I've received many of your gracious emails and discussion in the past weeks regarding thestar.com's coverage of the rise of ethnic neighbourhoods in the Greater Toronto Area (Thanks Tiff, Leo, Mike, and Jason). I thought it's only fair to express some of my thoughts on this issue. I've decided to focus my upcoming blog entries on my thoughts on ethnic relations in Canada, namely in Greater Toronto and my dear Markham.

My discussion begins with a bit of background to provide you a little flavour of the changes in change cultural landscape in Markham. I may go a little off-topic from time to time (as you may realize), so please forgive me.

First off, Carole Bell. How could I mention Markham's ethnic relations without referring to Bell? The infamous Carole Bell was the Deputy Mayor of Markham back the late-1980s, early 1990s. She caused major uproar in the Chinese community when criticized that "everything's going Chinese" in the town.

If only I get a dollar every time the quote is mentioned. I have simply lost count of the times the comment was quoted over the years particularly in newspapers and planning literature. She denounced that the influx of migrants from Hong Kong was creating a "racial monopoly" that might drive away the "backbone of Markham" better known as the established white population.

Specifically, Bell was very much concerned about the proliferation of Asian-themed malls during that time, namely the huge redevelopment of the Kennedy and Steeles better known today as Pacific Mall / Market Village. This is the when the nitty-gritty backgrounder material begins.

Cullen Country Barns: Before the Redevelopment
Before the construction of Pacific Mall once stood a large barn which was later converted into a large cultural antique shop and upscale garden nursery called Cullen Country Barns-- which is the same owner has Cullen Gardens Miniature Village in Pickering. This place sold probably the most train sets, stain glass crafts, antique Christmas decorations, dream catchers, beaded art and other nostalgic paraphernalia anywhere in the GTA. This area, which is complementary to the neighbouring Market Village, had the feel of a small German cultural small town comparable to the St. Jacob's Farmers Market.

Market Village: Where are the people?
The area around Market Village, which was then a little more than six years old, was intended to mock the traditional Anglo-Saxon "Main Street" concept but adapted for the suburban car-oriented landscape.

Since its construction in the late 1980's, Market Village has gone through many phases of redevelopment. This is quite evident now as you might feel the mall lacks a sense of cohesion-- parts of the complex hold the different retail atmospheres. The original indoor market area (aptly known as "The Market") only stretched along the corridor from where Green Grove Bubble Tea to the Korean restaurant (facing Steeles Avenue) now stands.

The remaining areas such as the food court, and the retail strip from the LCBO to Food Fair Supermarket was exposed to the elements. This is where the small town mock "Main Street" once stood- with fake traditional gas lit lights, and brick facade storefronts.

You might recall the Bandshell around the area of the food court. I remember during Canada Day, people would congregate around there and listen to the instrumental tunes that the local Markham band played on stage. However, despite some success during holiday special events, the outdoor portion of the Market Village development never took off; while the indoor portion of the mall became progresively more busy as we begin to see the rise of Chinese fish markets, vegetable stands and butcher shops.

Despite some success in the indoor portion of the development, many stores remain empty, mainly because Markhamites continued to perfer "real" traditional environment at Main Street Unionville and Main Street Markham.

Market Village: Restructure and Rebuild
In the early 1990s, Market Village was redeveloped by Cedarland Properties to "meet the changing demographics of the surrounding markets in Scarborough, Markham and Richmond Hill" (from marketvillage.net)- namely the rising Chinese population (which includes yours truly). Since the change in controllership, "The Market" portion of Market Village became an instant success and retail space was quickly occupied.

Cedarland thought that they may be on to something and decided to enclose the space around the Bandshell performance area (now the Food Court) and the LCBO-Food Fair Supermarket corridor into an expanded indoor shopping complex (know as the Phase Two development project). This is the reason why the corridor looks so awfully weird, as the roof was superimposed on the existing outdoor environment.

