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Chinese Canadian History

Chinese men and small boy in front of Tai Sing Co., Importers and Wholesale Dealers, General Merchandise.
Chinese men and small boy in front of Tai Sing Co., Importers and Wholesale Dealers, General Merchandise. (VPL # 8056)

Related Guides

This section will help you find information in the Vancouver Public Library on Chinese Canadian history, from the early years to the present day.

Useful Websites

Developed by the Vancouver Public Library, the Chinese Canadian Genealogy research guide provides tools, techniques and other resources for Chinese Canadian family historians. Check out the History and Pioneer section to review milestones in Chinese Canadian history and to see information on current heritage projects.

Provides research, preservation, documentation, and education around the shared history of the Chinese in British Columbia.

Promotes understanding and friendship between the Chinese community and other cultural groups in Canada.

Collecting, digital archiving, accessing and distributing information about Chinese Canadian history.

Digital Library Resources
General Reference Subject Icon

CBCA is a Canadian-focused database that offers access to newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals and reference sources. *Also suitable for research at the elementary, high school and undergraduate levels.

Access:
Everywhere for Vancouver residents
Newspapers and Magazines Subject Icon

Full-text access to over 500 BC and major Canadian daily newspapers. Some titles go back as far as the 1970s.

Access:
Everywhere for Vancouver residents
Culture and History Subject Icon

NOTE: this online resource was discontinued as of December 31, 2024. A print copy is available at the Central library.

Online version of the 1999 resource that describes the nation’s 119 different ethnic groups: their process of migration, arrival and settlement, community life, intergroup relations, language and culture.

Access:
Everywhere for VPL cardholders
Culture and History Subject Icon

A selection of historical images of Vancouver and British Columbia from the 1880s to the 1980s.

Access:
Everywhere for everyone

Contact Us

Northwest History Index

This card index in Special Collection provides access to the Northwest History Collection, a heritage collection covering the early history and exploration of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.

The collection includes:

  • magazine and newspaper articles
  • pamphlets
  • books
  • chapters in books
  • many other resources

As of August 1998, no new material has been added to the Northwest History Index. It is continued by the British Columbia Index.