Edmonton adds nearly $1 million for Chinatown revival

Article content

Chinatown is getting nearly $1 million over the next two years to draw in more visitors and make the central Edmonton neighbourhood a more attractive destination.

Community members were at city hall Wednesday giving feedback on a long-term strategy to improve Chinatown. Opinions on what’s working and what should change varied. Along with concerns around safety, councillors also heard praise for the Chinatown Vibrancy Fund, new this year, and the festivals, arts, and food-related events it supported that brought more visitors to the area.

Article content

Ward Karhiio Coun. Keren Tang brought forward the plan to move $480,000 in each of the next two years from the Downtown Vibrancy Fund to support Chinatown. The city launched the Chinatown Vibrancy Fund in April for community projects supporting economic development but no money was set aside beyond this year.

“I think a lot of the vibrancy work has brought a lot of people into Chinatown. I think that is important, and this Chinatown vibrancy isn’t going to be solved in one year,” she said. “We have heard about the vibrancy fund. That is something working that is going to be lost if we don’t do something about it.”

Ward O-day’min Coun. Anne Stevenson said about the fund, “I think the impacts have been really fantastic.”

This year, dollars went toward several events including the Chinatown Summer Festival, the Edmonton Dragon Festival, Edmonton Chinatown Dining Week, Chinatown After Dark block party, Dragon Boat Festival, Van Loc’s block party, Lunar New Year celebrations, a mural and other events. As well, $87,500 was used to turn safety shutters on businesses into works of art.

Article content

Article content

Optimism for Chinatown

The city’s long-term plan for Chinatown focuses on safety and security, diversifying businesses, celebrating Chinatown as a cultural destination, and a plan to improve the neighbourhood’s infrastructure.

Sandy Pon, chairwoman of the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative, said the events in Chinatown this year are bringing in new visitors, helping the area reach that goal of making Chinatown a destination.

Some people are coming for an event and visiting again after discovering new shops and businesses they didn’t know about before. Her organization held the Dragon Festival and Dragon Food Tours which were successful, drawing hundreds of new visitors from all over the city. Many have since returned, she said.

“Many of them have come back since our food tour, bringing people to discover Chinatown, and say, ‘You know what, I’m not so afraid.’ The image that Chinatown’s always had was changed in their mind,” she said in an interview.

“They would come back at other hours and bring friends for dinner and celebration. They eat at these eateries. (Shop owners) told us their business has increased. This is where we give hope for them to stay in the area, right?”

Article content

William Chen, acting chairman of Edmonton Chinatown BIA, agreed the effort to make Chinatown a destination by multiple different local groups is working.

His shop, Van Loc. held a block party that had about 1,200 guests in June despite other major events happening in the city at the time.  This event, and others, were successful — they gave Edmontonians and tourists a reason to visit, he said.

“(At events) there’s going to be a huge crowd. So people who might be afraid of the houseless population, or maybe feel uncomfortable with that sort of thing, they are like, ‘Oh, there’s going to be a lot of people here. Maybe it won’t be so dangerous,’” he said.

“So that draws a lot of people in, and then once they see that it’s not really that bad, they keep coming.”

His business partner Wilson Wong is optimistic about Chinatown’s future.

“In the next two to five years Chinatown will be one of the best opportunities in the city of Edmonton. It is a true 15-minute city,” Wong said. “There’s no other place right now where you can walk across the street to go watch a hockey game, enjoy the downtown core and also enjoy the heritage and culture of Chinatown right there in your own backyard.

Article content

“I believe everyone deserves a Chinatown, and Chinatown is not just for Chinese people. It’s for culture and heritage to be explored by all different people in Edmonton.”

Changes coming, desire for more

Some big changes are already in motion for the area with plans for streetscape improvements along 97 Street, and along 98 Street, 108 Avenue, and 107 Avenue to coincide with neighbourhood renewal in McCauley. Upgrades for Mary Burlie Park are set for construction next spring.

According to Pon, the red lamp posts along 97 Street are also being replaced and will include CCTV in hopes of deterring crime.

Her group is lobbying for more lighting, decorative elements and trees to be planted alongside neighbourhood renewal next year. She would like to see dollars put toward improving the facades of the buildings, and in the future see spaces for street vendors and open markets.

There’s also a need for more public washrooms, a range of more housing options available including supportive housing, she said.

With the upcoming closure of the Healthy Streets Operations Centre at the end of this year, Pon thinks a store-front space where the public can speak with police, bylaw and peace officers about safety concerns would be appreciated by local residents and business owners.

Article content

Chen thinks Chinatown has a public image problem.

While local businesses appreciated the visibility of police and city peace officers with the temporary safety hub, he said the social and security issues the neighbourhood is facing isn’t unique to Edmonton, or even Canada or North America.

He’s been in Chinatown every day for two years and he’s safe.

“I think there’s a lot of social disorder, a lot of homelessness here that you’re going to witness, and a lot of open drug use that you’re going to witness. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. But being uncomfortable and being in danger are two separate things. 99 per cent of the time if you’re not instigating something nobody’s going to bother you,” he said.

“It’s really a societal issue that I don’t know how, but I think all levels of government need to work together to figure it out.”

The Healthy Streets Operation Centre opened in the wake of public outcry around two homicides in Chinatown in 2022. Hundreds rallied at city hall demanding the local government take action to make the neighbourhood safer.

[email protected]

@laurby

Article content

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.

Article content