021, a newer de facto Chinatown in the city's Fort Richmond area has seen more Chinese-Canadian businesses open every year. [2]

Former Winnipeg Hydro HQ/Mandarin Building Mandarin Building, Chinatown (Winnipeg, Manitoba).JPG
Former Winnipeg Hydro HQ/Mandarin Building

Landscape and businesses

Winnipeg's Chinatown is a small neighbourhood in the city's downtown area, bounded by Logan Avenue to the north; Main Street to the east; James Avenue to the south; and Princess Street to the west. [5]

The main constructs in today's Chinatown are the result of a rehabilitation and redevelopment scheme, and includes the interconnected Dynasty and Mandarin buildings, which were completed in 1987; [1] along with Harmony Mansion and the Chinatown gate. [3] [16]

The 6-storey and 5,574 m2 (1.377 acres) Dynasty Building is located at 180 King Street and is the centrepiece of Chinatown. Its architecture shows influences from China's Hall and Gate of Supreme Harmony and Palace of Heavenly Purity. [1] [17] The multi-use building contains shops, banks, and offices, as well as the Chinese Culture and Community Centre. [1] [18] [19] The Cultural Centre was opened on 1 August 1987, and houses a large multi-purpose room and library, the only Chinese library in Manitoba. [4] [17]

Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre in the Dynasty Building Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre.JPG
Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre in the Dynasty Building

The 2-storey Mandarin Building sits at 223 James Avenue and was formerly the City of Winnipeg Police Court (later the City Engineering Building). The older portion of the building was constructed in 1883 and it initially held 18 jail cells, a large main-floor courtroom, office-space, and a police dormitory. [20] The building is decorated with a replica of the Imperial Nine Dragons mural found in Beijing's Forbidden City. [1]

Linked to the Dynasty Building is the CA$500,000 Chinatown Arch gate which sits at the entrance of the neighbourhood and connects the Dynasty and Mandarin buildings. [17] [20]

The Harmony Mansion, officially opened on 13 September 1986, is a 10-storey apartment complex on 201 Princess Street. It contains suites with a housing capacity of 500 tenants, as well as a 140-stall parkade. [16]

The Peace Tower Housing, a 7-storey housing project, is the most recent addition to Winnipeg’s Chinatown. The project, built on the southwest corner of Logan and Princess streets, operates under the direction of the Peace Tower Housing Corporation. Using geothermal energy, the complex has 48 units (ranging from 1 bedroom to 3 bedrooms per unit), a 190 m2 (2,000 sq ft) multipurpose room, and an adjoining patio for recreational use. The project is financially supported by the municipal, provincial, and federal governments, and cost about $15 million. The first tenants moved into the building in spring 2013. [4]

Shops and restaurants in Chinatown include: Young’s Market, Sun Wah Supermarket, Nan Bei Hang Herbal Products Co.; Sam Po Dim Sum Restaurant; Noodle Express; and Kum Koon Garden. [1]

Demographics

As of the 2006 Census, Chinatown has 605 residents living within 0.1 square kilometres (0.039 sq mi). [21] 40.5% of the area's residents speak neither English nor French (as compared to 1% of Winnipeg as a whole), while 71.1% of residents speak some variant of Chinese (including Cantonese, Mandarin and Chinese not otherwise specified). [21] 90% are in the Chinese visible minority group. [21] 51.2% of residents reported that their place of birth was the People's Republic of China. [21]

Only 53.9% of respondents over the age of 15 stated that they have a certificate, diploma or degree, as compared to 76.9% for the whole of Winnipeg. [21] The most common mode of transport for residents is walking (38.6%), which is significantly higher than the percentage of Winnipeg residents who walk (6.2%). [21] Average income for Chinatown residents is $15,481, while the average for Winnipeg is $33,457. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatowns in Toronto</span>

Toronto Chinatowns are ethnic enclaves in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with a high concentration of ethnic Chinese residents and businesses. These neighbourhoods are major cultural, social and economic hubs for the Chinese-Canadian communities of the region. In addition to Toronto, several areas in the Greater Toronto Area also hold a high concentration of Chinese residents and businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington Market</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada

