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Chinatown in Toronto
By ChinaA2Z.com  |  2007-11-30 11:22:08

The Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada, has at least six Chinatowns (Chinese: 多倫多唐人街/duo lun duo tang ren jie) — three are located within the citys boundaries, while the other three are located in adjacent suburbs.

It has expanded significantly, parallelling Torontos economic growth, and also because language laws in Quebec persuaded many Chinese to move from Montreal to Toronto.

Toronto has one of the largest Chinatowns in North America. It is centred around the intersection of Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue, and extends outward from this point along both streets. It has grown significantly over the years and has come to reflect a diverse set of Asian cultures through its shops and restaurants, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai.

Torontos original Chinatown was located on Dundas Street West and Bay Street. When the City began construction on the current City Hall in the 1960s, Chinese-oriented stores and homes formerly in the old district were required to close down and move shop, so that the area could be cleared for the new building. Consequently, the Chinese community migrated westward to Chinatowns current location. A handful of Chinese businesses still remain around Bay and Dundas.

Since the late 1990s, Torontos oldest (surviving) Chinatown is struggling to redefine itself in the face of an ageing Chinese population, recent declines in tourism, and the lure of the suburban Chinatowns that continue to draw money and professional immigrants away from downtown.