How these ‘bright stars’ are ‘creating space for the community’ in Vancouver’s changing Chinatown
February 14, 2020 at 08:56 , by admin
Observers say Chinatown started seeing a new wave of young activists and advocates in the historic neighbourhood around the time a controversial condo proposal was being considered at 105 Keefer St. (CBC)
Yuly Chan says she became a community organizer in Vancouver’s Chinatown as a way to honour her late father, an immigrant from Venezuela who was very involved with the community.
“Chinatown was a place that provided me and my family a lot of support and a sense of community as immigrants to Canada,” said Chan, 33.
In 2015, she volunteered with the Chinatown Concern Group, a seniors group that started a petition calling for a moratorium on condo developments in Chinatown and organized a city hall rally.
“It was really kind of a big turning point for the community because you’ve had this group of Chinese seniors storm city hall, and you’ve never seen that before,” she said.
Some of them never even stepped into city hall before and there they were bringing over a thousand signatures to the mayor of Vancouver saying: ’You’re not listening to us. We want a say over what’s happening in our community.’”
Observers say Chinatown started seeing a new wave of young activists and advocates in the historic neighbourhood around the time a controversial condo proposal was being considered at 105 Keefer St., an empty parking lot next to a meeting spot for many seniors.
Click here to read the full report originally published by CBC Radio.
