Happy birthday Vancouver! Today, April 6 2011, marks the 125th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Vancouver.
Another birthday celebration in Vancouver’s past was the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1936. The local Chinese Canadian community was very spirited, creating a “Chinese village” with a big, beautifully constructed bamboo arch, located at the corner of Pender and Carrell. The Chinese village was accompanied by a souvenir pamphlet produced by Quene Yip (son of the “unofficial mayor” of Chinatown Yip Sang) called “Vancouver Chinatown.” These were concerted 
efforts on the part of Chinese Canadians to “open up” their community to the rest of the city and to tourists, trying to break down the barriers of fear and misunderstanding that existed in the early years of Vancouver. A letter from his sister Susan Yip praised Quene’s efforts:
“It was an excellent idea to have composed such a booklet, giving the foreign visitors an insight into “Vancouver Chinatown”… for the right kind of publicity is very necessary for the Chinese and China nowadays in this world of international relationship!”
Search the Chung Collection for the keywords “Golden Jubilee” or “Chinese Village” for records of these events.
Vancouver 125 links:
Our friends at the City of Vancouver Archives have summarized the activities of the Golden Jubilee Society in 1936.
The Vancouver Sun has excellent coverage today of Vancouver 125 events.
Don’t forget to vote for the places in Vancouver that matter to you with the Vancouver Heritage Foundation (voting closes at midnight tonight!).
And of course, check out the City of Vancouver anniversary site for complete listings of events and activities.