Lilian Leung

Below Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square and New City Hall sits one of Ontario’s first Chinese communities. First Chinatown (1890-1960) is an interactive archive documenting the history and memories of Toronto’s first Chinatown (also known as Old Chinatown). The archive builds upon archival imagery and contextualized the images in an interactive data visualization of The Ward, Toronto’s first immigrant neighbourhood. First Chinatown (1890-1960) is an evolving archive documenting the lives of the individuals who lived in this community through oral history interviews. An important part of Canadian and Ontario history, this project hopes to highlight the resilience of the Toronto Chinatown community and provide broader access and understanding of the community’s history and collective memory.