Covered Roots: The History of Vancouver's Chinese Farms

Less that 100 years ago, 'eating local' was not a luxury but a reality. So who fed Vancouver? Discover the little-know history of Chinese farms in the Vancouver area, as told by the farming families themselves. Includes rare photos and old family videos.
Produced by: Chinese Canadian Stories (www.chinesecanadian.ubc.ca).
Created by: Alejandro Yoshizawa and Wendy Phung.

[@richardquan2108]

I grew up on our family chicken and market garden farm on Pat Bay Hwy. in Saanich from grade 3. My dad was also a Chinese Canadian WW2 veteran from Force 136 S.O.E. and also got a VLA grant to help buy the 5 acre farm. We lived in a converted chicken house before we built a new house beside the highway. This video brings back many fond memories.❤️🐰🇨🇦💕😍🙈🙏🍁👀😇

[@past-presence]

Can't thank you enough for this. My great-grandfather farmed the Musqueam lands before retiring in ~1945. I think the map of the Chinese market gardeners at Musqueam may show his farm. His name was YOUNG Don Yuen "Jim."

[@kimpossiblemusic]

cried at the end. this is powerful and a story that needs to be heard!

[@victorhoe2321]

I was blessed. My mom (Vancouver born) came back to ham sui fou with Granny in 1952. We had bachelor friends that they kept in contact with. I remember Granny used to get chicken menure for her backyard garden. We used to harvest the bad shaped iceberg lettice from a farm that a farmer grew between rolls of holly (Christmas business, almost share cropping, you might say).

[@shimmeringleaves]

Wow, I really loved this doc. I'd love this to be shown in schools around Vancouver and Richmond.

[@maxmillanmaxmillan]

Thank you for this video. Much I didn't know.

[@JenniferSteel]

Kelly Douglas was off of Sussex Street, beside Simpsons-Sears (prior to Metrotown). Walked past Kelly Douglas warehouse and printing shop, to get to a bus on Kingsway, prior to the opening of Skytrain in 1986. Thank you for your blood, sweat and tears, Chinese Farmers. Thank you for your hard work and many sacrifices, to get food to our tables.

[@classicrockcafe]

My mother worked at Simpsons-Sears. There were a lot of trains on the property too.

[@donnabalzerhelpinggardener3271]

Interesting! And I thought all the local farmer's were Japanese! I wonder where that stereotype in my mind came from. Thanks for this great documentary

[@653j521]

Donna Balzer California? :)

[@Vickenliu]

good documentary

[@SithSereyPheap1]

I know exactly what you're going through.I am a farmer myself !

[@michellem3050]

Thanks for this. Really interesting.

[@prettypurple7175]

HOW ENDEARING///WHY DID THEY HAVE TO LEAVE AT THE END? WE LIVED HERE ONCE.

[@prettypurple7175]

WOW////

[@prettypurple7175]

KEN YIP////

[@darcymcnabb9259]

I would like to know if they grew ginseng.

[@blazingasn]

great documentary, part of our local history. and Steve... shut it- you've missed the point of this piece entirely.

[@canman5060]

Now they are sold to Vietnamese and East Indians.

[@jackkilby5510]

dum

[@richardquan2108]

My dad was a WW2 Chinese Canadian veteran who belonged to Force 136 S.O.E. and got a VLA loan/grant to buy a 5 acre chicken & market garden farm in Saanich on Pat Bay Hwy. 😇👀🚑🚓🚒🚢⛴️🛳️🍁🙏😀🇨🇦