Designation highlights the role of schools in teaching Chinese culture and language in Canada

May 31, 2024                                       Gatineau, Quebec                        Parks Canada

National historic designations encourage us to acknowledge the full scope of our shared history, both the triumphs and the struggles that define the story of Canada and help us reflect on how to build a more inclusive society for present and future generations.

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Mon Keang School as a national historic site under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration.

Founded in 1923 and opened in 1925 by the Wong Kung Har Tong (now the Wongs’ Benevolent Association), Mon Keang School in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown is an example of the important educational and social services provided by Chinese associations in Canada. Founded when Chinese people in Canada faced considerable racism, and when immigration from China was severely restricted, Mon Keang School provided students with Chinese-language education and helped create a cultural link with China.

This and other Chinese-language schools showed the value that Chinese Canadians placed on education and cultural retention. Initially a primary school on the top floor of the building, the school expanded in 1947 to include the top two floors and opened the first Chinese-language high school in Canada.  Mon Keang School closed in 2011 and, since 2016, it has provided space for the Youth Collaborative for Chinatown to offer a Cantonese Saturday School. 

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present.

The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,240 designations have been made nationwide. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/proposer-nominate.

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