"Golden Food Market" (Chinese people and their shitty business names) once stood a "Home Hardware" home improvement concept called Cashway. At the time, Cashway was not yet connected to the indoor mall until redevelopment in Phase Three. Nothing much has changed since 1995s Phase Three development. The arguably the most exciting development at Market Village was the Club Monaco Outletstore, which then moved to the cheap rent location at the Woodside Centre (across from First Markham Place)

In 1994, when the community started to realize how unreasonably expensive Cullen Country Barns became to be, people became to treat it as an interesting museum, rather than a store. As a result, business slowed and the store folded. Observing the success of the newly Asian-themed Market Village which flanked Cullen, Living Properties acquired the space occupied by Cullen, demolished it, and built what we all know today as Pacific Mall.

Pacific Mall: The Beginning of Controversy
The development of Pacific Mall was without a doubt the spark that led to the Carole Bell controversy. The destruction of the of the European-influenced Farmer's Market and Cullen Country Barns into these Asian retail centres accurately portrayed and instilled fear that there is this (which I hate to call it) "Asian Invasion."

This concludes my first entry on the contextual background of the Markham cultural evolution. In the following entry, I will further discuss the Carole Bell controversy and the personal viewpoints about it.

FYI: Recently, Pacific Mall / Market Village have put forth plans to further exapand its retail space for an additional 400,000 square feet of retail space, a new luxury hotel tower and a multi-level parking structure. Say hello to more traffic headaches-- that is another entry in itself.

Related Articles:

• Multicultural Markham, 10 years on [thestar.com]
• Pacific Mall Growing Up [yorkregion.com: Economist and Sun]

If this topic interests you, please visit my blog series dedicated to issues related to ethnic retailing in larger Canadian cities.

1. Call to curb ethnic malls in Calgary?
2. “Ethnic themed” stores versus mainstream suburban retailing
3. Chinatowns vs Asian-themed malls? What’s the difference?
4. "What about 'white malls'?" argument

Comments (5)

In 1995, Carole Bell, then-Deputy Mayor of Markham, made comments about the Chinese community that cause a disturbing turbulence in the Town which rippled across Greater Toronto and the international Chinese community.

With the increase in immigration from South and Southeast Asia, retail concepts that reflect the needs and wants of the Asian community became increasingly popular. She stated that many of the new retail developments in Markham catered only to the Chinese community, and many of the stores which only carried Chinese store signage.

In the meeting in York Regional Council in Newmarket, Bell made the following remarks:

The growing concentration of Chinese in Markham was causing long time residents, the "backbone" of the community to feel unwelcome.

Everything is going Chinese. This is a racial monopoly [...]. We have citizens demanding we pass by-laws prohibiting signage in a language we can't read [...] at Chinese malls whose developers are focusing on one group, giving the impression [...] that non-Chinese basically weren't welcome [...]. The growing concentration of ethnic groups is causing social conflict.

The statements that were made at the Regional Council meeting was just a tip of the iceberg that was to follow. As the public outcry began to take place in the Town, Bell refused to take back her words and further had this to say in an open letter to the editor in the Markham Economist & Sun:

When dozens of individuals who are the backbone of Markham say they are moving away, as dozens of other neighbors and friends have, then we have a problem that must be addressed [...]. We once had one of the finest communities in North America with enviable business parks and the top corporations in the land. Now all we get are theme malls to serve people way beyond our borders [...]. We need to strive for harmony not monopoly.

This is my feeble attempt to collect the quotes that Bell spoke of. I have a lot to say, but I'm having trouble to find out how to best communicate them.

Bell: The Good Things (or "Dings"):
Let's start with the good. I give her credit for being forthright about the her and her constituent's concerns, it's never better to just shy away from our problems due to, what it seems to be these days, an excess of political correctness. I'm sure she's not the only resident who felt concerned-- apprehensive even-- about the rapid migration of Chinese migrants to the area. I think that it's great that we're at least talking about it, rather than having these issues built up.

The Sign[s]- Ace of Base:
I'm going to start by talking about the issue of exclusively Chinese signs on store frontages. First, I agree with her that having signs in Chinese does damper and indirectly exclude other ethnicities from feeling welcome into the area. If I to enter my community to suddenly to only find, say, Italian writing for example, I too may feel partly snubbed and alienated.

However, at the same time, I have the mentality where "why should I care?" If these businesses are dumb enough to only cater to Chinese people, well then that's their fucking loss. They clearly are neglecting a much larger market of customers and it is these businesses that will eventually suffer. So yeah, power to the bilingual signs and power to the people (...all people).

