Opinion: Chinatown’s survival can't resist change or rely on nostalgia

Opinion: Vancouver Chinatown’s survival can't be resistant to change or solely rely on nostalgia

Vacant site of 105 Keefer Street in Vancouver's Chinatown. (submitted)

Written for Daily Hive Urbanized by Lorraine Lowe, who is the executive director of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver’s Chinatown district.

After another two-week delay, public speakers will be back this Monday, June 12 to continue the 105 Keefer Street discussion before the City of Vancouver’s Developmental Permit Board (DPB).

I trust that it will be a long night for everyone.

As a hard-nosed pragmatist, it would be difficult to believe that Vancouver’s Chinatown district could survive another five years of a moratorium on any development, further contributing to the urban decay of our neighbourhood.

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We are also in the middle of a housing crisis. We need housing and we needed it yesterday. And let’s be very clear: this is not a luxury condominium project.

This is much-needed housing, and we need a healthy mix in our city that includes more strata options.

There is a strong will from our government to take swift action in uplifting Chinatown and a commitment to build more housing without any further delays. We have been staring into an empty gravel lot and witnessing the steady decline and without this development, the stagnation will bring inevitable doom, and businesses will continue to suffer.

105 keefer street vancouver chinatown tents

Tents next to the 105 Keefer Street site in Vancouver’s Chinatown. (submitted)

105 keefer street vancouver chinatown lot

Tents next to the 105 Keefer Street site in Vancouver’s Chinatown. (submitted)

Fire outside Sun Yat-Sen Park’s shared wall with the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, across the street from 105 Keefer Street. (submitted)

The 2017 decision by the DPB sent a strong message that Chinatown was not open to development, which has negatively impacted the community, exacerbating the issues of affordability, livability, and public safety.

Fast forward to 2023, and much has changed. Having experienced and witnessed the decay firsthand over the last several years, there is now a consensus from seven key legacy organizations in support of this important development, and a collaborative effort from all three levels of government making financial investments into Chinatown to help with current revitalization efforts.

We now have our first Chinese Canadian mayor and a Vancouver City Council who has continued to champion Chinatown, kept their promises, and introduced tangible measures to provide immediate relief.

We have organizations that have weathered the storm and overcame the challenges of the pandemic now working closely and collaboratively together.

This project is a lifeline for everyone, and Chinatown organizations, businesses, and residents should see this as an opportunity to evolve, accept, adapt, and be ready to enter a period of renaissance.

To encourage vibrancy and renewal, we need a larger population, which will bring in more foot traffic, create a sense of public safety, encourage investment, and support our small businesses, while creating a viable and sustainable future for Chinatown’s seniors, merchants, visitors, and attract future residents.

There are many thriving culturally specific enclaves in and around the city (e.g. Victoria Drive, Richmond, Coquitlam) catering to young Asian families, and the current state of Chinatown would not be a viable option to raise a family.

The nine-story condominium building is much-needed housing and will appeal to the next generation with new energy and vitality, as well as provide a safe community gathering space for the seniors to enjoy.

105 keefer street vancouver beedie 2017 design

Artistic rendering of the proposed mixed-use building at 105 Keefer Street, Vancouver. (Merrick Architecture/Beedie)

Keefer Street frontage perspective; artistic rendering of the proposed mixed-use building at 105 Keefer Street, Vancouver. (Merrick Architecture/Beedie)

Site of the proposed mixed-use building at 105 Keefer Street, Vancouver. (Merrick Architecture/Beedie)

We heard and agreed with many seniors expressing concerns about displacement and the need for more social housing overall. We feel optimistic from our ongoing discussions with the City of Vancouver that help is on the way.

The survival and responsibility in preserving Chinatown’s cultural history should not solely be determined by this one project. We each have a duty to promote, celebrate, and share our intangible cultural heritage. The onus is on each of us and our legacy organizations to continue upholding and celebrating traditions and values, sustained through our everyday actions, as well as providing quality programming — arts and cultural education, events, workshops, and concerts.

This also means attracting young Asian professionals who have moved away from the area to return, and give back to the community through volunteerism and engagement — keeping the flame alive inside.

In order for Chinatown to thrive, we must also accept there will be some gentrification when it comes to any type of economic renewal. We need to meet in the middle, work together, and come to a healthy compromise.

Chinatown must be willing and ready to welcome a small number of multi-ethnic, newer modern businesses like the ones you see in Asian suburbs — such as local gyms, bars, pan-Asian restaurants, laundromats, and medical offices — that can help sustain the regular local economy, as well as attract tourism and visitation, while we focus our strategic efforts on the preservation and beautification of our cultural institutions and historic Society buildings along Pender Street. This will help bridge the intergenerational gap and encourage intercultural exchange.

Vancouver Chinatown’s survival cannot be resistant to change or solely rely on nostalgia.

Chinese Canadians have a duty to ensure we continue to preserve and honour the past, and take care of our elders, but also be ready and willing to accept change and adapt in a positive way.

“If Vancouver is back in business, Chinatown should be as well.”

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