Corner of Spadina and Dundas St. West. TTC: St. Patrick Station, then streetcar westbound

This ever-expanding area is home to ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and elsewhere. A wealth of oriental shops and fruit markets spills out onto the street, and a vast selection of authentic Chinese restaurants feature such delicacies as dim sum. Toronto's second Chinatown is located in the Broadview/Gerrard area, and three other distinctive Chinatowns are located in the suburbs.

The Details

With an estimated 1998 population of 400,000, the Chinese are one of Toronto’s largest and most visible ethnic communities. In fact, the Toronto region now has six distinct Chinatowns, including several suburban areas that have emerged over the last 15 years or so. Many of the city’s Chinese residents are relatively new immigrants from Hong Kong.

The seeds of Toronto’s Chinese community were planted at the turn of the century, in an area not far from the current City Hall. Sam Ching was the first Chinese person to be listed in the city directory; he owned a hand laundry.

A Chinatown grew up in this area, and was firmly established by 1935, when by one account there were 300 Chinese hand laundries located in a 4-block radius.

Toronto’s Chinese population expanded between 1947 and 1960, with students, skilled workers, and businesspeople immigrating into Canada. The early settlers were mostly from China’s northern provinces; the later group came from Hong Kong, as well as Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the West Indies.

When Toronto’s New City Hall was built, the Chinese area was displaced to the district around Dundas St. W. and Spadina Ave. It has grown into a frenzied, boisterous neighbourhood that can easily be mistaken for Hong Kong.

The intersection of Dundas and Spadina is the most visible symbol of a dynamic community. In fact, on weekends - especially, the sidewalks are crammed with open-air food stalls, vendors, and thousands of people from all backgrounds eager to shop, eat, and socialize.

The restaurants are a big attraction to visitors, as the familiar "North American Chinese" menu is all but non-existent here. Instead, chefs in the area produce a variety of authentic cuisines, including Szechwan, Hunan, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Their ingredients are purchased fresh from the stalls lining the streets. And it's not unusual to pass dozens of shop windows lined with barbecued pork, duck, steamed buns, and other more exotic fare.

Street signs in the area are written in both English and Chinese, and there are two large shopping malls that cater to a large Chinese clientele – the Chinatown Centre and the Dragon City complex, both near Dundas and Spadina streets.

Toronto's Other Chinatowns
There are concentrations of Chinese residents and businesses elsewhere in the city – at Broadview Ave. and Gerrard St in Toronto; in Scarborough; Richmond Hill; Markham; and Mississauga.

Of Interest

• Ten Ren’s Tea Shop – Tea lovers will be fascinated with this store, which offers an unsurpassed selection of teas (some unusual to Western tastes), and hundreds of beautifully handcrafted teapots. In addition to green teas, fermented black tea, and ginseng, one of the teas available is called “monkey pick” because it is grown on cliffs that are so inaccessible only trained monkeys can harvest it. (454 Dundas St. W. and elsewhere)

• Chinese Dragon Boat Festival – This exciting event takes place in the Toronto harbour every June, off the Toronto Islands. Each of the distinctive dragon boats is powered by more than a dozen rowers. The event is one of the biggest of the summer, attracting thousands of spectators.

• Chinese New Year – With the large Chinese population in Toronto, this event grows every year. One of the most accessible ways to celebrate is to attend the Dragon Dance Parade, which winds through the Dundas St. Chinatown (end of Jan. or early Feb.). Colourful dragons, over 20 ft. long and supported by 12 or more people, dance through the streets to bless the shops and restaurants. Drummers, whose constant beat drives away evil spirits, accompany the dragons.