Pioneer Stories

Chinese cook/servant in residence, 1902. Location unknown. VPL 32250

Reading about the lives of Chinese Canadian pioneers and their families may provide insights that will help as you explore your own family history. Explore some of the published works available at the Vancouver Public Library as well as the free online resources listed below.

Online Exhibits

The Ties That Bind

An online virtual exhibit exploring the history of the Chinese in Canada from before Confederation, during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway and beyond. The exhibit uses archival research and documents, along with the testimony of Chinese Canadian descendants.

Chinese Canadian Women, 1923-1967

Online exhibit with over thirty oral history interviews and over 1,000 historical photographs and records chronicling the experiences of Chinese Canadian women.

Chinese Canadian Stories [ARCHIVED]

The archived version of UBC's multilingual portal for Chinese Canadian history resources. Note that some of the site's original features may no longer function properly.

Individuals and Families

Chang Toy

Chang Toy came to Canada in 1874. After working in a fish cannery and sawmill, he went on to become a successful businessman and active member of the Chinese community.

Chu Lai

Chu Lai arrived in British Columbia in the 1860s, and eventually became one of the province's wealthiest Chinese merchants.

David Hung Chang Lew

David Lew (Lew Hung Chang / Liao Hungxian) was 13 or 14 when he arrived in Canada sometime around 1900. Son of a prominent merchant, he learned the English language and Canadian customs in British Columbian public schools. As an interpreter and legal adviser, David was sometimes at the centre of controversy until his untimely murder in 1924.

Lee Mong Kow Family

Lee Mong Kow emigrated to Canada in 1882 where he settled in Victoria and married Seto Chang Ann with whom he had 17 children. Lee Mong Kow Way in Victoria is dedicated to his memory.

Li Hong

Li Hong came to Canada in 1916, where he joined his uncles in Montreal, working in their laundry business.

Ng Mon Hing

Ng Mon Hing (Wen Wuqing) served the Chinese communities of western and eastern Canada as lay missionary, teacher, and Presbyterian minister.

Yip Sang Family

Yip Sang worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Later, he started a business in Chinatown and became one of Vancouver's most successful merchants in the early 1900s. Learn more about him and his family here.

Useful Websites

UBC - Chinese Canadian Stories Collection

A searchable database of images, documents, and interviews pertaining to early Chinese Canadians immigrants.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography - Chinese-Born Canadians

Read about the six Chinese-born Canadian pioneers listed here, or try searching by keyword to see if there are entries for other prominent Canadians of Chinese descent.