Calgary's Chinatown
A glimpse at the lives behind the bustling downtown district.
Photographed by Michael Chan and Danny Luong
Published on Dec. 4
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"The people of Calgary are very loyal," said Tommy Lo, owner of Animodeling Zone. He saw a need in the model building community when he first moved from Hong Kong to Calgary. "Even though the competition online is very tough, people who have been coming here for years continue to (do so) today."
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"My children would have never gotten the education they did if we had not moved here," said Sum Wong, who left a warring country in search of a new home. "I love the weather in Canada. Once you get used to the cold, this great country becomes perfect."
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"The freedom," Henry Chan said. Chan left his home of Chaozhou, China because of repression. "That is why I came here, and also for my children to have a good education.
"The people here are very loving and helpful," Chan said. "You just don't get that everywhere."
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"The love and respect from the people around the city is what I love most," said Rosetta Lee, who moved from Vancouver to Calgary to open Try Again Beverage's House. "Calgary has a very different personality compared to other cities like Vancouver and Toronto; it is peaceful here."
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The Nguyen family has been here since 1983 after leaving Vietnam because of the war. The family blessed the city of Calgary with their now famous Banh Mi Thi-Thi Vietnamese Submarine.
"I have been in Calgary for 30 years," Nguyen said. "And I never go anywhere else. I love it here."
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"The people of Calgary are very nice," said Terrance Lee, who opened a store selling Asian snacks and candies called Qa-La-La. "Just looking at the flood, no stores here got looted but if we were somewhere else, I don't know if that would be the case."
"The people of Calgary are very loyal," said Tommy Lo, owner of Animodeling Zone. He saw a need in the model building community when he first moved from Hong Kong to Calgary. "Even though the competition online is very tough, people who have been coming here for years continue to (do so) today."
"My children would have never gotten the education they did if we had not moved here," said Sum Wong, who left a warring country in search of a new home. "I love the weather in Canada. Once you get used to the cold, this great country becomes perfect."
"The freedom," Henry Chan said. Chan left his home of Chaozhou, China because of repression. "That is why I came here, and also for my children to have a good education.
"The people here are very loving and helpful," Chan said. "You just don't get that everywhere."
"The love and respect from the people around the city is what I love most," said Rosetta Lee, who moved from Vancouver to Calgary to open Try Again Beverage's House. "Calgary has a very different personality compared to other cities like Vancouver and Toronto; it is peaceful here."
The Nguyen family has been here since 1983 after leaving Vietnam because of the war. The family blessed the city of Calgary with their now famous Banh Mi Thi-Thi Vietnamese Submarine.
"I have been in Calgary for 30 years," Nguyen said. "And I never go anywhere else. I love it here."
"The people of Calgary are very nice," said Terrance Lee, who opened a store selling Asian snacks and candies called Qa-La-La. "Just looking at the flood, no stores here got looted but if we were somewhere else, I don't know if that would be the case."