Chinatown ‘living museum’ to be permanent
A temporary exhibit in Chinatown’s Fan Tan Alley — which has attracted about 100,000 visitors since it opened in 2021 — is now officially a permanent museum.
The Victoria Chinatown Museum Society took over operation of the site Oct. 1 from the Chinese Canadian Museum Society. It has received charitable status, said Victoria society chair Grace Wong Sneddon.
She said the society has been fundraising and is hoping for provincial funding for the facility, which will now be known as the Victoria Chinatown Museum.
Wong Sneddon said the Chinese Canadian Museum Society had a more global focus, and the main emphasis now will be on Chinese people who came to Canada through Victoria.
She said the Fan Tan Alley site will be “a living museum,” since Victoria’s Chinatown — the oldest in Canada — “has history embedded throughout its walls, its spaces, its stories.”
“We believe that learning together helps to build stronger and more inclusive communities.” There are plans for educational webinars and pop-ups in storefronts in the area, she said.
Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin has become an honorary patron of the Victoria society, and thanked its members “for bringing to life history and culture of the Chinese-Canadians through the stories of people, of families, of businesses and community organizations that have contributed so much for our prosperity, and to the dynamism and vibrancy of culture in British Columbia and indeed this community.”
Thanksgiving meals at Our Place
Our Place has two Thanksgiving meals coming up this week at its Pandora Avenue location, a lunch on Tuesday noon-1:30 p.m. and Gordy Dodd’s 26th annual Thanksgiving dinner on Friday 5-6 p.m.
Our Place spokesperson Grant McKenzie said about 600 people will be served at each event.
“We always invite all the local dignitaries and members of the media to help serve the meal,” he said.
He said Rogers Chocolates is donating after-lunch treats for the Tuesday crowd.
Both meals are drop-in events and are open to everybody, McKenzie said.
He said people who come for the dinner are excited to see Gordy Dodd there.
“It’s always great to see him participating with our meals,” McKenzie said. “He’s a local celebrity.”
Dodd said he and his family are “truly humbled and blessed” to have been able to help over the years.
Quadra community centre marks milestone
The Quadra Village Community Centre is marking a milestone on Monday with a 50th-anniversary celebration of its service to the Hillside/Quadra neighbourhood.
The centre at 901 Kings Rd. is hosting an open house 2-8 p.m. for all members of the community, including past and present volunteers, staff and program participants.
The centre opened in 1974 as the Blanshard Community Centre and has evolved over the years to provide a number of programs, including a pre- and post-natal program, childcare, and drop-ins, pre-employment, life and food skills for youth, as well as food distribution and providing access to technology.
“Quadra Village Community Centre has been critical to the well-being of this neighbourhood in the wake of major redevelopment in the late 1960s,” said centre executive director Kelly Greenwell.
“Through advocacy, hard work, creativity and a people-first approach we’ve made a difference every day.”
People are connected to both the centre’s programs and to other services through referrals.
The celebration will include talks by people sharing their experiences at the centre, and a photo display showcasing the centre’s five decades.
For more information, go to qvcc.ca.
Improvements for Ravens Ridge Park at Sooke
The District of Sooke says improvements including a new multisport-games area and landscape upgrades are coming to Ravens Ridge Park in Sunriver.
The second phase of park enhancements is underway, with completion expected in the spring.
The new games area will be an 18-by-32-metre fenced court with basketball nets set above soccer goals, which can also be used for other games and activities. It includes shock and sound absorption.
The first phase of improvements involved construction of a multi-use sports box to accommodate lacrosse, ball hockey, futsal, recreational roller sports and community events.
In the second phase, there will be a raised sitting area with bleachers and picnic tables next to the sport box and accessibility improvements. Fifty new trees will be planted in the park, at 2430 Phillips Rd.
The project is funded through a Community, Culture and Recreation Program grant from the Canada Infrastructure Program and Playground Field Reserve Funds established from a Sunriver Estates contribution.
Sooke Mayor Maja Tai said the district wants to create spaces that inspire active, healthy lifestyles while fostering community connections. “These improvements are part of a broader effort to respond to the growing needs of Sooke’s residents and enhance the overall quality of life in our community.”
Meanwhile, the Sooke ATV Club held its fourth annual environmental cleanup day on Sept. 28, with volunteers collecting 1,000 kilograms of illegally dumped garbage and waste from the sides of the road in two hours.
The 20 volunteers, who focused on the Sooke/Otter Point and Butler Road/Young Lake areas, filled a bin donated by Sooke Disposal.
Also supporting the effort was The Great Outdoors Fund, a U.S. non-profit that focuses on enhancing recreation infrastructure, and Unsmoke Canada Cleanups, a grant-giving partnership between the outdoors fund and a cigarette company initiative that promotes litter collection with an emphasis on cigarette butts.
