Okanagan Throwback: Chinatown

Okanagan Throwback is an exciting new history-based series.

In the Okanagan Throwback series, expect to learn about prominent locations, businesses, families, early settlers and the odd court case that went down in the valley.

The Kuo Min Tang building housed the Chinese Nationalist Party in Kelowna.

While it may be surprising to hear, if you would have visted Kelowna between the 1900's and 1940's you would have seen and experienced a vibrant Chinatown.

Chinese Canadians are significant part of British Columbian history.

They played a significant role of the building and completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, in spite of facing numerous discriminatory regulations between the 1800s and 1900s.

After the railroad was built, Chinese workers looked for work in laundry, at farms and orchards.

Tun Wong was born and raised in Kelowna in 1941.

Wong wrote about his memories in the 2014 Okanagan History Society Annual Report and shared memories of his family's experience in the Okanagan.

"Chinatown appeared in Kelowna at the turn of the 20th century," said Wong.

By 1905, apparently a Chinatown existed in the 200 block north of Harvey Ave, south of Leon Avenue, east of Abbott Street between Harvey and Leon.

Essentially, once you crossed north on the W.R. Bennett Bridge and hit the Prestige Hotel - that's where Chinatown could be found.

From laundries to merchant stores and grocery stores, the peak of Chinatown's population hit between 400 to 500 in 1930.

After 1930, many Chinese workers went back to Vancouver due to a lack of work.

According to Wong, the first Chinese baby born in Kelowna was named Kelowna Lee and was born on February 2nd, 1906.

"By the late 1930's the only Chinese lady in Kelowna was my mother," said Wong.

Most stores were closed by the 1940's and by the time Wong was born in 1941, Chinatown had almost disappeared.

"We were the only Chinese family (in the late 1940's) in Kelowna."

This two-storey brick building stood next to the Masonic Hall and was a make-shift hospital.

"It served as a hospital for the Chinese population in late 1918, during the Spanish influenza outbreak in town: 17 Chinese men died from the epidemic."

You can still view the the steps of the building at the Okanagan Heritage Museum and they are on display for a unique reason.

"When you examine the steps, you will notice each step is worn out on either the left or the right side. It was almost an unspoken rule that you would always start with your left foot first," said Wong.

The building was demolished in 1979.

"The remaining Chinese were all males in their mid-to-late 50's. It wasn't until around 1948 or 1949, after the repeal of the Exclusion Act, that some Chinese women and children arrived in Kelowna," said Wong.

That meant less than 10 women and 10 children were added to the Chinese population.

Since Chinatown was made up of mostly males and the work was mostly seasonal, the number of Chinese decreased significantly heading into fall and winter.

For more information on the history of Chinatown in Kelowna, visit the Okanagan Heritage Museum.