Photo easels are popping up like mushrooms in Cumberland Chinatown

If you have walked the roads in Cumberland's Chinatown in the past few months you will have noticed the addition of wooden easels holding black and white photographs of buildings on their former sites. Most of photographs are from the collection at the Cumberland and District Museum, a few from private collections. These same pictures are featured on the interactive Chinatown map here on The Cumberlander. Signs have been erected on 14 of the 22 sites noted on the interactive map. The other easels will be added soon and more durable laminated copies of the photos inserted. Tourist and local visitors have passed on many positive comments.

The easels were built and installed by John Leung, grandson of former Chinatown resident and prominent businessman Low Hock Shun. Narratives were added from Museum sources and from recollections of former residents Ken Lowe of Vancouver and Marie Lowe of Courtenay. The locations of the signs were determined with the assistance of retired Surveyor Rocky Williams.

Pictured here is an easel at the original site of Jumbo's (Hor Sue Mah's) cabin, with a 1968 photo by Joyce Lowe, granddaughter of Low Hock Shun.