Chinese-Canadian Genealogy form the Vancouver Public Library

This last summer, my wife and I took a trip to Canada and Alaska. This was done, in part, because of an invitation to speak at the Qualicum Beach Family History Society Conference on Vancouver Island. After our very enjoyable visit to Qualicum Beach and other places on Vancouver Island, we stayed at a hotel in Vancouver, British Colombia before leaving for Alaska. This was a very interesting experience because the hotel was in the middle of a predominately Chinese language area of the city. We were almost the only non-Chinese speaking guests at the hotel. I guess I was surprised at the extensive Chinese speaking community in Vancouver.

With that brief background, I found that there are significant Chinese language genealogy resources at the Vancouver Public Library. The website has six major sections set forth as follows:

BasicsPresents principles and strategies commonly used by genealogists, and explains how to use standard genealogy charts. Printable charts are included.
Chinese NamesIntroduces a challenging, complex subject that may have a significant impact on your research prospects.
History and PioneersReviews milestones in Chinese-Canadian history and briefly looks at Migration and Settlement. Also links to stories of Chinese-Canadian pioneers and provides information on current heritage projects.
Family SourcesDiscusses interview strategies and suggests possible questions. Looks at family heirlooms and clan and district associations.
Documents and RecordsIntroduces various sources in which information about individuals and families may be found, including immigration records, civil registration, newspaper announcements, directories, military records, cemetery records, and other sources. Examples are provided, together with information on how to access the actual records themselves.
Back to ChinaExplores research possibilities in China itself.

I have actually gotten inquiries about Chinese genealogy quite recently and even have friends who are actively involved in Chinese language genealogical research. It was interesting to find this valuable resource online.