The fight to save Chinatown

Across Canada, historic Chinatowns are under threat, facing development and gentrification, soaring housing costs, and concerns about public safety. Why do these places matter, and what gets lost if they disappear completely? Today on Now or Never, we're travelling from Vancouver, BC to St. John's, Newfoundland, to meet people who are fighting for the future of their Chinatown.

Ify takes a walk through Toronto's Chinatown with Sum Wong, the creative force behind Queens of Dim Sum - Toronto Chinatown’s first and only public queer event. He tells us why it was so important to create this space in Chinatown, and how it's opening up new conversations within the city's East Asian community - including ones with his own mom. 

In Lethbridge, Alberta, Allan Chiem and his kung fu school are the last ones standing in the city's historic Chinatown. How he's breathing new life into the last remaining building, and what he dreams of for the future.

Meet Carol Lee, who through sheer force of will is revitalizing Vancouver's struggling Chinatown. She takes us on a tour of the affordable housing complex she spent years trying to get built, and tells us what keeps her going - even when her own father told her she should give up.

Francis Tam is on a mission: to find every person of Chinese descent currently living in Newfoundland and Labrador. It's his way of connecting a community that has never had a physical Chinatown to gather in. He takes us along for a ride as he meets up with the oldest Chinese-Canadian person in Newfoundland, 104-year-old Mrs. Kwan Hum.

William Chen and his sister Winnie grew up in Edmonton's Chinatown, and have fond memories of a vibrant street culture and around-the-block lineups for dim sum. But ever since the pandemic, the area has struggled, with many long-time businesses shuttering their doors for good. Determined to save the place they call home, William and Winnie are going all in to bring people back, using the one thing they know best...food.