Greetings from CCAKD / 华协通讯20260620
This summer, two projects we have been quietly working on are now complete — and we'd love for you to see them.
A Niche-Case Into Our History
Each year, Kingston City Hall dedicates a display case to celebrate the city's history and cultural communities. This year, for the first time, that space belongs to us.
It took more time than we expected — every line of text needed a source, every photo a story, every object a meaning clear enough for any passerby to understand. We are grateful to the City staff who guided us through the process with care and patience.
The result is a 500-word portrait of our community — a brief history, a story of belonging, and a shared gesture of respect between our community and this city we call home.
If you happen to be near City Hall, please stop by the second floor, just outside the Mayor's office. It's a small display, but it's ours.
Preserving Our Stories
Every Qingming, we clean the century-old headstones in the cemetery — some from the late Qing dynasty, many from Taishan, Xinhui, Kaiping. We know our community's history in Kingston runs deep. But so much of it has never been written down.
Who placed a memorial stone at the Huang Hua Gang Martyrs' tomb on behalf of the Kingston Chinese community a century ago? Who pooled money to purchase a burial plot so that those who died alone could rest with dignity? We know these things happened. We just don't know the full story — yet.
Thanks to the vision of Betty Lee and the efforts of Erin and our colleagues, the Kingston Chinese Community Heritage Project now has a home online at history.ccakd.ca. Stories will be added as they are gathered, and a full oral history and photo archive will be donated to the Queen's University Archives.
Do you have a photo, a letter, a family story, or a memory connected to Kingston's Chinese community? We want to hear from you. Please reach out to us at erin.deng@ccakd.ca
Wishing everyone a peaceful summer, and a happy Dragon Boat Festival to all who celebrated.
