'We just want to be a vibrant community': Rally calls for lasting security in Edmonton's Chinatown
An emotional rally outside City Hall Saturday afternoon called for more permanent solutions to help keep Edmonton's Chinatown a vibrant community.
Community leaders demanded immediate action from all levels of government, the Edmonton Police Service, and social support agencies to ensure Chinatown and downtown as a whole remain safe and accessible to all.
"We want to be recognized that there are some outstanding issues," said Jackson Ho, a community spokesperson.
On May 18, two men in their 60s who worked at different businesses in the Chinatown community — Ban Phuc Hoang and Hung Trang — were beaten to death in the Chinatown neighbourhood.
A 36-year-old has since been charged with second-degree murder in both deaths.
At the rally, incense was burned, as flowers and fruit were placed beside photographs of Hoang and Trang.
"Today is really about I would say creating awareness, not just about the situation that happened last week but overall, Chinatown is a community that requires safety and support of the city and the province," Ho said.
"We just want to be a vibrant community," he added. "We want to make sure that all citizens, all guests that enter into Chinatown have that sense of safety."
People at the rally held signs reading, "we want action," "safety and protection," "protection is safety," "hug your Chinatown shop owner," and "Chinatown here to stay."
"Chinatown is a beautiful culture," Ho told CTV News Edmonton. "It's created through generations of hard-working citizens.
"Chinatown is really a part of downtown," Ho added. "(So) this is really an Edmonton effort. People of all cultures come to Chinatown to enjoy."
'WE NEED ALIGNMENT': EPS CHIEF
Edmonton Police Service Chief Dale McFee attended the rally and affirmed that the police service was listening and responding to the concerns of the Chinatown community.
"We lost a couple of community members," he told reporters. "We've got a community that is obviously grieving.
"They're in need of help and I think as my role as the leader of our police service and a member of our community in a position of leadership I need to be here," McFee said. "We need to find solutions and we need to find them quick, and that's my commitment to them."
While the police service has already pulled officers from other divisions to increase its downtown presence, McFee said the city needs sustainable solutions for the long-term.
"The two underlying pinning things are that the vulnerable need to be connected to services, and we've been doing a really good job (at that)," he said. "The second part is the crime and the violence."
"There's a lot of money and a lot of services in this city, but when you map it out," he added, "we need to get alignment that has outcomes associated. It's not about moving money from one agency to the other. That's never worked. It's about having a continuum of services to get the people the right service they need at the right time."
KEEPING CHINATOWN SAFE FOR GENERATIONS
Doug Cooke, Boyle Street Community Services liaison for Chinatown, agreed with McFee, saying social agencies have a role to play.
"Social services are a big part of this because I mean we are working on the ground floor right now with that doing the best that we can do with the resources that we have," Cooke said.
More consistent funding for agencies providing support to vulnerable populations will help not only those who need it, but entire neighbourhoods, Cooke said.
"Social services are mostly funded through grants," Cooke added. "When those dry up or are pulled from us it makes things a lot harder to get the results we all want to see together."
For Kim Chow, a concerned community member at the rally, whatever actions are taken to help Chinatown, they need to start now.
"There's a lot of people who feel unsafe coming down there," Chow said.
Chow said she's already noticed the increased police presence, but hopes it isn't something that is simply in place for a few weeks after the latest incidents.
"(I want) my kids to feel safe when they go down there in the next few years as well or when they're older and be able to bring their kids down there eventually."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion, 1 person seriously injured: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.