Ottawa's historic Chinatown faces growing pains as residents see neighbourhood changing
One of Ottawa’s oldest neighborhoods is grappling with its future, as it sees an increase in vacant businesses and changes in the community.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
A fixture of Ottawa's Chinatown for over 40 years, Yangtze Restaurant, announced it was putting its property up for sale. The closure is part of a growing problem that residents and business owners have been seeing in the neighbourhood.
Some residents say they have seen in increase in petty crime and social problems related to homelessness and drug addiction that is having an impact on the community's growth.
Peter Yeung, a business owner along Somerset Street West, said he is concerned with the growing number of those in need not receiving support. Chinatown is home to one of the city's safe consumption sites, where anyone can bring pre-obtained drugs and use under professional supervision.
Yeung say he supports safe consumption sites, but says an increase in panhandling could have an impact on businesses in the area.
"This is the centre core of the city of Ottawa, if this area is not growing, all of our collective business are on the line," Yeung said.
"In terms of the injection site I think it has an impact in terms of concern if they come here panhandlers and so forth, I have nothing against them. I think the city needs to help them."
Daphne Millar is a resident who lives just off of Somerset Street West and says the community is welcoming and vibrant, but is showing strains from the cost of living.
She sees the sale of businesses like Yangtze as a sign of the times, with traditional family businesses having a difficult time.
"It's obviously very sad to see, I’m sure it’s a big family business here. I know lots of people have been to Yangtze," Millar said.
"I would like to see that small business community stick around. I want to see this community thrive."
The area's business improvement association (BIA) is working to grow business in the area and help residents feel more secure.
"What we hope is from the city's perspective is we could get some support in terms of more police presence in the neighborhood so that when people are in need, their concerns can be quickly addressed," said Yukang Li, the executive director of Chinatown's BIA.
Even with challenges, the community is welcoming residents to shop eat and celebrate daily, with special events growing.
The annual Chinatown night market is taking over Somerset Street for three days starting on May 31.
Planning for this year is well underway with a waiting list for venders to participate.
"That list was full very quickly and now we have a very long waiting list," Li said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
There's progress reported in Gaza truce talks, but Israel downplays chances of ending war with Hamas
A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in cease-fire talks with Israel, though an Israeli official downplayed the prospects for a full end to the war in Gaza.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.