Politicians don't "ring" well without accountability:
There are a lot of contradictions on what she's stated. She denies that her remarks were racially motivated and that all she was doing was voicing the opinions of her constituents. Shea adds that we shouldn't, as she calls it, "shoot the messenger." I must say she has squeezed out the last drop of integrity that's left in her. It is one thing to make remarks about a particular community, and it is another to not accept responsibility for her words-- claiming that it was from her constituents.

Fine, politicians may act as a voice for constituents and sometimes may not reflect the politician's views, however, in the "Multicultural Markham, 10 years on" article in the Star on Canada Day, she says:

I don't live in Markham anymore. I am not going to comment on the diversity in Markham.

Cheers to the lack of accountability. Here here. Her latest comment really leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, like sip of warm beer.

"Monopoly": Don't speak English, don't collect $200.
It was a different time ten years ago, I will admit that there was at the time an ever-increasing Chinese population in the community-- almost seeming like it wasn't going to end. However, I want to be clear that not now and not ever will Markham be "monopolised" to a Chinese town. Her "everything's going Chinese" remark clearly displays her xenophobic views about the Chinese community. It almost sounds as she thinks that we're an army of Chinese immigrants that are ready to penetrate and conquer Markham. It's like it should be plastered on headline news "Beware, the Chinese people are coming! They're going to get their tanks and crush this place! Ahhh!"

I want to affirm that Markham has never been catered only to Chinese people. In 2005, ten years after the controversy, the Chinese still only account for just under 30% of Markham's population according to Statistics Canada. Sure, the Chinese may be the largest ethnic group in the town, but where I live, in the heart of the "ethnic enclave," is home to people of all ethnic groups: Indians, Sri Lankans, Jamaicans, Latin Americans, Eastern Europeans, and people from the Caribbean-- or better known today as Canada's largest immigrant groups. So to say that we as Chinese people huddle exclusively together is ignorant and offends our community. Markham is town of immigrants--that in fact is true. The Chinese demographic is simply one of those immigrant group components.

Economic Development Depression:
Let's switch gears to economic development. In 1995, we apparently have "enviable business parks." Now in 2005, we talk about how unsustainable they've become, so definitely, they're not something to be bragging about.

I'm digressing again. Bell seems to suggest that business parks have greatly contributed to the Markham economy (and rightly so), but ethnic malls do not. However, believe it or not, Chinese people are also generators of economic development. Several notes to observe:

1. Chinese people are tax-paying citizens (30% to be exact), you know, the people who paid for whiners like Bell.
2. Customers at Asian-themed malls earn money, and then spend money at these malls- money that that then benefits the local community. More money means more jobs, more jobs means more taxes, more taxes mean more money again for whiners like Bell.

So what seems to be the problem? I don't see how these developments deter economic growth.

More on the economic development forefront-- no, better yet, economic discouragement. She thinks that Markham has Asian-themed Malls that "serve way beyond our borders." Since when did we only want to create development that only serves our "borders"? Come to think of it, wouldn't it be better than store owners reach a broader range of customers from across the region, so maybe be able to capture more money in the town? Remember my spiel about "more money for whiners like Bell"? That applies here too.

Sure people might point the gun at the increased traffic that may occur-- which is true-- Pacific Mall for example is a traffic nightmare. But we need to realize that traffic is caused by the lack of transport alternatives, not because of Asian-themed malls.

Good Bye "High-Tech Capital"?
Tying into the previous topic, what Bell seems to be suggesting is that we should scale down all our developments to serve the only local community or the "borders," as you will. Perhaps this due to the "small-town syndrome" that plagues many of the peripheral towns of large urban centres (I completely loathe this). In our car-oriented environment, it is certainly common for someone to be living in one community and work and shop in another. So what's the problem of interregional developments? From what I understand, she feels that we should scale down operations at IBM, Motorola, HP and ATI because obviously we should only limit jobs to those only who live in the "borders." Right.

Thank the lord that she's not our mayor, because if she was, not only will there be no Chinese people living here, there will be, well, no one.

