Vancouver’s Chinese Canadian Museum receives additional provincial funding in advance of July 1, 2023 opening
Province of BC announces $10 million to support renovations, operating costs of the Chinatown cultural venue
Wing Sang Building, circa 1890s.
THE CHINESE CANADIAN MUSEUM is receiving an additional $10 million from the Province of B.C. to support renovations and operating costs as the museum prepares for its public opening on July 1, 2023.
The museum’s forthcoming home, the Wing Sang Building, is the oldest building in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Owned and operated by the Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia, the venue—the first of its kind in Canada—will feature space for permanent and temporary exhibits, programs, events, and student educational opportunities.
The one-time funding brings the Province’s total investment in the museum to more than $48.5 million. The provincial government first announced its commitment to establish a Chinese Canadian Museum in the 2019 throne speech and provided the City of Vancouver with a $1-million grant to support museum planning and programming. In 2020, the Province provided an $8-million endowment to establish the Chinese Canadian Museum Society and $2 million to complete the planning and initial development, including identifying potential sites, for the museum's home. In 2022, the Province invested $25.5 million for the purchase of the Wing Sang Building and $2 million for initial operational support of the society.
"This transformational funding from the Province will support us as we put together the finishing touches towards the museum's official opening, constructing a space that is esthetically pleasing and impactful, while sharing the stories of Chinese Canadians with the public in meaningful ways," Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum, says in a release. "The impact of offsetting operational costs also means more time and care is dedicated to developing the visitor experience, essential to the museum's success.”
Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, says: “Our government has been working incredibly closely with the Chinese Canadian community to bring Canada's first museum dedicated to Chinese Canadian history to life. The historic Wing Sang Building in Vancouver Chinatown will bring people from all over the world to learn about the significant contributions of Chinese Canadians to British Columbia and Canada, both past and present.”
Currently running at the Chinese Canadian Museum temporary location are two exhibitions: Seeds to Success: Story of the H.Y. Louie Family and A Tale of Two Families: Generations of Intercultural Communities and Family Lessons.
Seeds to Success: Story of the H.Y. Louie Family, curated by Sarah Ling and produced by CCM, highlights the family history of Hok Yat Louie and looks at stories of entrepreneurship, resilience, and intergenerational lessons experienced by the Louie Family, and by extension, other Chinese Canadian families.
A Tale of Two Families: Generations of Intercultural Communities and Family Lessons, curated by Tzu-I Chung, is an exhibition from Royal BC Museum. It sheds light on the Guichon and Louie-Seto families’ intercultural values and practices, highlighting their resilience throughout challenging times in B.C.’s history.
The exhibitions run until May 2023.
