The Main Logo
Arts & Culture

Reimagining the Future of Montreal's Chinatown

As Chinatowns across North America continue to face challenges related to expropriation, gentrification, crime and aging populations, a local organization has come together to present a forum for open discussion and discovery.

Rachel Cheng

Rachel Cheng

September 25, 2023- Read time: 5 min
Reimagining the Future of Montreal's ChinatownPlace Sun-Yat-Sen in Montreal's Chinatown. (Photo credit: Rachel Cheng)

It’s Saturday morning at Chinatown House, and sun is filtering through the windows as a growing buzz of people arrive to chat, share egg tarts, or work on a community project.

While the building at the corner of Clark and de la Gauchetière is quiet now, in a few days the entire second floor will be full of art exhibits and people as part of the Chinatown Reimagined Forum II.

Chinatown House and hanging lanterns. (Photo credit: Rachel Cheng)

Taking place this September 28-30, the Forum is organized by the JIA Foundation, a Montreal-based nonprofit dedicated to providing meaningful ways for people to connect with Chinatown. The free event is an opportunity to learn about the history of the area, celebrate heritage and resilience, and work towards thriving, sustainable Chinatowns across North America.

Member-only story

Unlock Montreal’s stories. Join The Main community.

Read this story free.

Enter your email to unlock your first article and get The Bulletin — our weekly roundup of food, art, and local culture.

  • 5 free articles per month
  • Save your favourite places & guides
  • Weekly newsletter The Bulletin
  • Stay connected to Montreal culture

Become an Insider.

Join a community that supports independent Montreal stories and celebrates the people shaping its culture.

Subscribe
  • Unlimited access to all stories
  • Exclusive features & local insights
  • Special offers and event invites
  • 10% off in our shop
  • Support local storytelling

Already a member? Sign in

The Bulletin: The End of Summer? Say It Ain't So [Issue #43]

Previous

The Bulletin: The End of Summer? Say It Ain't So [Issue #43]

Next

Farm to Table: The True Influence of Public Markets in Montreal's Dining Scene

Farm to Table: The True Influence of Public Markets in Montreal's Dining Scene

Related articles

Things to do in Montreal this November
The Main

Things to do in Montreal this November

The best things to do in Montreal during November bring enough festivals, holiday markets, and cultural programming to make you forget the cold.

When rubbing shoulders with death is your full-time gig
Salomé Maari @ URBANIA

When rubbing shoulders with death is your full-time gig

"In my first months working in funeral services, I immediately realized it was going to profoundly change my perception of life."

How Mile-Ex launched (and lost) Montreal's warehouse pop explosion
Max Honigmann

How Mile-Ex launched (and lost) Montreal's warehouse pop explosion

From 2006 to 2016, Mile-Ex's DIY spaces launched Grimes, Mac DeMarco, TOPS, and one of Montreal's most productive music scenes. Then it was all killed off.

Radical proximity is the antidote to digital exhaustion
Prachi Khandekar

Radical proximity is the antidote to digital exhaustion

A new wave of gatherings in Montreal—dinners with strangers, life drawing, and apartment galleries—is bringing back the risk and reward of unscripted human contact.

If you want to understand Montreal's dance scene, start with Ferias
J.P. Karwacki

If you want to understand Montreal's dance scene, start with Ferias

Guthrie Drake and Alina Byrne built their dance community on borrowed time, clandestine spaces, and the belief that range matters more than genre.

Old Montreal's losing its soul and we've got to get it back
Kevin Demers

Old Montreal's losing its soul and we've got to get it back

"Nine years running bars in the neighbourhood has taught me one thing: we're fumbling what should be our greatest asset."