Ethnic Enclaves and "Social Conflict":
Bell suggested that the concentration of ethnic groups cause social conflict. However, in Canada, the concentration of ethnic groups is nothing new as evident in many communities in the GTA. A large population of Italians live in Woodbridge, Jewish in Forest Hill and Thornhill, South Asians in Brampton, the Greeks on the Danforth. So to target the Chinese community and to denounce them as perpetrators of "social conflict" is unwarranted and unfair. All these neighbourhoods are vibrant, functional, and contribute to society and the economy. She seems to lack the understanding that immigrants often have the feeling of "homesickness" and may want to possess something or be in a place that strikes familiarity to them. Canada is undeniably a diverse and generally accepting country, but settling here from a foreign country still does not come easy (I will touch on this topic later).

Now in 2005, there are definitely more peaceful times in the Town of Markham, and definitely not the "redneck capital of Canada" as what articles suggested. People, to what I feel, seem to get along with one another and I feel that the town has achieved that "cultural mosaic" here we should be truly proud of.

In my next installment, I want to touch on the issue of my life as Asian here in Markham and my views on the larger community and the future.

Related Reading:
If you happen to be at the Markham Village library (Main Street Markham & Highway 7), take a look at the media clippings section. There were among almost a hundred articles in the Toronto Star, Economist & Sun and local papers across the GTA that covered this story. All interested should check it out.

• Knowing the neighbours [thestar.com]
• Subtle flavour in Vaughan [thestar.com]
• An economy unto itself [thestar.com]
• A little piece of the Punjab [thestar.com]
• Where the plaza is just like 'home' [thestar.com]
• Faith, family, gefilte fish and Friday nights [thestar.com]

Comment me your thoughts; I may be biased, as I am Chinese. I'd love to hear from you.

Comments (7)

This past weekend was a Chinese holiday known as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

It occurs on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Lunar Calendar, and is pretty much the equivalent of Canada's Thanksgiving Day, where we celebrate our harvest.

It also celebrates about some Chinese myth about some lady that lived on the moon, but I forget. (No, not Sailor Moon)

Back to the topic, for those who aren't familiar with the Lunar calendar, the 15th day of each month is the day where the moon is its fullest. Particularly the 8th month, the moon is especially large, as it is closer to the earth.

Instead of the traditional turkey, Chinese people have moon cakes to recognise this holiday. If you enjoy really oily and really sweet things, moon cakes are your best bet. (By the way, my parents actually packed one for me coming back to Waterloo-- so Waterlooians, you can have some!). Aside from moon cakes, lighting lanterns is also a tradition during this time.

I remember when I was a little boy in Hong Kong, it was such a big deal-- presumably it still is today. Anyways, my parents would buy-- my sister, my cousins and me-- paper lanterns and we'd flock on the streets just doing what kids consider fun (e.g. running around chasing each other for no apparent reason). Anyways, one particular year is still vivid in my momory and I was probably four years of age. It was a really chilly night-- probably temperatures in the single digits-- which, by the way, is very cold considering Hong Kong's high humidity values.

I remember there was a little night market arrangement set up at the outdoor square next to our flat. While each of us was holding on to our paper lanterns, I admired some of those crazy lanterns that was lit by blubs-- ours were the "real" lanterns, lit by candles.

Of course, my parents would not spend money on such waste, and snubbed me off. I think the reason why I still remember this so vividly is because of what happened next.

As we were heading home, being the clumsy boy that I was (and still am), I carelessly jolted my lantern while I was playing, and it lit on fire. After my discovery, I alerted my dad-- with the expectation that he could save my lantern. But instead, he threw it to the ground and smothered for fire by stomping on it.

This is when I start crying and demanding that he get me another one.

Of course, he didn't. What's worse, my sister, nor my cousins, gave me theirs. Mind you, I'm the youngest of my sister and my cousins.

What happened to young kid always getting their own way? Obviously, this is a myth.

Anyways, the moral of this story is that Mid-Autumn Festival was definitely really fun, and I hope to go back to Hong Kong to experience that again-- well maybe not the lantern burning part.

