CALGARY – Hundreds of people took in the sights and sounds of Calgary’s annual Chinatown street festival to celebrate Chinese Canadian culture Sunday afternoon.
“One Love One Chinatown” was held behind the Chinese Cultural Centre downtown and showcased traditional music, dance, martial arts demonstrations and a lion dance.
The group that organized the street party wanted to draw attention to the proposed redevelopment in Chinatown and they also plan to hold a rally at City Hall Monday morning before city council makes a decision on the plan.
The volunteers are concerned about proposed amendments to two city bylaws, which they say were created without consultation from the public.
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They say the amendments to the Chinatown area redevelopment plan would increase both the density and the height of development projects and change what types of businesses could operate on site.
City councillors will vote to pass or reject the bylaw amendments at the public hearing Monday morning.
A few months ago, dozens of people attended a rally in front of City Hall protesting the proposed redevelopment plans for Chinatown. The Chinatown Community Stakeholders’ Committee (CCSC) organized the march.
With files from Carolyn Kury de Castillo