Kensington Market is a distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Market is an older neighbourhood and one of the city's best-known. In November 2006, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Robert Fulford wrote in 1999 that "Kensington today is as much a legend as a district. The (partly) outdoor market has probably been photographed more often than any other site in Toronto."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown, Vancouver</span> Neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia

Chinatown is a neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is Canada's largest Chinatown. Centred around Pender Street, it is surrounded by Gastown to the north, the Downtown financial and central business districts to the west, the Georgia Viaduct and the False Creek inlet to the south, the Downtown Eastside and the remnant of old Japantown to the northeast, and the residential neighbourhood of Strathcona to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spadina Avenue</span> Thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario

Spadina Avenue is one of the most prominent streets in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Running through the western section of downtown, the road has a very different character in different neighbourhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. James Town</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

St. James Town is a neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It lies in the northeast corner of the downtown area. The neighbourhood covers the area bounded by Jarvis Street to the west, Bloor Street East to the north, Parliament Street to the east, and Wellesley Street East to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown, Calgary</span> Neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Calgary's Chinatown is a district of Calgary located along Centre Street in the southeast area of Downtown Calgary immediately west of the Downtown East Village. Calgary's Chinese Cultural Centre, with its traditional architecture and decor, is largest facility of its kind in North America. It serves the Chinese community of Calgary and provides educational and cultural programs for the wider community and its visitors.). The Dragon City Mall and Sien Lok Park are also located in this district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Calgary</span> Neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Downtown Calgary is a dense urban district in central Calgary, Alberta. It contains the second largest concentration of head offices in Canada, despite only being the country's fourth largest city in terms of population. The downtown is divided into several residential, commercial, corporate, and mixed-use neighbourhoods, including the Financial District (CBD), Eau Claire, Chinatown, East Village, Beltline, and the West End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Winnipeg</span> Neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Downtown Winnipeg is an area of Winnipeg located near the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It is the oldest urban area in Winnipeg, and is home to the city's commercial core, city hall, the seat of Manitoba's provincial government, and a number of major attractions and institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Vancouver</span> Neighbourhood of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada

Downtown Vancouver is the central business district and the city centre neighbourhood of Vancouver, Canada, on the northwestern shore of the Burrard Peninsula in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. It occupies most of the north shore of the False Creek inlet, which cuts into the Burrard Peninsula creating the Downtown Peninsula, where the West End neighbourhood and Stanley Park are also located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Vancouver</span> Place in British Columbia, Canada

East Vancouver is a region within the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Geographically, East Vancouver is bordered to the north by Burrard Inlet, to the south by the Fraser River, and to the east by the city of Burnaby. East Vancouver is divided from Vancouver's "West Side" by Ontario Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West End, Winnipeg</span> Urban area in Manitoba, Canada

The West End is a mostly residential area of Downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It includes the neighbourhoods of Armstrong's Point, Colony, Daniel McIntyre, Minto, Sargent Park, Spence, St. Matthews, West Broadway, and Wolseley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown, Victoria</span> Oldest Chinatown in Canada located in Victoria, British Columbia

The Chinatown in Victoria, British Columbia is the oldest Chinatown in Canada and the second oldest in North America after San Francisco. Victoria's Chinatown had its beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century in the mass influx of miners from California to what is now British Columbia in 1858. It remains an actively inhabited place and continues to be popular with residents and visitors, many of whom are Chinese-Canadians. Victoria's Chinatown is now surrounded by cultural, entertainment venues as well as being a venue itself. Chinatown is now conveniently just minutes away from other sites of interests such as the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, Bay Centre, Empress Hotel, Market Square, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boyle Street, Edmonton</span> Neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Boyle Street is a neighbourhood located in central Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, immediately east of the downtown core. The neighbourhood is bounded by Grierson Hill to Rowland Road until Alex Taylor Road and then Jasper Avenue east until 82 Street by the south, 82 Street by the east, 97 Street by the west, and the LRT tracks to the north, with Jasper Avenue and 103A Avenue running through the neighbourhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCauley, Edmonton</span> Neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

McCauley is an ethnically diverse inner city neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, undergoing revitalization. It is named for Matthew McCauley, the first mayor of Edmonton, and is located just to the north east of the Downtown core. McCauley is known as the home of religious buildings in a small area, as well as being a large venue for the 1978 Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ward, Toronto</span>