Despite the large Chinese population in Toronto, we simply haven't carried our traditions with us in Canada. The only thing that we have carried on in Canada is the annoyance of dim sum restaurants nagging you to buy mooncakes. Oh gawd, it's so irritating after a while.

Mid-Autumn Festival - [wikiedpia.org]

Comments (2)

Her name is Anna Sophie Loewenberg.

She is an Jewish-American filmmaker/journalist living in Beijing. Her fluency in Mandarin definitely puts me to shame. If my grandma had access to Youtube, she would definitely give me a lecture about my poor ties with the Chinese world. Haha.

Anyways, Loewenberg produced Sexy Beijing, a mini-documentary series on Youtube, which discusses some quirky things about the nation's capital. Her documentary style takes elements from Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw, where she, as a similar thirty-something, narrates her inquisitive thoughts about the transitioning Chinese culture and documents her encounters with its people.

The episode, Lost in Translation is a must see. She discusses some of the very creative English names Chinese people have come up with for themselves.

Here's the a list of episodes:

• Lost in Translation {Highly recommended)
• Sexy Christmas
• Weddings Gone Wild
• Country Loving
• Looking for Double Happiness
• Jew Brew
• Anna May Wong

Anna Sophie Loewenberg - [geocities.com]

Comments (0)

Ah yes, Calgary is finally a ‘big city’ with big city isses. It’s very interesting how large cities seem to undergo similar types of issues through its course of growth.

There are a number of reports [CBC, Calgary Herald, Canada.com] in the past week regarding the apparent community outrage about a report commissioned by the City of Calgary about avoiding “the development of ‘Asian’ malls that cater only to a specific group.”

As CBC reports, “[t]he 139-page report, authored by Tom Leung, president of Global Retail Strategies, suggests: “An effort must be made to avoid 'exclusive' cultural-specific retail developments, as they lead to marginalized ethnic enclaves which can diminish overall community cohesiveness.”

From my glimpse of the more educated comments on the CBC article, the reaction to the report is fairly mixed.

Valid comments in support of the report

The comments in support of Leung’s report recognized that ethnic shopping centres naturally facilitate the segregation people of different cultural groups and the clustering of homogeneous ethnic groups. Also, because of the diminished prominence of English language signage and the lowered levels English understanding by store staff, there is a sense these establishments are not accessible to everyone in the community.

Valid comments against the report

The negative comments towards the report recognize that the report is in poor taste because it singles out one specific ethnic and racial group, and that governments should plan communities based on the ‘use’, rather than the ‘users’. In addition, some voiced comments about the dangers of governments in attempting to “over-manage” our diversity and that these measures would intrude on market forces. Lastly, there are a number of individuals who simply enjoy these ethnic shopping centres and would understandably speak out against these developments.

Leung a racist?

It has been very easy for people to accuse Leung has a “racist” or a “bigot” especially as his report did single out a particular race, but without actually reading the report, it’s difficult to legitimately make that judgment. Was the document in poor taste? Yes. Was it communicated poorly, thus causing people to question the legitimacy of the report altogether? Probably.

I don't think we need to focus too much on what Leung's intentions are. What is worth focusing on is for all of us to understand and try to resolve these issues recurring issues in Canada's large suburban communities.

We are indeed noticing more ethnic commercial centres. We are indeed seeing greater concentrations of people of similar socio-economic and cultural spheres. What caused them to happen in the first place? Why do people have such strong opinions for ethnic malls? What are the real social implications of these development trends?

This report has again raised the awareness and interest in this issue, and I hope to take this opportunity to shed some light about our current planning framework, processes and trends which may have led to the creation of these arguably segregated communities. Because I tend to write such long entries, I have decided to divide the entries down into more manageable lengths. Stay tuned.

Addendum

This has always been a topic that I’ve been very interested in, and over the years, I’ve learned to take a more objective stance and to remove the emotional attachments associated with these issues. I’ve written a number of articles on this topic in the past, and I think my perspectives on this topic have evolved slightly. You can read my previous entries here:

• Ethnic Relations I: The Evolution of Steeles and Kennedy
• Ethnic Relations II: Carole Bell and Markham's Racial Tensions

Articles in the series

1. Call to curb ethnic malls in Calgary?
2. “Ethnic themed” stores versus mainstream suburban retailing
3. Chinatowns vs Asian-themed malls? What’s the difference?
4. "What about 'white malls'?" argument

Comments (5)

The following is part of a series of entries dedicated to issues related to ethnic retailing in larger Canadian cities. The prelude entry can be found here.

