VANCOUVER, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The government of British Columbia (BC) and the city of Vancouver of Canada have announced that they are committed to establishing a Chinese Canadian Museum that honors the past and present contributions of British Columbians of Chinese descent to the province.
"It's a museum built on the hub and spoke model. And it's not gonna be just about the Chinese Canadians. It would be about how the Chinese Canadians had interacted with a different group in BC in the past and in the future. So I think it'll be a very good organization," BC Minister of State for Trade George Chow told Xinhua.
The BC government plans to invest 10 million Canadian dollars (7.37 million U.S. dollars) to build the Chinese Canadian Museum - the first of its kind in Canada. A newly established Chinese Canadian Museum Society of BC is entrusted to oversee the planning and development of the project.
The intention of the museum is to honor Chinese Canadian history and living heritage, and ensure that people learn more about Chinese Canadians' contributions to BC and Canada.
"The idea of a Chinese Canadian museum has been talked about for a long time, and I think now we're finally coming to the last stretch. I'm very excited about the project," Chow said.
Chow is a Chinese Canadian minister in the BC Cabinet. He had been an advocate for revitalizing Vancouver's Chinatown when he was a Vancouver city councilor. He said having the Chinese Canadian Museum in Chinatown would be a big boost to the local community.
Over the last 200 years, Chinese immigrants have brought a rich cultural heritage representing languages, ethnicities and religious traditions to BC society, and despite facing adversity, Chinese Canadians have helped enrich BC's community and economy, with their achievements firmly woven into the province's history, according to a proclamation by Lieutenant BC Governor Janet Austin.
Everyone is invited to learn more about the many stories of Chinese Canadians who, throughout history, have done so much to make BC the culturally diverse and prosperous province it is today, said the proclamation publicized on the occasion of the Chinese Cultural Heritage Week to be held in Vancouver on July 20-26. Enditem
