About Us

One of Canada’s most iconic neighborhoods and the historic heart of Vancouver

The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation is a registered charity founded in 2011 to honour a culture and community established in Vancouver more than 100 years ago. The organization is characterized by a spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation and a passion to help the revitalization of Chinatown, one of Canada’s most iconic neighborhoods and the historic heart of Vancouver.

Our Mission

The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation is dedicated to building a more resilient and inclusive community by promoting the wellbeing of those in need while preserving Chinatown’s irreplaceable cultural heritage. Our ongoing projects focus on creating a lasting positive impact such as affordable housing, seniors housing, and cultural and economic development.

Our Vision

We have a vision of a prosperous, vibrant, and inclusive Chinatown, where people want to live, work and play.

Our Revitalization Strategy

Our Revitalization efforts must find a balance between preserving tradition and enabling a sustainable future for Vancouver’s Chinatown. Our strategy to revitalize this important neighbourhood are grounded on three interconnected pillars:
  • Physical Revitalization & Affordable Housing
Improve and increase the supply of quality housing in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside Support family associations in preserving and rehabilitating historic buildings Projects: 58 West Hastings & May Wah Hotel
  • Economic Revitalization
Support and attract a healthy mix of traditional Chinese businesses and culturally appropriate shops that complement the natural evolution of Chinatown while respecting its historic character Projects: Economic Revitalization Program, Chinatown Vintage, Foo Hung Curios, Taste of Chinatown, and Light Up Chinatown! festival
  • Cultural Revitalization
Provide and highlight facilities that share Chinatown’s rich cultural heritage and historical significance Engage the community to share their stories and experiences of Chinatown for generations to come Project: Chinatown Storytelling Centre

Trustees

Wallace B. Chung

Dr. Wallace B. Chung specialized in vascular surgery during his forty-year medical career. In 1991, he retired after decades of service at UBC Hospital as a Professor and as Head of the Department of Surgery. He has served on numerous cultural boards, including the Canadian Multiculturalism Council, British Columbia Heritage Trust, the Chinese Cultural Centre, and the Vancouver Maritime Museum. In 1998, he donated 25,000 items documenting Chinese Canadian settlement history to Western Canada to UBC Library, creating the Chung Collection – hailed as an invaluable educational resource for academia and the public. Dr. Chung is a Member of the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada

Peter Y.L. Eng

Henry Fung

Dr. Henry Fung, a retired physician and a pharmacologist, has held a number of academic appointments at various medical institutions in North America including the University of British Columbia, the University of Manitoba and Harvard Medical School. He is a founding partner of Linacare. Since his retirement from medicine, he has been actively engaged with Vancouver Chinatown revitalization efforts.

Robert Lee (2011-2020)

Mr. Robert (Bob) H. Lee is the Chairperson of Prospero Group. He was born and raised in Vancouver’s Chinatown. After co-founding Wall Financial Corporation in 1966, he founded the Prospero Group, a highly successful real estate business. Mr. Lee has demonstrated exceptional dedication to his alma mater, the University of British Columbia. He joined the UBC Board of Governors in 1984 and served as Chancellor from 1993 to 1996. He founded UBC Properties Trust in 1988, which to date has raised over $1 billion for the University’s endowment. He served as Chairman until 2011 and still acts as Chairman Emeritus. Mr. Lee was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UBC, and is a member of the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada.

Brandt Louie

Mr. Brandt C. Louie is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of H.Y. Louie Co. and President, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of London Drugs. As one of Canada’s most widely respected business leaders, Mr. Louie also serves as Chairman of Grosvenor Americas, Governor of the Vancouver Board of Trade, Chancellor Emeritus of Simon Fraser University, and a Member of the Dean’s Council of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has devoted his time and philanthropic support to the community such as the Gairdner Foundation, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and Covenant House. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws from both SFU and UBC and in 2009, was appointed to the Order of British Columbia.

Board of Directors

Carol A. Lee

Ms. Carol A. Lee is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Linacare Cosmetherapy, headquartered in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown district. With long-standing family ties to the history and development of Chinatown, she is deeply committed to the revitalization of Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside. She is Chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Revitalization Committee, and Honorary Patron of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society, and serves on boards of several other organizations. In 2016, she was appointed to the Finance Minister of Canada’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and received her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Caleb Chan

Mr. Caleb Chan is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Burrard International Holdings in Vancouver and International Land Group in San Francisco. A Hong Kong-born Canadian businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Chan serves as a Director of UBC Properties Trust, Belkorp Industries Inc., and served as Director of HSBC Canada and HSBC Canada Asset Trust for almost a decade. He has also served as a board member of the Asia Pacific Initiative, BC Housing Management Commission, and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. His family’s Chan Family Foundation has supported educational, medical, and missionary work in Hong Kong and abroad. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from UC Berkeley and holds a MBA from the University of San Francisco. He holds an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of British Columbia.

