Chinatown’s Mid-Autumn Moon Festival to step up security
Posted September 28, 2023 6:44 pm.
Last Updated September 28, 2023 6:45 pm.
Enhanced security will be present at the 37th annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, taking place Friday at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Chinatown.
Lorraine Lowe, executive director of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, says multiple organizations are working together to ensure the public’s safety at this cultural event.
“It’s going to be the largest Mid-Autumn Moon Festival here at the garden,” Lowe said. “We have stepped up security. We are working together with the Park Board, VPD, and our security team.”
The event is set to take place just weeks after a random stabbing at the Light Up Chinatown Festival that left three people injured. The garden’s executive director says extra security is being brought in to ensure the safety of the people going to the festival.
“There’s going to be two VPD officers on site and bag checks right at the entrance for anyone who is coming through,” Lowe said. “Public Safety is first and foremost. For any revitalization to happen, public safety is first.”
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According to Eby, there’s a strong connection between the health of the Downtown Eastside and the health of Chinatown.
“It has caused a lot of anxiety,” he said. “We want Chinatown to recover but it’s going to struggle to if the Downtown Eastside is still struggling.”
During a Mid-Autumn Moon Festival roundtable discussion on Thursday, Eby was asked about what the province is doing to make the Downtown Eastside and Chinatown safer.
“There are a number of different strategies in place. We have a billion dollars budget around mental health and addiction treatment to help people deal with the addiction issues and get to a better place,” Eby said.
“We have a very ambitious housing program to get people inside and that work is going to continue and that will be a significant process to respond to the depth of the crisis that is happening.”
Lorraine Lowe says traumatic incidents in the Chinatown area have brought the community closer together
“We are more vigilant. We are always looking out for each other. We have started a group chat,” she said. “So if anything suspicious happens, we alert each other.”
Lowe says she is excited for the community to come together for the two-day Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, try the traditional mooncakes, and teas, and watch the performances.
