Chinatown

[wild goose chase]

How long has Agincourt and nearby parts of Scarborough had a Chinese community?

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!

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.

So, it seems like it was mostly in the decades of the 80s and 90s that the hub of Chinese Torontonians shifted from the downtown to the (at the time) suburban parts of Metro Toronto.

I wonder if the first wave of 1960s and 1970s Chinese immigrants (after the immigration policy reform) had already starting forming communities outside the Chinatown area, or if Agincourt was the first one outside the downtown area.

 

[prosperegal]

So, it seems like it was mostly in the decades of the 80s and 90s that the hub of Chinese Torontonians shifted from the downtown to the (at the time) suburban parts of Metro Toronto.

I wonder if the first wave of 1960s and 1970s Chinese immigrants (after the immigration policy reform) had already starting forming communities outside the Chinatown area, or if Agincourt was the first one outside the downtown area.

My parents came to Canada around 1975 or so. I don't think they EVER lived in Chinatown (they would have been in their mid-20s at that time). I know they were in Peel region for a while and settled in Willowdale shortly before I was born (I think they moved to the Willowdale area in '78 and I was born in '79). I wouldn't say there was a CHINESE COMMUNITY like one would see in, say, Markham today, but we were definitely NOT the only Chinese people in our area. My parents said they pretty much only went down to Chinatown to eat and get ethnic-specific groceries.

ETA: It's funny. When they first came in the 70s, they went downtown (from Peel and then North York) to eat and buy groceries. Now that they live downtown, they go to up to the 905!

ETA #2: Technically, my parents first came to Canada in the early 70s, but that was for graduate school. They went back to HK for a couple of years before returning. I guess they missed the cold??? (hahahaha)

 

[King of Kensington]

Interesting stats, where did you get them from?

From here:

https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-...&Temporal=2011&THEME=90&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=

 

[King of Kensington]

So, it seems like it was mostly in the decades of the 80s and 90s that the hub of Chinese Torontonians shifted from the downtown to the (at the time) suburban parts of Metro Toronto.

I wonder if the first wave of 1960s and 1970s Chinese immigrants (after the immigration policy reform) had already starting forming communities outside the Chinatown area, or if Agincourt was the first one outside the downtown area.

Chinese population, 1971 and 1981:

City of Toronto 17,755 32,390
North York 3,055 17,545
Scarborough 1,810 17,900
Markham 135 2,990

The move to the northeast suburbs began in the 70s and accelerated in the 80s and 90s.

Outside downtown, the Gerrard St. Chinatown I think emerged in the 70s also.

 

[King of Kensington]

In 1971, Chinatown (4 census tracts) ad about 4,500 Chinese residents or 28% of the population. By 1991, it was about 7,000 more or less the same today.

The Gerrard St. Chinatown was just starting to emerge then, making up just over 10% of the census tracts at Gerrard and Broadview/Logan.

 

[uto123]

Who's building that 'Dragon Condo' in Chinatown?
Not only is the name bad, the building looks horrible too.

 

[James]

Who's building that 'Dragon Condo' in Chinatown?
Not only is the name bad, the building looks horrible too.

I'd have to agree with that. The building not only doesn't look good but that name conjures up images of the old "Oriental font" lettering that was used on Chinese restaurants over a mid-century ago. I mean, really?

 

[wild goose chase]

Not directly related to the thread per se, but this is pretty interesting.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...t-collection-of-chinese-restaurant-menus.html

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Not directly related to the thread per se, but this is pretty interesting.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...t-collection-of-chinese-restaurant-menus.html

Year: 1896

Location: China

Dated 1896, the oldest bill of fare in the collection is believed to have been used at a luncheon honouring Chinese politician Li Hongzhang. Taking a look at the fine selection of rice, tea and chop suey, it’s clear the party was off the hook.

Researchers say the rare menu illustrates the careful and custom use of calligraphy characteristic of early iterations of Chinese menus. The text is a mix of English words written in a style reminiscent of Cantonese

?!?!?! Chop Suey for a luncheon in China in the late 1800s? And calligraphy written in a style "reminiscent" in Cantonese? Really? It's more likely that is from a luncheon in the US - or if not, the luncheon must be occupied predominantly by non-Chinese.

AoD

 

[King of Kensington]

Little has changed for Chinese restaurant workers, unfortunately:

http://www.thestar.com/news/immigra...-persists-for-chinese-restaurant-workers.html

 

[King of Kensington]

This article is mainly about Vancouver, but also mentions Toronto and other North American cities. It suggests that the main Chinatown has held up pretty well, due to its location near U of T, while the east end Chinatown isn't faring as well.

http://news.nationalpost.com/features/death-knell-for-chinatown

 

[AlbertC]

The new Sun Yat-Sen statue outside the Chinatown Centre Mall.

 

[AlbertC]

The new RBC branch location at 468 Dundas St W.

 

[AlbertC]

Not directly related to the thread per se, but this is pretty interesting.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...t-collection-of-chinese-restaurant-menus.html

More so on the Chinese American food history and experience, but there's also a documentary called "The Search for General Tso". It's available on Netflix now.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3576038/

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_search_for_general_tso/

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The new RBC branch location at 468 Dundas St W.

Is that supposed to be "Asian"?

AoD