The common comment against ethnic malls is the following:

I have no problems with Asian businesses operating, but why can’t they be integrated in existing shopping establishments? The concentration of one type of use is never a good thing.

Yes, the concentration of one type of any use is surely not a good thing, but it's important to understand the nature of today’s suburban retailing to find the answer as to why they may have developed in the first place. If you take a closer look at key players in Canada’s suburban retailing, you will notice that it is predominately operated by small number of key organizations, namely: Cadillac Fairview, Oxford Properties, Ivanhoe Cambridge, SmartCentres, and First Gulf. Name any shopping centre in your neighbourhood, it's likely that it's owned by one of the above firms.

Because of the vast amount of retail space these firms own, it is in the interest of these firms to make arrangements with, and provide incentives for, larger corporate partners to sell retail space. This is clearly evident we encounter similar corporate chains (e.g. GAP, American Eagle, Bluenotes, HMV, wireless stores, etc) in virtually all malls without seeing almost any non-corporate chains.

Thus, the real issue is that Canada’s mainstream retail developers have systemically favoured larger corporate retail chains and they provide no incentive independent business owners to establish their business in these shopping areas. In addition, the larger format “Big Box” locations are surely out of question, as their retailing space is surely too large to cater to the small business owner.

So what has occurred? Small business owners must then establish locate in areas operated by “niche market” retail developers. This is how Pacific Mall was developed. This is how Aberdeen Centre in Richmond was developed.

What's the solution?

As consumers, convince these “mainstream” retail developers about the value of small businesses in creating a distinctive and captivating shopping experience. Let’s face it, nobody wants to visit the predictable shopping centres we currently have. The development of these ethnic malls is a clear sign that there is a market for more smaller-scale types of retailing--retail developers should realize this.

Toronto's 905 region is increasingly seeing these kinds of development, where a smaller cluster of ethnic businesses are intermingled with more mainstream larger corporate chains like pharmacies (namely Shoppers Drug Mart), banks, and restaurants. Warden Centre, Milliken Crossing [Scroll down in linked page], and arguably First Markham Place are examples of these more dynamic forms of suburban retailing. I think that's surely a better balance.

Articles in the series

1. Call to curb ethnic malls in Calgary?
2. “Ethnic themed” stores versus mainstream suburban retailing
3. Chinatowns vs Asian-themed malls? What’s the difference?
4. "What about 'white malls'?" argument

Comments (6)

The following is part of a series of entries dedicated to issues related to ethnic retailing in larger Canadian cities. The prelude entry can be found here.

Well, from a planner's perspective, there's surely a wealth of difference between Chinatowns and Asian-themed malls.

At the same time, I get a sense that people are generally more accepting of traditional “Chinatowns” than Asian-themed malls. Why is that the case? What is it about these ethnic malls that make them offensive? Aren’t malls just the late 20th Century automobile adaptations of the main street concept?

I suppose the biggest differentiation is that urban core cultural communities (e.g. Chinatown) are visibly more cohesive to the surrounding urban fabric than shopping centres. Core urban areas accommodate mixed range of land uses, while suburban developments have always strictly delineated homogenous land uses. Because of this, I get a sense that concentrations of suburban ethnic retailing are perceived to be much more concentrated than their urban counterparts even if its "ethnic density" (e.g. "ethnic retail jobs" or "ethnic patron" per unit area) may be similar. I attribute this theory to a suburban mall's lack of “buffer” non-retail uses.

A brief browse of contemporary urban planning research will tell you that traditional suburban developments have always notoriously and systemically promoted socio-economic and cultural segregation. So in many ways, could the prevalence of Asian-themed malls be a “tipping point” indicator against our current homogeneous suburban development patterns? Maybe the people’s problems aren’t ethnic malls, but they have finally realized the demise of our current state of suburbanization?

