Latest news with #Chinatown
CTV News
10 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Ottawa Fire Services marks 20 years of ‘Wake Up!' program promoting smoke alarms
Ottawa firefighters will be going door to door this week at homes across Ottawa to check for working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and to raise awareness about fire safety. This year marks the 20th anniversary of a devastating blaze in the capital and the push since to promote smoke alarms in all homes. In April 2005, a fire at the Mekong Grocery store on Somerset Street West in Chinatown claimed the lives of five members of the Thach family. The building did not have working smoke alarms at the time. Mekong Grocery fire 2005 Fire footage of fatal 2005 fire at the Mekong Grocery on Somerset Street West. (CTV News Ottawa) Then-Deputy Fire Chief Bruce Montone tasked now-retired Fire Prevention Officer Ivan Tanner with finding a way to prevent such a loss from happening again. Tanner created the 'Wake Up!' program, which sees firefighters visiting residents across Ottawa, to ensure people have working smoke alarms in their homes. 'It was one of the most serious fatal fires in our city's history. Something had to be done,' Tanner said in a video shared by Ottawa Fire Services on social media. 'Working smoke alarms give you the best chance to escape a fire alive.' The story behind the 'Wake Up! Ottawa' program — a response to tragic loss in 2005, now with more than a quarter of a million visits to protect our residents. #Ottawa #SmokeAlarmsSaveLives — Ottawa Fire Services (@OttFire) June 1, 2025 Twice a year, firefighters visit homes in Ottawa to inspect and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, install new alarms or batteries, where required, and share information on fire safety and escape planning, all of it at no cost to residents. Visits will take place this week, June 2 to 9. Uniformed firefighters will visit select residential areas for two hours between 3 and 8 p.m. on weekdays and 2 and 4 p.m. on weekends. If no one is home, firefighters will leave a door hanger with fire safety information. 'It's incredible and so gratifying to see it still going 20 years later, and to see how many people it's touched and the lives that have been saved,' Tanner said in a news release. The City of Ottawa says over the past two decades, the Wake Up! program has visited more than 264,000 homes, installed nearly 13,000 smoke alarms and replaced more than 6,500 batteries. The city also notes that since the program began, the number of homes needing smoke alarms during firefighter visits has dropped. Ontario's Fire Code requires that homes have a working smoke alarm on each floor and outside each sleeping area. For homes built after January 1, 2015, smoke alarms are also required in sleeping rooms and all smoke alarms must be interconnected and have a visual strobe light. Carbon monoxide alarms are also required outside sleeping areas if the home has an attached garage, a wood stove or a fuel-fired appliance. Smoke alarm tips The City of Ottawa says you should test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at least once per month. Each device should have a 'test' button. When pushed, it should beep loudly to show that it's working. Replace the batteries in your alarms once a year. The easiest way to remember to do this is to set a date. Common examples include your birthday, when clocks change for Daylight Saving Time, or 'Test Your Smoke Alarm Day' on Sept. 28. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced according to manufacturer instructions, which is usually every seven to 10 years.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Japan Times
China displaces old foe Japan in South Koreans' minds ahead of vote
Shops selling steaming snacks line the streets of Seoul's Daerim neighborhood, home to thousands of ethnic Chinese, some feeling the pressure from mounting anti-Beijing sentiment ahead of South Korea's presidential election. China has displaced longtime foe and former colonial power Japan in many South Koreans' minds as the country's most distrusted neighbor in recent years. And ahead of Tuesday's vote, anti-Chinese feeling has spread among South Koreans — online, at right-wing rallies and in Seoul's Chinatown. Many of the quarter's Chinese residents, such as 74-year-old Yu Shunzi, flocked to South Korea seeking economic opportunities in the 1990s and 2000s. "A lot of Koreans still think China is a very backward country and discriminate against Chinese a lot," she said. Yu, who arrived in 2007 from the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, said the situation is so bad that she planned to move back when the economy allowed. "I want to go home, but with the exchange rate being this low, I'd lose a lot of money," she said. While former colonial master Japan has long had a difficult relationship with South Korea, Seoul's ties with China have increasingly come under the spotlight. In 2022, polling conducted by Hankook Research showed for the first time that South Koreans distrusted China more than they did Japan — a trend that has continued in recent years. 