The Ward was a neighbourhood in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many new immigrants first settled in the neighbourhood; it was at the time widely considered a slum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grange Park (neighbourhood)</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Grange Park is a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded on the west by Spadina Avenue, on the north by College Street, on the east by University Avenue and on the south by Queen Street West. It is within the 'Kensington-Chinatown' planning neighbourhood of the City of Toronto. Its name is derived from the Grange Park public park. The commercial businesses of Chinatown extend within this neighbourhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatowns in the United States</span> Ethnic Chinese enclaves in the United States

Chinatowns are enclaves of Chinese people outside of China. The first Chinatown in the United States was San Francisco's Chinatown in 1848, and many other Chinatowns were established in the 19th century by the Chinese diaspora on the West Coast. By 1875, Chinatowns had emerged in eastern cities such as New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred Chinese immigration to the United States, but the Magnuson Act of 1943 repealed it, and the population of Chinatowns began to rise again.

Chinatowns in Canada generally exist in the large cities of Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Montreal, and existed in some smaller towns throughout the history of Canada. Prior to 1900, almost all Chinese were located in British Columbia, but have spread throughout Canada thereafter. From 1923 to 1967, immigration from China was suspended due to exclusion laws. In 1997, the handover of Hong Kong to China caused many from there to flee to Canada due to uncertainties. Canada had about 25 Chinatowns across the country between the 1930s to 1940s, some of which have ceased to exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Chinatown, Toronto</span> Former neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

First Chinatown is a retronym for a former neighbourhood in Toronto, an area that once served as the city's Chinatown. The city's original Chinatown existed from the 1890s to the 1970s, along York Street and Elizabeth Street between Queen and Dundas Streets within St. John's Ward. However, more than two thirds of it was expropriated and razed starting in the late 1950s to build the new Toronto City Hall and its civic square, Nathan Phillips Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Chinatown, Toronto is a Chinese ethnic enclave located in the city's downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is centred at the intersections of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Chinatown | Neighborhoods". Tourism Winnipeg. Archived from the original on 2012-05-28. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  2. 1 2 3 "Winnipeg Chinatown businesses add their voices to call for national revitalization plan | CBC News".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marshall, Alison (28 July 2012). "Chinatown steeped in 130 years of history". Winnipeg Free Press . Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Winnipeg Chinatown 1909-2013". www.sfu.ca. Archived from the original on 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  5. 1 2 3 https://winnspace.uwinnipeg.ca/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10680/1565/Chinatown%20summary%20report.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y [ bare URL PDF ]
  6. ↑ "No more Chinese!". Road to Justice. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "Winnipeg Chinese Cultural & Community Centre" . Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  8. ↑ Kives, Bartley (17 January 2011). "These days, it's Chinaburbia". Winnipeg Free Press . Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  9. ↑ Kirbyson, Geoff (12 August 2012). "Chinatown street festival dazzles crowd". Winnipeg Free Press . Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "Chinatown Festival". Downtown Winnipeg Biz. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  11. ↑ "Chinatown Street Festival broadens its cultural celebration this weekend". Winnipeg Free Press . 5 August 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  12. ↑ "Chinatown to get affordable housing". Winnipeg Free Press . 9 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  13. ↑ "271 Princess - Peace Tower Housing Complex". Winnipeg Downtown Places. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  14. ↑ "Shanghai Restaurant demolished to make way for seniors home". CTV News. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  15. ↑ "Historical Chinatown building faces bleak future". CBC News. 3 December 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  16. 1 2 "Harmony Mansion". Winnipeg Architecture Foundation. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  17. 1 2 3 "Dynasty Building". Winnipeg Architecture Foundation. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  18. ↑ "Downtown Winnipeg Profile" (PDF). City of Winnipeg. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  19. ↑ "Chinatown History". WCCCC Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  20. 1 2 "223 James Avenue". Winnipeg Architecture Foundation. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "2006 Census Data China Town" (PDF). 2006 Census Data. City of Winnipeg. Retrieved 11 October 2012.

49°54′14″N97°08′24″W / 49.904°N 97.140°W / 49.904; -97.140

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.