Solution

If my above theory is correct, the answer is clearly to create complete and mixed use communities. I would gladly vouch my support and rise to the challenge to make it happen! Creating complete and mixed use communities will surely align today's municipalities with its objective to lower the degree of socio-economic and the perceived cultural segregation in its communities.

Articles in the series

1. Call to curb ethnic malls in Calgary?
2. “Ethnic themed” stores versus mainstream suburban retailing
3. Chinatowns vs Asian-themed malls? What’s the difference?
4. "What about 'white malls'?" argument

Comments (3)

The following is part of a series of entries dedicated to issues related to ethnic retailing in larger Canadian cities. The prelude entry can be found here.

Here's a criticism that's often cited by people against ethnic malls:

Can you imagine the uproar if they created malls that would only cater to people of European/Caucasian decent? As people of European/Canadian descent we have had to learn to be open and tolerant to people of different ethnic backgrounds, it is time that people of other ethnic backgrounds did the same.

I think this arguement is truly dumbfounded. I am sure that many people would not have a problem with the establishment of malls that cater to European cultural goods. For example, there are goods Germans, Italians, or Britons may have an affinity to, and I would be very happy to visit places that would capture cultural spirit! I guess IKEA's food section to a certain extent is an example of this. So was Mark's and Spencer. The thing is that many of these goods are readily available in many stores in this country, and thus niche markets such as European-flavour shopping destinations don't really exist.

Furthermore, stores in Pacific Mall for example sell culture-specific goods (e.g. cultural dinnerware, food, plush toys, and electronics) that people, particularly Asians, value. They exist because these specialized goods are not provided for in other shopping venues.

On the other hand, I would surely be offended if a "white" mall were to exist. There is a huge difference between a "white" shopping centre and a European shopping centre, as I cannot think of what are “white cultural goods and services” The emphasis is on the goods and services that these shopping establishments provide, and certainly not on who uses them.

Photo from: Tibor Kolley of the Globe and Mail

Articles in the series

1. Call to curb ethnic malls in Calgary?
2. “Ethnic themed” stores versus mainstream suburban retailing
3. Chinatowns vs Asian-themed malls? What’s the difference?
4. "What about 'white malls'?" argument

Comments (0)

I always find shopping at Market Village/Pacific Mall very stressful. There's something about these independent stores that just breeds inconvenience. They never accept credit, and there's always some price floor for using Debit.

A few weeks ago, I was heading to Market Village to get some Vitasoy for a picnic event. Vitasoy is perhaps the best drink for this occasion because it did not require me to bring a cooler, nor did it require me to bring cups (had I brought large drink containers).

I grabbed six six-packs: two malt, two lemon teas, and two regular soy milk. I happily realized that there's a sale for them for 3 for $9, which was a pretty awesome deal. As I proceeded to the check out, the cashier spoke to me in Mandarin, and I vaguely heard something about her putting my purchases on two separate transactions- my uncertainty was cleared up when I witnessed her only scanning the first three packs in.

I wasn't exactly sure why she did this, but I didn't really question-- especially as there's now a clear language barrier.

I didn't have enough cash on me to pay for both purchases (typical me), so I pulled out my bank card, hoping to pay by Debit. The cashier recognizes my intent to pay with Debit and replies something I didn't understand. I tried speaking to her in both Cantonese (my mother tongue) and English, but nothing worthwhile was exchanged between us.

I sensed the issue was the about the need to purchase over a certain amount in order to use debit, which I later found out on the sign that you need a purchase of $10 or more.

So here comes the dilemma, and it's better demonstrated with math.

3 packs = $9

Thus,
6 packs = $18

Pretty simple, right? So I tried to tell her that my purchase is clearly over $10, so I didn't get it. So now I'm awkwardly standing there not knowing what's going on. Luckily, after ten seconds of silence and nothingness, the nearby cashier told me in Cantonese that there's a 3-pack limit per customer.

I finally get it. But it still doesn't solve with my situation. I seem to have fallen through the cracks of the supermarket's policies: I need to spend more than $10 to pay via Debit, but I'm limited to buying just 3 packs per transaction.

So what did I do? I disappointingly left with no Vitasoy.

After having some time to absorb what happened, I find it quite sad that two Chinese-Canadians were not able to understand one another.

Comments (1)