The Hongcouver | Vancouver’s Eastside in ‘moral collapse’, say Chinese election ads, blaming unisex toilets, same-sex marriage and sex-ed

The two symbolic cores of Metro Vancouver’s Chinese communities are Chinatown in the city’s Eastside, and the satellite of Richmond to the south.

Yet the centre of gravity has decisively slipped towards Richmond, which stands testament to new Chinese immigrant wealth, with its gleaming towers and multi-million-dollar mansions. Chinatown, traditional home to poorer and working-class immigrants, has faded badly by comparison - but still serves as a beloved refuge, real and emotional.

Now, Chinese-language political advertisements appear to play up differences in the communities by claiming that Vancouver’s Eastside has suffered a “moral collapse” - and that Richmond could be next.

Vancouver has grappled with the complex history and issues behind the drugs and crime that have gravitated towards the Downtown Eastside, which abuts and frequently overlaps Chinatown. But the sponsor of the ads, the “Richmond Community Development Concerns Group”, says it has worked out what’s to blame – unisex toilets, same-sex marriage, childhood sex education and supervised drug injection.

The ads targeted Richmond councillor Chak Au, who is running in next month’s provincial elections for the left-leaning NDP in the new riding of Richmond South Centre. British Columbia goes to the polls on May 9, with the right-leaning BC Liberal government of Premier Christy Clark being challenged for power by the NDP, led by John Horgan.