Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, announced an investment of $5,179,000 in the Chinese Canadian Museum. This support includes funding from both the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan).
Minister Ng made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for PacifiCan.
The first of its kind in Canada, the Chinese Canadian Museum will honour the history, contributions, and living heritage of Chinese Canadians.
Canadian Heritage has provided $3 million in funding through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for renovations to the Museum's permanent home in the Wing Sang Building, the oldest building in Vancouver's Chinatown. Once completed, this will create more than 21,000 square feet of modernized operational museum space. Canadian Heritage has also provided $179,000 under the Commemorate Canada program for the museum's inaugural exhibition, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act. The exhibition will present key themes and learnings about the Act, highlight personal connections through stories of individuals and families who lived through that time, and explore elements of the Act and its devastating impact on the Chinese community.
PacifiCan is contributing $2 million through the Tourism Relief Fund to the new permanent museum space that will enable the Chinese Canadian Museum to develop impactful and transformative visitor experiences. Funding includes support for renovation and curatorial plans, exhibition design, marketing, communications, and administrative operations. The development of the new museum will positively impact the local economy, all while drawing interest and engagement through domestic and international tourism, one of the most impacted sectors since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
