Through rap, dance, poetry and song, Calgarians showed their love for one of Calgary’s oldest neighbourhoods Sunday afternoon ahead of a potential battle at city hall on Monday.
The weekend event, dubbed One Love One Chinatown, was billed as a pre-rally block party and saw dozens visit Chinatown to take in lion dancing, martial arts, musical performances and free museum tours.
The party served to raise attention about Chinatown ahead of a public hearing Monday at which controversial proposed tweaks to the Chinatown Area Redevelopment Plan are scheduled to be considered by city council after the issue was tabled in February.
Jacky Chow from World Pak Mei Hup Ging Do Martial Arts helps kids Saum Chow and Ryden Luc as they prepare for a lion dance at the Chinese Cultural Centre on Sunday. The group were performing at a rally about potential changes to Chinatown in Calgary.
Monday’s hearing comes two months after dozens of Chinatown residents and enthusiasts marched from the neighbourhood to city hall in February to protest possible changes to the Area Redevelopment Plan and land-use designation they believe would erode the character of Chinatown.
“Every community has its own unique identity and characteristics. We should respect that and let the community strive,” said Grace Su, spokeswoman for the Chinatown Community Stakeholders’ Committee, a group that has spoken out against the changes.
The proposed amendments, put forward by Manu Chugh Architects Ltd., would increase permitted uses and double current building height restrictions.
Opponents maintain the amendments would pave the way for a 30-storey building to go up on Chinatown’s largest remaining vacant parcel of land on 3rd Avenue.
“To us, Chinatown is a cultural centre,” Su said.
“What if you had the Bow building in Heritage Park? . . . High density, mega density, it doesn’t equate to vibrancy here.”
In February, council deferred the proposed bylaw amendments for two months to allow for meaningful public consultations.
But Su said questions have remained unanswered at sessions hosted by the applicant.
“We were hoping there would be a better quality of public consultation,” she said.
The issue is scheduled to be back at council on Monday, and supporters are planning to once again march to the municipal building to show their support for Chinatown.
