Hundreds of volunteers help clean up Chinatown amid increased vandalism
Hundreds of volunteers spent their Saturday morning in Vancouver’s Chinatown collecting garbage and painting over unwanted graffiti in an effort to clean-up the cherished neighbourhood.
According to Jordan Eng, the president of the Chinatown Business Improvement Association, more than 200 people from across the city took part in this year’s clean-up, which is the largest turnout he’s seen.
“To see people from all over the city come down to Chinatown, it's just heartwarming,” he said.
Chinatown has increasingly been a target of racist graffiti and vandalism over the last few years.
In April, the stone lions were defaced twice in one week.
The annual clean-up is an attempt to prevent more of these incident from occurring.
"Obviously Chinatown has been struggling with a lot of street disorder, graffiti, garbage," said Vancouver city councillor Pete Fry, who spent some time collecting litter in the morning.
"One of things you can do to stop crime and vandalism to some extent is keep it clean and tidy,” said local businessman and volunteer Nigel Bullers.
Volunteer Julian Soucy said he felt like it was important for people who don't necessarily live and work in the community to show up.
"I've seen the deterioration in this area, especially over the COVID-19 pandemic. And I feel like it's a bit of a civic duty for people to come out if they have some spare time,” he said.
"I think this is a marginalized group that isn't getting as much love as they deserve. And especially with more tourists and more people coming into town, we want to make sure that that breath of fresh air gets revitalized back into this community,” he continued.
Eng said he’s pleased with the massive turnout which he says shows there are a lot of people who do care for the community.
"We just want people to recognize that we've been here a long time. It's an important part of the history of Vancouver. And we are a resilient community,” he said.
The initiative also allowed for people to come together and learn more about one of Vancouver’s most historic areas while getting it in better shape for the much-anticipated return of tourism.
"Summer is almost here. This is really a great chance for us to really enhance what's wonderful about Chinatown and encourage folks to come back,” said Fry.
Organizers said they look forward to seeing a more lively and rejuvenated Chinatown in the coming months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.