Finding a New Home

Even though the past was difficult, the introduction of Canada’s official Multiculturalism Act and the new Immigration Act in the 1970s helped attract many non-European immigrants to the country. For example, in the 1980s and 1990s, many immigrants from mainland China and Hong Kong were looking for a new home. Economic changes and political issues like the Tiananmen Square protests and the planned handover of Hong Kong to China were two pressures that forced Chinese immigrants to leave. Around the same time, the Investment Canada Act of 1985, along with other welcoming immigration policies, created an environment that encouraged immigrants to invest their money, attracting many Chinese entrepreneurs to start a business in Canada.

Vigil where almost 10,000 mourners gathered at Nathan Phillips Square to pay their respects to Chinese students slain in Tiananmen Square.

People from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos also moved to Canada to escape tough times in their countries. Taiwan faced its own issues, with Taiwanese people worrying about losing their independence to China. This led to a wave of immigrants from Taiwan arriving in Canada.

With so many new immigrants from different backgrounds, the term “visible minorities” got official recognition in 1984. Legislation was introduced to give more opportunities to people who experienced unfair treatment based on their race. Because of these changes, Agincourt became a place full of different cultures, thanks to generations of immigrants who built their homes, businesses, and communities there. Over the years, this cultural diversity further expanded, with the eclectic collection of cultures finding connection through food.

A lot of the younger chefs in that area [would] say, “look, we can cook fusion food. Just because we are of Asian descent, doesn’t mean that [we] can’t cook fine French cuisine.” So, [from there, they] were trying to break those barriers.

– Katrina from Core Sales Inc.