Henry Fung

Dr. Henry Fung, a retired physician and a pharmacologist, has held a number of academic appointments at various medical institutions in North America including the University of British Columbia, the University of Manitoba and Harvard Medical School. He is a founding partner of Linacare. Since his retirement from medicine, he has been actively engaged with Vancouver Chinatown revitalization efforts.

Maggie Ip

Maggie was born in Shanghai, China and grew up in Hong Kong where she obtained her B.A. She came to Canada for postgraduate studies at the University of Ottawa and received her Masters degree in Education in 1967. She was a high school teacher for 25 years and also a devoted volunteer in helping new immigrants. She was the Founding Chair of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. in 1973, an immigrant service organization in Vancouver. Between 1993 to 1996, she was elected Vancouver City Councillor. Maggie has also served on the Boards of United Way, YWCA, BC Heritage Language Association, and Vancouver Public Library. She was conferred an Honourary Doctor of Laws degree from S.F.U. in 2015.

Tony Letvinchuk

Mr. Tony Letvinchuk is Managing Director of Macdonald Commercial Real Estate Services Ltd. (a Macdonald Real Estate Group Company). He has 30 years of experience operating commercial real estate companies in Metro Vancouver and British Columbia, and joined Macdonald Commercial in 1998. He was a member of the Real Estate Council of BC’s Property Management Advisory Group and a Director of the Urban Development Institute Pacific Region (UDI). Tony has previously served as the President of UBC Commerce Alumni Association, Director of the Arthritis Society of BC and Yukon Division, and he received the Blythes Eagles Volunteer Award from the UBC Alumni Association. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and received a Diploma in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia.

Bev Pao

Jack Wong

Jack Wong is the Chief Executive Officer of the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia. Before being named CEO in February 2011, Jack was the Assistant Managing Director & CFO of the Vancouver Board of Trade. A certified member and Fellow of the Certified Professional Accountants of Canada, Jack holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Business Administration degree from UBC. He is a past Fellow of the Ford Foundation’s Regional Sustainable Development Program, member of Lambda Alpha International, and associate member of the Real Estate Institute of BC. Jack serves as a Director for Brightside Community Homes Foundation, Immigrant Services Society of BC, Vancouver Police Foundation, and the Richmond Museum Society. He also is the Chair of the Social Innovation Working Group at UBC Farm, Capital Committee co-Chair of Thompson Rivers University, as well as serving on the external advisory councils for the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of BC and the Faculty of Environment at Simon Fraser University. He is the Past-Chair of the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers Network (Toronto) and Past-President of the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Garden Society (Vancouver). He lives in Steveston, BC with his wife Alanna, and has 2 grown daughters.

John Yee

Benjamin Yeung

Mr. Benjamin Yeung is Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Peterson Group, a family-owned real estate company active in real estate investment, development, property management, capital lending, and private equity. He devotes time to serve the community as a Board Member of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, UBC Faculty of Dentistry, as a Director of Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Society, Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation, and as Vice President of the Shandong Natives Association of BC.

Davis Yung

Davis Yung was born and raised in Hong Kong and came to Canada as an international student when he was 17 years old. Davis has been involved in agriculture and the food industry for 30 years. Davis co-founded Fresh Direct Produce in 2003 and served as the president & CEO, leading the team’s growth from 11 to 450 staff across B.C., Alberta, and Ontario until his retirement in 2022. Fresh Direct Produce has been named Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2011. Headquartered in Vancouver, Fresh Direct Produce has been an active community supporter of the Strathcona Community Centre, Greater Vancouver Food Bank, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and Food Stash. Davis is the Past Chair of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association and Past Audit Chair for the Produce Marketing Association. He has also served on the board of BC Food Processing Association and currently sits on the Board of Fresh Direct Produce Group of companies. Davis holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University, an MBA from Queen’s University, and the CPA, CMA designation.
Vancouver Chinatown Foundation
Stay Connected
Follow Us