'No affinity' toward China Former leader Yoon Suk Yeol referred to vague allegations of Chinese spying when he tried to justify his declaration of martial law, which led to his ousting. Conspiracy theories have since run rampant among the South Korean right, fueling the distrust. But analysts also say that a series of clashes between Beijing and Seoul in recent years over history, territory and defense are the deeper cause of the schism. "China's growing assertiveness is the main reason behind South Korea's negative views about the country," said Ramon Pacheco Pardo from King's College London. "Most South Koreans have no affinity towards today's China," the international relations professor said. Seoul has long trodden a fine line between top trading partner China and defense guarantor the United States. Relations with China nosedived in 2016 following the South's decision to deploy the U.S.-made THAAD missile defense system. Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, imposing a string of restrictions on South Korean businesses and banning group tours as part of sweeping economic retaliation. A series of public spats about the origins of Korean cultural staples such as kimchi, which China had claimed as its own, also left a bitter taste. Yoon's administration deepened that divide, cleaving close to the United States and seeking to improve ties with Japan. "Under his leadership, Seoul made its position unmistakably clear: it stood with Washington and its allies, not Beijing," said Claudia Kim, assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong. Opposition leader and election front-runner Lee Jae-myung has publicly hinted that a softer line might be in the works if he wins. Beijing won't "miss the opportunity to improve relations with the South" if Lee wins, Cheong Seong-chang at Seoul's Sejong Institute said, suggesting a visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping could even take place. Lee has also raised alarm bells by saying that a future conflict between China and Taiwan would not be South Korea's concern. That could put him on a collision course with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has made containing China a cornerstone of its bid to reshape the international order. "Trump's focus on deterring China may lead to a mismatch of foreign policy priorities with Lee," said Edward Howell, a lecturer in politics at the University of Oxford. Fake news thrives Compounding deepening distrust of China has been a surge of conspiracy theories. Analysis by AFP revealed many of the most widely circulated pieces of misinformation tap into fears of meddling by China. Rallies in support of Yoon have featured calls to oust alleged "pro-Chinese Communist Party" forces, as well as posters with anti-Chinese slurs and slogans advocating for Chinese nationals to be deported. A recent editorial in Beijing's state-run nationalist tabloid Global Times condemned "far-right" forces in South Korea for "stirring up xenophobia" against Chinese people. In Seoul's Chinatown, Li Jinzi, 73, complained about a culture of "misinformation" that was breeding negative feelings towards her home country. "Fake news breeds misunderstandings," she said.
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
China displaces old foe Japan in South Koreans' minds ahead of vote
SEOUL: Shops selling steaming snacks line the streets of Seoul's Daerim neighbourhood, home to thousands of ethnic Chinese, some feeling the pressure from mounting anti-Beijing sentiment ahead of South Korea's election. China has displaced longtime foe and former colonial power Japan in many South Koreans' minds as the country's most distrusted neighbour in recent years. And ahead of Tuesday's (Jun 3) vote, anti-Chinese feeling has spread among South Koreans - online, at right-wing rallies and in Seoul's Chinatown. Many of the quarter's Chinese residents, such as 74-year-old Yu Shunzi, flocked to South Korea seeking economic opportunities in the 1990s and 2000s. "A lot of Koreans still think China is a very backward country and discriminate against Chinese a lot," she told AFP. Yu, who arrived in 2007 from the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, said the situation is so bad that she planned to move back when the economy allowed. "I want to go home, but with the exchange rate being this low, I'd lose a lot of money," she said. While former colonial master Japan has long had a difficult relationship with South Korea, Seoul's ties with China have increasingly come under the spotlight. In 2022, polling conducted by Hankook Research showed for the first time that South Koreans distrusted China more than they did Japan - a trend that has continued in recent years. "NO AFFINITY" TOWARDS CHINA Former leader Yoon Suk Yeol referred to vague allegations of Chinese spying when he tried to justify his declaration of martial law, which led to his ousting. Conspiracy theories have since run rampant among the South Korean right, fuelling the distrust. But analysts also say that a series of clashes between Beijing and Seoul in recent years over history, territory and defence are the deeper cause of the schism. "China's growing assertiveness is the main reason behind South Korea's negative views about the country," said Ramon Pacheco Pardo from King's College London. "Most South Koreans have no affinity towards today's China," the international relations professor told AFP. Seoul has long trodden a fine line between top trading partner China and defence guarantor the United States. Relations with China nosedived in 2016 following the South's decision to deploy the US-made THAAD missile defence system. Beijing saw it as a threat to its own security and reacted furiously, imposing a string of restrictions on South Korean businesses and banning group tours as part of sweeping economic retaliation. A series of public spats about the origins of Korean cultural staples such as kimchi, which China had claimed as its own, also left a bitter