During the 1860’s Nanaimo witnessed the first influx of Chinese immigrants to their community.

The Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company hired Chinese men to work in their coal mines; initially the company built and provided housing for these men at this location.

As the community grew, the local Chinese population developed the ‘Chinatown’, adding stores and services to provide for their unique diasporic community. It became the third largest Chinatown in British Columbia.

In the  mid 1880’s it was felt that Chinatown occupied valuable land; Nanaimo was a growing city.

The Chinese community were required to relocate.

Nanaimo’s Chinatown was displaced to the outskirts of the city limits.

You can visit the location of Nanaimo’s Second Chinatown at the intersection of View Street and Bing Kee Street and Nanaimo’s Third Chinatown at the intersection of Pine Street and Hecate Street.

Photographs courtesy of Nanaimo Archives