History of Nanaimo's Chinatowns

Nanaimo’s first Chinatown was located in the Esplanade and Victoria Crescent area, near the site where the China Steps are today. Established in the late nineteenth century, it was the third largest Chinatown in British Columbia and was home primarily to Chinese migrants from Baisha, Toisan, many of whom belonged to the Ma clan. These workers were employed by the Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company and played a significant role in the city’s early coal mining industry. Due to increasing racial tensions and discrimination, the Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company moved the Chinese people to another area further away from the downtown core, in what became Nanaimo's Second Chinatown.

Nanaimo’s second Chinatown was located in the present-day Bing Kee Street area, near where Bayview Elementary School now stands. In 1908, Chinese businessmen Mah Bing Kee and Ching Chung Yung purchased the land beneath Chinatown and significantly increased the rents. In response, members of the Chinese community formed a cooperative land company known as the Lun Yick Company to collectively purchase land and relocate the community to the Pine and Hecate area, demonstrating resilience and solidarity in the face of both external racist discrimination and internal class displacement.

Nanaimo’s Third Chinatown at Pine and Hecate developed after the community relocation and was initially owned collectively by the Lun Yick Company before later coming under the control of the Wah Hing Land Company. This area became a vibrant and established Chinatown where land ownership remained largely collective, serving as a central hub for Chinese social, cultural, and commercial life in the city. However, much of the district was destroyed in a major fire in October 1960, and the remainder was subsequently demolished by the City of Nanaimo, marking the end of its historical role as Nanaimo’s Chinatown core, as it was never rebuilt. One of the lasting landmarks from this period is the Old Chinese Freemasons building at 997 Hecate Street, which still stands today as a rare physical reminder of the community’s presence and history.

The extension of Nanaimo’s Fourth Chinatown developed near Machleary Street, expanding the community beyond the core Pine and Hecate district. Unlike earlier phases characterized by collective landholding, this area saw more independent land ownership among residents and businesses. The old Chinese Freemason's building at 880 Hecate Street still stands today as an enduring landmark of Nanaimo's Chinatown.