taste. Yoon's administration deepened that divide, cleaving close to the United States and seeking to improve ties with Japan. "Under his leadership, Seoul made its position unmistakably clear: it stood with Washington and its allies, not Beijing," Claudia Kim, assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, told AFP. Opposition leader and election frontrunner Lee Jae-myung has publicly hinted that a softer line might be in the works if he wins. Beijing won't "miss the opportunity to improve relations with the South" if Lee wins, Cheong Seong-chang at Seoul's Sejong Institute told AFP, suggesting a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping could even take place. Lee has also raised alarm bells by saying that a future conflict between China and Taiwan would not be South Korea's concern. That could put him on a collision course with the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has made containing China a cornerstone of its bid to reshape the international order. "Trump's focus on deterring China may lead to a mismatch of foreign policy priorities with Lee," Edward Howell, a lecturer in politics at the University of Oxford, told AFP. FAKE NEWS THRIVES Compounding deepening distrust of China has been a surge of conspiracy theories. Analysis by AFP revealed many of the most widely-circulated pieces of misinformation tap into fears of meddling by China. Rallies in support of ex-president Yoon have featured calls to oust alleged "pro-Chinese Communist Party" forces, as well as posters with anti-Chinese slurs and slogans advocating for Chinese nationals to be deported. A recent editorial in Beijing's state-run nationalist tabloid Global Times condemned "far-right" forces in South Korea for "stirring up xenophobia" against Chinese people. In Seoul's Chinatown, Li Jinzi, 73, complained about a culture of "misinformation" that was breeding negative feelings towards her home country.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Inside Bangkok's Chinatown revival led by chefs, artists and entrepreneurs
Nobody knows the exact date the Assakul family built a row of five modest shophouses in Bangkok's Santiphap Road, but their migration was followed by many other Chinese leaving the struggling Qing dynasty to seek their fortunes abroad, settling what would become one of the world's largest Chinatowns in the late 19th and early 20th century. Advertisement Although the area was outside Bangkok's walls at the time of the city's founding in 1782, it was in the 1890s, when King Rama V ordered the construction of major arteries Song Wat Road and Yaowarat Road, that the neighbourhood became rooted in geography and identity. Exterior of the revamped Baan Trok Tua Ngork, a five-storey building made up of five original shophouses in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Natthawut Taeja The Assakuls were a Teochew-speaking family, entrepreneurs who adopted a Thai last name and tried their hand at various trades. When the shophouses first appeared in records, in the 1920s, they were listed as gold sellers and pawn shop proprietors. The youngest generation's grandmother sold a popular brand of nam prik pao, a distinctly sweet and pungent chilli oil that she cooked behind the shophouses. Family lore says she would fire up her wok, brimming with aromatics, at the foot of the stairs in what was then an open-air courtyard. The Assakul siblings revitalised their family's old shophouses in Bangkok's Chinatown, creating Baan Trok Tua Ngork. Photo: Natthawut Taeja By the time the latest generation of Assakuls reached their 20s, the family had long since decamped to the more genteel areas of the Thai capital. Their corner of Chinatown had gained an unsavory reputation, with much nocturnal trade being plied by dealers of illicit products and services after the regular shops had closed. The 1920s shophouses stood abandoned, the Assakuls visiting their ancestral shrine within the complex only for festivals and anniversaries. A few years ago, however, Win, the eldest, now 34 and an architect, along with his younger siblings Sun, Sandy and Sea, started to contemplate the buildings' potential. The structures were always a bit quirky, with balconies on the facade and interior balustrades with neoclassical columns that set the shops apart from others in the area. They thought about doing a big renovation and opening a hotel but lacked the expertise, not to mention customers, thanks to Covid-19. It took some time, but from restaurant pop-ups to concept stores, art exhibitions to workshops, by trial and error, they found their way. An interior shot of Baan Trok Tua Ngork. Photo: Natthawut Taeja Win and his siblings renamed their property Baan Trok Tua Ngork, or Beansprout Alley House, after the vegetable merchants who used to operate nearby. When the renovations were completed in 2022, the result was not exactly a restoration but more of a reimagining of the original shophouses as a single structure, joined behind the facade. Wooden doors have been preserved but the courtyard, once open to the elements, has been covered with a glass roof. Instead of replicating the original walls, surfaces are covered in tinted mirrors to reflect natural light. Colourful tiles, wooden doors and window shutters were repaired and repurposed as interior entrances or wall coverings.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Festivals pop up across Ottawa
Ottawa Watch From the Chinatown Night Market to Ribfest on Sparks St., festival season is alive and well in the nation's capital. CTV's Camille Wilson has more.
