News   Apr 19, 2024
45 and 61-Storey Towers Proposed near Oakville GO
 1.7K     1 
News   Apr 19, 2024
DRP Reviews Innovative Affordable Housing at Kennedy Station
 836     3 
News   Apr 19, 2024
Lifetime Helping Craft the Future of Toronto's Neighbourhoods
 1.3K     3 

Chinatown

On what grounds/basis do they fear that the youth shelter will cause trouble/damage to the shops -- did anything like that happen before with youth shelters elsewhere in other places?
Do such kinds of shelters draw criticism/concern from people living in their vicinity in general, whether in Toronto or otherwise?
 
Have businesses in general in the past experienced loss of customers, or even theft/property damage from being in proximity to homeless shelters any more than normal, or is this basically just a perceived worry/concern?
 
A singular homeless shelter? Probably the latter. In any case Scott Mission a short distance away (College/McCaul) closed down a short while ago, and the proximate businesses to it were in a far better shape than those in Chinatown in general - whatever existential angst the BIA is experiencing runs far, far deeper than whether this is a homeless shelter around.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
A singular homeless shelter? Probably the latter. In any case Scott Mission a short distance away (College/McCaul) closed down a short while ago, and the proximate businesses to it were in a far better shape than those in Chinatown in general - whatever existential angst the BIA is experiencing runs far, far deeper than whether this is a homeless shelter around.

AoD
Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought so too. If there are plenty of examples where homeless shelters were near businesses and the businesses were fine, then at least that ought to allay concerns about the state of their shops.

Plus, I think Chinatown should be welcoming to support these youth, as one of the reasons Chinatowns in cities existed in the first place historically was because they offered a community that gave employment and shelter for new immigrants who were often poor and facing a hostile outside society, just like the situation many unemployed homeless youth face today -- I would at least think among the community, even if not all agree, that at least that would trigger some sympathy.
 
Chinatown has long had a reputation of not being exactly a "good" place. Growing up in Willowdale in the 80s and 90s, my parents/grandparents constantly told me "good Chinese girls don't go to Chinatown." This was when the Toronto Chinese community ONLY shopped/ate in, say, Agincourt (and later, Markham). High crime rate then. Now that things have cleaned up and are kind of gentrifying, business owners are worried it will sink back to the way it was 20-25 years ago. Just my opinion.
 
I get the sense that Chinatown nowadays is perceived by the suburban Chinese community is kind of akin viewed to how say, Jews in Forest Hill and North York looked at Jews still living around Kensington Market in say, 1965. Basically a place filled with those too poor or elderly to move out.
 
King of Kensington said:
I get the sense that Chinatown nowadays is perceived by the suburban Chinese community is kind of akin viewed to how say, Jews in Forest Hill and North York looked at Jews still living around Kensington Market in say, 1965. Basically a place filled with those too poor or elderly to move out.
Click to expand...

prosperegal said:
Chinatown has long had a reputation of not being exactly a "good" place. Growing up in Willowdale in the 80s and 90s, my parents/grandparents constantly told me "good Chinese girls don't go to Chinatown." This was when the Toronto Chinese community ONLY shopped/ate in, say, Agincourt (and later, Markham). High crime rate then. Now that things have cleaned up and are kind of gentrifying, business owners are worried it will sink back to the way it was 20-25 years ago. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...


I didn't realize that Chinatown had that much of a negative reputation among Chinese Torontonians. I have fond memories of dropping by Chinatown for Chinese food in the early and mid 90s as a kid and still thought of it as the "Chinese" part of Toronto then.
 
Last edited:
Kensington-Chinatown stats:

Chinese population: 7,030
Chinese languages MT: 6,075
Chinese languages MT, can't converse in English: 2,705

Unspecfied Chinese: 2,045
Cantonese: 2,010
Mandarin: 1,820
Fukien: 150

65+ Chinese languages MT: 1,485
Can't converse in English: 1,120
 
prosperegal said:
Chinatown has long had a reputation of not being exactly a "good" place. Growing up in Willowdale in the 80s and 90s, my parents/grandparents constantly told me "good Chinese girls don't go to Chinatown." This was when the Toronto Chinese community ONLY shopped/ate in, say, Agincourt (and later, Markham). High crime rate then. Now that things have cleaned up and are kind of gentrifying, business owners are worried it will sink back to the way it was 20-25 years ago. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...

How long has Agincourt and nearby parts of Scarborough had a Chinese community?
 
wild goose chase said:
How long has Agincourt and nearby parts of Scarborough had a Chinese community?
Click to expand...

I recall going to restaurants in Scarborough as far back as kindergarten. That would be the mid-80s? I'd say Markham/Richmond Hill didn't become a "it" spot until the late 80s, at least. Probably more early 90s.

Note: We lived in a new development in the Bayview/Steeles area (416 side) in the 80s and I'm pretty sure my parents were very happy when Scarborough and later, Markham (but by then, we had moved further south to the York Mills area), came along. Much shorter drive for decent food! :)
 
King of Kensington said:
I get the sense that Chinatown nowadays is perceived by the suburban Chinese community is kind of akin viewed to how say, Jews in Forest Hill and North York looked at Jews still living around Kensington Market in say, 1965. Basically a place filled with those too poor or elderly to move out.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's a bad analogy. Most Canadian-born Chinese people living in Toronto seem to refer to Spadina Chinatown as "old school", kind of like the type of place their parents would shop at when they first immigrated to Canada, with "new school" being, as prosperegal noted, Agincourt first, then later on, Markham.
 
King of Kensington said:
Kensington-Chinatown stats:

Chinese population: 7,030
Chinese languages MT: 6,075
Chinese languages MT, can't converse in English: 2,705

Unspecfied Chinese: 2,045
Cantonese: 2,010
Mandarin: 1,820
Fukien: 150

65+ Chinese languages MT: 1,485
Can't converse in English: 1,120
Click to expand...

Interesting stats, where did you get them from?
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top