The Province has announced an additional $10 million dollars in funding for the Chinese Canadian Museum, scheduled to open this summer in the Wing Sang Building in Vancouver.

When completed the building will house both temporary and permanent exhibits, as well as operating as a hub for programming, special events, and educational initiatives. Exhibits currently running at the museum’s temporary location at 27 East Pender Street include A Tale of Two Families: Generations of Intercultural Communities and Family Lessons and Seeds to Success: Story of the H.Y. Louie Family.

The provincial government announced its commitment to establishing a Chinese Canadian Museum in 2019. Money allocated to date, including this week’s funding, totals $48.5 million. In 2022 a $25.5 million investment from the Province went towards the purchase of the Wing Sang Building­—the oldest building in Chinatown. Built in 1889, the building once owned by Chinese Canadian businessman and pioneer Yip Sang, was expanded in 1912.

Vancouver developer Bob Rennie bought and restored the building In 2004, using it as an art space and office. 

In a release announcing this week’s funding, Chinese Canadian Museum chair Grace Wong said,  “Each step closer to the grand opening of the Chinese Canadian Museum is a step to be celebrated. This museum and its home in the Wing Sang Building helps recognize the important contributions and resilience of the Chinese Canadian community and their place in British Columbia’s history. I know the impact of this museum will be felt for generations.”

The Chinese Candian Museum mission statement reads as follows:

"Telling the stories through the diverse voices of Chinese Canadians, the Chinese Canadian Museum will be a testament to Chinese Canadian experiences, contributions, and heritage. CCM hopes to foster respect, inclusion, and collaboration among Chinese Canadians, Indigenous peoples, and other settler communities across generations, throughout BC, Canada, and the world."

For more information go here.