From the Royal Alberta Museum: "There are more Chinese restaurants in North America than there are fast food outlets combined. They range in size and grandeur from upscale banquet halls serving over 500 people to family-run, hole-in-the-wall cafés where the parents cook and serve while the children do homework or clean vegetables in the corner. Chinese restaurants have become so much a part of our landscape that it is hard to imagine a time when they were considered exotic.
All across the prairies, Chinese restaurants can be found in almost every town and hamlet. While the families that have run these restaurants may have changed over the years, the restaurants remain and have become indispensable centres of small town life."
The Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre's newest exhibit will be a travelling exhibit from the Royal Alberta Museum. From March to May 2011, we will be hosting "Chop Suey on the Prairies: A Reflection on Chinese Restaurants". This exhibit will feature stories and artifacts from restaurants across Alberta with a special focus on the restaurants in the Peace Region.
In conjunction with the exhibit, we at the Museum would like to gather the social and cultural history of our own local Chinese restaurants, grocery stores and laundries. Do you remember the Royal Café in Grimshaw, Geo. & Lucky’s in Berwyn, Joe Hong’s in Manning and Frank Lock with the Sun Cafe in Peace River; the Golden Palace, Chong’s Café and the Star Café? Do you remember the proprietors Jack Lock, Jimmie Darr, Tom Guey, Benny Wing, Dan Der and their families? Jot down your memories of going to eat the best ice cream, or the tastiest sweet and sour pork ribs, or was it the ginger beef? Maybe it was the exotic colours of the decor you remember.
There are many ways to submit your memories:
- by commenting on our blog,
- or to the Museum in person, or by email at museum@peaceriver.net or by phone at 780-624-4261
- or to the local libraries at Peace River and Grimshaw.
