Discover the heritage of Montreal's Chinatown! In this series of two vignettes, our volunteer guide Laure invites you to explore this area and learn more about heritage issues from the beginning of Montreal to today.
Did you know that? Montreal's Chinatown has its origins in the 1870s! Song Long opened the first Chinese laundry in 1877 at the corner of Jeanne-Mance and Saint-Antoine streets, on the site of the current Palais des Congrès.
Subtitles are available in English, French and Mandarin by activating them by clicking on the CC icon.
On January 24, 2022, Minister of Culture Nathalie Roy and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announced a series of measures to protect the heritage of this area, one of the oldest in Montreal. The minister classified the Institutional Core of Chinatown, including the British and Canadian School, which Héritage Montréal requested be protected. The Ville de Montréal a review of the urban plan to better recognize Chinatown and reduce real estate pressures. In addition, Héritage Montréal with community members to increase efforts to recognize and promote this little-known heritage.
Are you interested in the future of Chinatown? Take part in the public consultation!
Long misunderstood and the victim of prejudices against its inhabitants, it has been the subject of citizen mobilizations that have changed many things! On January 24, the municipal council mandated the OCPM to hold a consultation on changes to the Urban Plan in Chinatown.
These modifications are proposed as part of the concerted actions of the City and gouvernement du Québec to offer heritage protection to this district. The modifications to the Plan address issues of built heritage, heights and density. Find out more about the public consultation on the OCPM website.
To learn more about the history and actions undertaken in the context of the classification, consult the Îlot Gauchetière/Saint-Urbain/Viger/Côté file on Memento.
This capsule is produced with the support of Desjardins. Desjardins caisses enrich people's lives by participating in sustainable development and supporting value-added projects in their communities. A specialized, multilingual team is here to welcome and guide you.
In collaboration with the Chinatown Working Group. Formed in 2019, the Chinatown Working Group is a collective of individuals and professionals from various fields of expertise, primarily of Asian origin.
Did you enjoy this tour of Chinatown? It was developed by the teamHéritage Montréal, a non-profit organization funded more than 70% by generous donors and participants in our activities. While the pandemic has allowed us to offer more online content, this production requires time and effort from our team. We therefore kindly ask for your donation to support us in creating original content (blog articles and videos) and, more generally, in our mission to defend and protect the rich heritage of the Greater Montreal area.
Thank you for your support!
TheHéritage Montréal team
1 comment
Nice capsule! A courageous and discreet people who knew how to be patient to be respected/feared today (in the right sense)!