
FAR EAST SHOPPING CENTRE (SOUTH SIDE VIEW)
2005
The north-side addition, built by TriCo Homes, completed construction in 2005.

FAR EAST SHOPPING CENTRE (SOUTH SIDE VIEW)
1980s
The original, south-facing building was constructed first.
The north side of the future addition was used as a parking lot.

BUNGALOWS
1911 / 1961
Schematic rendering of the buildings that stood here, according to the footprints indicated on the 1911 and 1961 fire insurance maps.

FAR EAST SHOPPING CENTRE (NORTH SIDE VIEW)
2005
The northside addition, built by TriCo Homes, completed construction in 2005.

FAR EAST SHOPPING CENTRE (NORTH SIDE VIEW)
1980
The original, south-facing building (rear side in view) was constructed first.
The north side of the future addition was used as a parking lot.

BUNGALOWS (NORTH SIDE VIEW)
1911 / 1961
Schematic rendering of the buildings that stood here, according to the footprints indicated on the 1911 and 1961 fire insurance maps.
Interview
With John Lee (President of Alberta Chinese Recreation Association)
+ Tell me about the Alberta Chinese Recreation Association.
Our association was founded for fun!! This organization was founded around 30 years ago, in 1998. We used to be located upstairs in the Fukien Association building.
We’re now located in the Far East Shopping Centre Building. We’ve been in this building since 2005. Here, these units are condos, so everyone owns their own unit. Wuyi (5 Cities) Association is also here. The addition was built in 2005. Before that, the area of the addition was just a parking lot. TriCo Homes built it.
+ Why did you choose this location?
We wanted our own space. Our main activities include Mandarin class and field trips.
Interview
WITH TERESA WOO-PAW (CHINATOWN ACTIVIST)
+ Tell me your story — how long have you been involved in Calgary Chinatown? What was Chinatown like back then?
I have been involved with Calgary Chinatown since 1975, first volunteering with the Calgary Chinese Public School and the Chinese Cultural Society; then with the Calgary Chinese Community Service Association (CCCSA), which I revived and became Chair and voluntary Executive Director for 25 years until 2006. I have been a board member of the Chinese Cultural Centre, the United Calgary Chinese Association and the Chinese Public School.
I participated in the campaign to keep the Five Harvest Plaza building as low cost housing in Chinatown. I led and supported Chinatown residents’ action on the proposed casino in Chinatown in 1993. I co-organized the petition and campaign to address the Chinese community‘s concern on mistreatment by the police. I supported Dr. Daniel Lai’s Chinese Community Needs Assessment in the 1990s. I led the Vision to Action community engagement process in the early 2000s. I started the Asian Heritage Foundation (Asian Heritage Month) and the Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary (now Action Dignity) in 1993. I founded the Action, Chinese Canadians Together (ACCT Foundation) in 2007 and established the Asian Canadians Together-ACT2EndRacism National Network in 2020. I am currently a member of the City of Calgary’s Tomorrow’s Chinatown Advisory Council.
When I arrived in Calgary in 1992, Chinatown was a relatively quiet and uneventful place. Old Chinese ladies would sell their vegetables and homemade dumplings in Chinatown on the weekend. There were maybe two grocery stores and two main restaurants that served dim sum. Lots of places for people to play mahjong. The unofficial redlight district was next to Chinatown and subsequently moved into Chinatown. The city didn’t pick up garbage from Chinatown regularly until 1980 (after the community received an Alberta centennial grant to clean up Chinatown and requested the City to keep up with picking up their garbage). The Native Friendship Centre was located in Chinatown until about 10 years ago. I used to organize an after-school program for CCCSA and collaborated with the Native Friendship Center and organized joint programs with them. I later learned from some First Nations people who used to live in Chinatown that the women used to sit together in the evenings with their children playing in the front yards. The women couldn’t communicate in English, but would sit and keep each other company. It is unfortunate that these stories are not documented.
+ What was on the land before the Far East Shopping Centre was built? You mentioned the restaurant and the parking lot before. Who came here and how was the space used?
I don’t remember what was on the land before the Far East Shopping Centre was built, but for a long time that building was known for the Jade Garden restaurant, then for the Treasures of China restaurant, which was run by Rick Ma from the Chinese Freemansons Association. Many community events and family functions were held at those restaurants. I hosted events for Senators Vivienne Poy, first Canadian Senator of Chinese / Asian descent as well as Senator Oliver to celebrate Human Rights Day.
The Vietnamese restaurant inside the Centre was one of the first Vietnamese restaurants in Calgary and they have been there for over 3 decades. Today, there are also restaurants that sell Cantonese as well as Mexican food. The last protest against the City of Calgary’s mistreatment of the Chinatown / Chinese community in 2016 met up at the Far East. The florist inside the Centre supported many community events and is quite well known in the Chinese community.
It was built in the 1970s, and was an empty lot before. Roddy Mah’s family owned this land, but they had a partnership with Jack Fern’s family. Jack Fern developed the Far East SHopping Centre, and TriCo Homes expanded the rear afterward.
BUILDING PHOTOGRAPHS
Photographs taken in 2020.