New Chinatown office for City of Vancouver to be named after Chinese Canadian trailblazer Won Alexander Cumyow

A satellite office for the City of Vancouver in Chinatown will honour "leader and trailblazer" Won Alexander Cumyow (溫金有) as its namesake, pending a motion from Mayor Ken Sim and Coun. Lenny Zhou announced on Thursday. 

Set to open in July, the office is intended to make city government more accessible and responsible to residents and businesses in the historic neighbourhood, whose revitalization has been a priority for Sim and his ABC-majority slate on council.

"Chinatown stands as a testament of the resilience and determination of the Chinese Canadian community," said Zhou on Thursday.

Cumyow's legacy as an advocate for racial justice embodies the same "spirit" and perseverance, said a visibly emotional Sim, Vancouver's first mayor of Chinese descent.

"Through decades of persecution his determination never waivered, and his dedication continues to be felt today," said Sim.

Believed to be the first person of Chinese descent born in what is now British Columbia, in 1861, Cumyow was a prominent community advocate and public servant, Sim said.

He is believed to be the only person of Chinese descent to have voted both before and after the Chinese Exclusion Act, which disenfranchised Chinese Canadians from 1895 to 1947.

While the Act prevented him from practising as a lawyer after his studies, Cumyow went on to help found the Chinese Empire Reform Association, which advocated for peaceful and progressive changes to China.

He also acted as president of the Chinese Benevolent Society, which advocated for members in the legal system and helped reunite families with the remains of their loved ones overseas, before his death in 1955.

His work helped end the segregation of Victoria schools in 1922, and restore the vote for Chinese, Japanese and Indigenous people. In 2020, Cumyow was a finalist to appear on Canada's new five-dollar bill.

Addressing Cumyow's family members, Sim stressed that he, Zhou and other leaders of Chinese descent stand on Cumyow's shoulders.

"We get to stand here, and we actually have a seat at the table because of your grandfather and your great grandfather," said Sim.

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Chinatown a 'historic and vibrant neighbourhood'

The satellite office will help reduce language and mobility barriers for residents of Chinatown to have their voices heard, Zhou told CBC's On The Coast on Thursday.

"They really don't have a direct connection with the city," Zhou said, noting the office will provide "a good direct platform to have this communication open with the residents in Chinatown."

The new office will have staff who speak Mandarin and Cantonese to take feedback, answer questions and offer help accessing city services. Zhou himself plans to work from there regularly, too.

Sim and his ABC majority on council have made revitalizing Chinatown a major priority, soliciting millions in funding from the federal and provincial governments to improve safety, remove graffiti and support cultural institutions and businesses.

"It's a beautiful and historic and vibrant neighbourhood that has served and continues to serve as a sanctuary for our culture," said Sim.

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The neighbourhood is an important hub for people of Chinese and Asian descent, and also for Vancouver as a whole, he and Zhou stressed. 

But gentrification and pandemic pressures have squeezed the neighbourhood's affordable housing and pushed many multi-generational businesses to shut down in recent years.

Concerns about rising crime, graffiti, and reports of anti-Asian hate crimes against residents have also risen since the onset of COVID-19.

Carole Lee, chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, welcomed the announcement as recognition of Chinatown's important role as a cultural hub for Chinese Canadians and all Vancouver residents.

"We can create a vibrant and prosperous future for everyone who lives and plays in Vancouver," said Lee.