Unveiling Chinese Presence and History in Québec City’s Lost Chinatown

Starting in the late 19th century, Chinatowns developed in many Canadian cities. Yet today, many have disappeared with little record of their existence. Québec City was once home to one such Chinatown, now largely forgotten. Emerging in the 1930’s as a small concentrated street of Chinese residents, the Chinatown grew by the 1960’s into a vibrant network of restaurants, businesses, and institutions spanning the city. However, by the 1970’s, urban renewal projects and changing policies pushed Chinese families and businesses out, dispersing them into the suburbs and other Canadian cities. Today, few physical elements remain of the Chinatown, and little is documented about its history. Québec City’s Chinatown is lost, both physically and within the collective memory of the city. Interviews with former residents and archival research will reveal its vibrant community history and stories.

Madeleine Wong is a recent graduate of the Master of Architecture program at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on Canadian Chinatowns and Chinese restaurants, examining their role in creating spaces of community and belonging within the city.