Remembering 成昌 Sing Chong Laundry
in Nelson’s Former Chinatown
Remembering 成昌 Sing Chong Laundry
in Nelson’s Former Chinatown
Embedded Files
in Nelson’s Former Chinatown
成昌 Sing Chong Laundry was housed in the last remaining Chinese-built, Chinese-owned building from what was once a thriving Chinese community in Nelson’s Chinatown, in interior BC. Today, the building houses Kootenay Radio, but until recently, there was no visible indication of the building’s cultural and historical significance. The Foundation for Chinese Dignity set out to restore the erased historical context of 成昌洗衣館 Sing Chong Laundry, working with local partners and bringing back visibility to the community that once lived and laboured there.
Sing Chong Laundry (bottom leftmost building) in 1930, and one its proprietor, 謝禮彦 Sam Jay in 1924.
Background photo: Nelson Museum, Archives, and Gallery; Photo of 謝禮彦 Sam Jay: Library and Archives Canada
A view of Chinatown on Vernon Street in Nelson in 1900. Photo: Nelson Museum, Archives, and Gallery
Historical Context
Nelson’s Chinatown was historically the largest Chinatown in interior BC, a refuge for Chinese migrants to connect and build a new life in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Many of the residents lived through the injustices of the era, like the Head Tax and the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act. Despite its storied past, however, the memories behind the Nelson Chinatown faded into obscurity as the buildings were demolished and their residents forgotten over time.
Only a small commemorative stone memorial remains, a scant reminder of the real, living people who once strived to maintain their community in the face of systemic marginalization. Although the 成昌 Sing Chong building survived, it retained no indication of its Chinese origins—not even its original Chinese name or the identities of its former proprietors.
The Problem
There was lack of public recognition in the names, history, and context lost, reflecting a deeper issue of the erasure of Chinese diasporic presence. There were no traces of the histories behind the building: no signage, nothing in the Chinese language, and no mention in public history of the people it once belonged to. All that had been lost to the exclusion and whitewashing often seen in heritage narratives across Canada.
Kootenay Co-op Radio located at 308A Hall St. in Nelson. Photo by Scott Onyschak.
Our Approach
To restore the history behind 成昌 Sing Chong Laundry, our team partnered with Kootenay Coop Radio, the Nelson Museum, Archives, and Gallery, and Nelson community members.
First, we needed to gather as much existing information as possible, so we conducted extensive archival research. We began by drawing on land title documents, CI (Chinese Immigration) registration files from Library and Archives Canada, local newspaper archives, death records, and grave markers.
Then, we reached out to descendants and community members who had personal connections to the building. Through this collaborative process, we eventually determined that 謝添森 (字禮彦) Sam Jay/Jay Ting Som and 謝永成 Der Bing Soon were the final and longest-lasting proprietors of 成昌 Sing Chong, up until the early 1960s. They were both subjected to the Head Tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act, and spent most of their lives in Nelson, an ocean apart from their wives and sons in China.
We also successfully recovered the original Chinese name of the business 成昌. Previously, this was either absent or erroneous according to official Anglophone sources.
Oral history from community members and a relative of the proprietor validated and enriched the findings from archival research. Beyond hard facts, their testimonies helped restore dignity and humanity to those who once lived and worked there.
C.I.44 certificate of 謝禮彦 Sam Jay/Jay Ting Som in 1924. Image: Library and Archives Canada
Key Findings
The primary goal and results of our work was to restore the names and identities previously absent from public history. We were able to verify the ownership of the building, trace familial connections from the owners, and contextualize their business within the broader historical and cultural narrative of Chinese migration and exclusion. The reinstatement of Chinese names and community connections in public knowledge provides a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the building’s legacy and significance. By providing this information, we can begin to change how the building, and the Chinatown that was around it, is viewed and remembered.
Outcomes & Impact
Bilingual Window Marker
One of our initial goals was to reach the public with our findings, so we designed a bilingual window marker installed on the building’s door to inform passerbys of its history. Besides educating the public, the visibility of the marker also reclaims physical space for Chinese diasporic legacy in a location where it was previously invisible. Far more than just a sign, our work will spark new discussion and connections about heritage, inclusion, and the importance of community-led history-keeping.
Public Writing
In collaboration with Tressa Ford at the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery, we also published an article about the Chinese laundries in Nelson: HISTORY BUFF: The Chinese laundries of Nelson (Nelson Star)
Interpretive window sign at the Sing Chong Laundry/Kootenay Co-op Radio
Bilingual interpretive signage for the 成昌 Sing Chong Building
What’s Next
Our work so far is only the beginning. We plan to expand our efforts to create a larger interpretive sign that contextualizes 成昌 Sing Chong within the broader history of the laundry industry and community life in Nelson’s Chinatown. At the same time, we are developing an oral history archive and a feature article to further share our discoveries. These initiatives aim to deepen public understanding and ensure that the legacy of Nelson’s Chinese community is never forgotten.
Partners & Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the many collaborators and contributors who made this work possible, including Catherine Fisher and Paula Shandro at Kootenay Coop Radio; Tressa Ford and Jean-Philippe Stienne at the Nelson Museum, Archives, and Gallery; community members Tim Jay, Darwin and Nancy Der, Jim Sawada, Fred Wah, and Allen Mar who helped bring this history to light.
The project is supported by the UBC Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund through Critical Alternatives.
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