Vancouver Chinatown Foundation announces $1 million donation from BMO in support of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre

VANCOUVER, BC, May 25, 2021 /CNW/ - In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation is pleased to announce it has received $1 million in funding from BMO Financial Group toward the creation of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, an immersive space to present stories of early Chinese immigrants whose spirited resilience reshaped not only their own lives but played a critical role in the building of Canada. As part of BMO's founding sponsorship of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, the main exhibit space will be named BMO Hall. The Chinatown Storytelling Centre will be the first permanent space of its kind in Canada with programming, exhibits, and interactive kiosks sharing personal stories and featuring short films that provide opportunities to learn about people and places of significance in Canadian history. 

"We are so grateful to BMO for its support in enabling us to collect and share these important stories about the Chinese community. Our ancestors were instrumental in the completion of the railway that united the country as we know it today," said Carol Lee, Board Chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation. "The sacrifices and hardship endured by previous generations were made in hopes that those following in their footsteps would have a better life. The Chinatown Storytelling Centre is a way to honour and respect their collective contribution. It will be the heart of our community in Chinatown and a gathering place, designed to bring local residents and visitors to our unique neighbourhood to learn about the history and experience the rich cultural heritage found in Chinatown today."

The Chinatown Storytelling Centre will be a space to gain a fuller understanding of Canadian history through an exploration of the Chinese experience and reflect on how that legacy still impacts communities today. In 2017, the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation purchased the former BMO Pender Street branch building in the heart of Chinatown. In addition to being the new home of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, the building will include the Foundation's Chinatown Revitalization Centre – making it the cultural and economic gathering place for a vibrant and sustainable Chinatown.

"BMO is proud to support the creation of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, continuing our commitment to a community we have partnered with for over a century," said Cameron Fowler, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, BMO Financial Group. "This new centre, which is located in a former BMO branch, plays a critical role in collecting and sharing the tremendous contributions of our Asian community to the growth and prosperity of Canada. We are honoured to have a deep relationship with the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation and look forward to continuing to partner with them to create a society with zero barriers to inclusion for our communities, customers and colleagues."

The 4,000 sq. ft. Chinatown Storytelling Centre will open this fall with a special exhibit about BMO's role in the neighbourhood dating back more than 100 years. BMO marked several firsts with the Chinese community, most notably as the first national financial institution in Canada to serve the Vancouver Chinatown community. A respected member of the Chinatown community, Mr. Tommy Mah was appointed the first bank manager of Asian descent in Canada. His story is told as part of the BMO feature exhibit to coincide with the opening of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre.

To learn more about the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, visit: https://www.chinatownfoundation.org/chinatown-storytelling-centre/.

To find out more about BMO's impact in the communities that it serves, visit: https://our-impact.bmo.com/our-practices/community-giving/.

About Vancouver Chinatown Foundation
The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation is a registered charity founded in 2011 to honour a culture and community established in Vancouver over 100 years ago. The organization is characterized by a spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation and a passion to help the revitalization of Chinatown, one of Canada's most iconic neighbourhoods and the historic heart of Vancouver.

SOURCE Vancouver Chinatown Foundation

Media contacts: Lisa So, Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, [email protected]; Natasha Boeck, BMO Financial Group, [email protected]