History Helps Volume Six, Number 11, October 2006
====================================

• Greetings
• Ladner Chinatown
• Request for Help
• Subscription, Privacy Policy

GREETINGS!

Ladner Chinatown

“Local Chinatown Shows Resistance To Modern Trends

Ladner is one of the oldest settlements on the mainland. One of the early groups of settlers in B.C. consists of the Chinese. The former Chinese settlement in Ladner was a bit larger than today since the ill-luck of a fire in 1929 erased half the built up area. The local Chinatown functions just adjoining the western edge of town and along the dyke as far as the Imperial Oil tanks.

Most of the present day Chinese are very elderly, plus a number now working on farms as casual labourers. One old timer is Leong Foo, age 90 or thereabouts. He came to Canada in 1882 as one of the few left who worked on [the] C.P. R. [Canadian Pacific Railway] construction to bring that transcontinental line into Vancouver some years ago.

The present complement consists of around 60 Chinese scattered in a half dozen habitations, one store and two eating houses. The major earning season for this group is during the spring, summer and fall with their varied calls for farm duty.

Winter is a time of quiet activity evidenced by neatly made piles of fine cut wood. The same old oil lamps of early days are much used as part of a reluctance to go modern.”

Source: The Ladner Optimist, 14 September 1950, page two.

Request for Help

Here’s a request that I’m directing to all subscribers, in the hope there is someone out there who can help me -- and maybe others as well.

At present I’m researching in the local newspaper of 1957 and I’ve come across a differentiation being made between a “taxpayer” and a “ratepayer.” We don’t use the latter term any longer, but I’m wondering if a subscriber can explain what the difference is, which, of course, I’ll share with everyone.

The situation involved the formation of the “South Delta Taxpayers and Ratepayers Association.”

Subscription, Privacy Policy

To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail with either SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line and mailto:gwens@dccnet.com.

Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone.

Gwen Szychter, M.A.

P.S. Here's a favour you can do for me: If you liked this newsletter and found it helpful or just interesting, please pass it on to a friend or colleague. Thank you.

Newspaper Obituary Database coming to

History of Delta, British Columbia On-line

Delta History On-Line

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~