Unveiling Hope: Asian Garden Project Marks a Century Since the Chinese Exclusion Act
March 11, 2024
| On the occasion of the 100th Year of the Chinese Exclusion Act of Canada (external link) , the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto (external link) (CCCGT) kicked off the launch of the Asian Garden project. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officiated the launch last Fall 2023. Located in the north-east corner of the city, the new 1-1/2 acre urban space and park will be a gift to the Toronto and the GTA community. TMU and DAS were very much front and centre to all these, with the conceptual renders by Professor Yew-Thong Leong, presented to the Prime Minister; and then a conceptual display model made by a team of DAS students presented to the public during the 2024 Lunar New Year celebrations this past month at CCCGT. The Asian Garden project will include a classical landscaped garden and then a series of multi-functional polyvalent urban spaces to support community activities. Official fund-raising activities began last month, design will commence shortly and construction is expected to be completed in Fall 2025. The Chinese Exclusion Act of Canada was the culmination of anti-Chinese racism and policies, including the head taxes which it replaced. All Chinese persons living in Canada, even those born here, had to register with the government or risk fines, detainment, or deportation. Read more here (external link) . The CCCGT is the largest Chinese Cultural Centre in North America with a 30-year history of promoting and preserving Chinese heritage, serving as a vibrant multicultural hub. Find out more about the CCCGT here (external link) . Special thanks to the students who worked on the model: William (Youngrak) Choi Kris Chou Tiffany Chui Richmond Dakay Ka Lee Jian Marko Jovanovic Adam Krajewski Yifei Lui Simran Moondi Rehan Nakhooda Angelica Nguyen-Tran Preetul Pasha Lydia Wang Mary Xu |
