In that letter I suggested that the name of this new East End Branch should be called the Mary Lee Chan Branch Library in honour of the founder of the Strathcona Property Owners & Tenants Association (SPOTA). It is a result of the leadership, community building skills and tenacity of Mary Lee Chan and the people of all backgrounds living in the East End who worked with her that we even have our old historic East End neighbourhood today--not to mention large swaths of Chinatown.
Please, please, please take some time to write a short e-mail in support of naming the new East End Library Branch to be built on the 700-block of East Hastings the Mary Lee Chan Branch Library. Recognition of Mary Lee Chan and SPOTA's roll in saving and preserving Strathcona is long overdue. Here are the addresses you should send your notes to:
board@vpl.ca; paulwhi@vpl.ca; Diana.Guinn@vpl.ca; mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca
Thank you!
Photo courtesy of Adrian Zator