Let’s Build a Collective Memory of Chinatown!

Kwong Chow, Lichee Garden, Sai Woo, Nanking Tavern, Charlie’s Meat and Seafood, Pearl Court Restaurant, Rol San. What do they have in common? They stood across Old Chinatown, Chinatown East and Chinatown West. And now, all of them are gone.

This project presents miniature models of these seven important Chinatown sites, assembled from community memory and archival records, alongside some of the records used in their creation. In 2024 and 2025, the models were the focus of intergenerational storytelling sessions where memories of Toronto’s Chinatowns were shared by over 200 people across four generations at Cecil Community Centre and Scadding Court Community Centre. Together, these memories honour Chinatown’s past while reminding us that Chinatown’s story is still being written every day.

To learn more about Chinese history in Toronto see our updated research guide.

Free entry. Runs until February 26, 2027. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.