The earliest Chinese immigrant in Toronto was Sam Ching in 1878. The city’s first Chinatown evolved from the late 1870s until much of the slum was torn down in the late 1950s. Many of the displaced people, along with new Chinese immigrants, migrated to today’s West Chinatown. Although one of the largest in North America, it does not have the tourist appeal of other Chinatowns in major cities. You will not find a camera-worthy paifang gate. Mostly you will see a blizzard of signs attempting to attract aging demographics. Other Chinese neighborhoods in Toronto are in East Chinatown, Markham, Mississauga, North York and Richmond Hill.
