The Work of Chinatown Laundries​

 

Workers collected dirty clothing from homes, businesses, and camps throughout town before washing, drying, ironing, folding, and returning everything by hand. Large carts moved through the streets carrying bundles of clothing from one end of town to the other.

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The work required long days and physical endurance. Yet laundries became an important part of daily life in communities across British Columbia, including Duncan.

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Family Labour and Daily Life

 

Archival references and photographs connected to the Wong family show the importance of family labour within these businesses. Everyone worked.

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Children helped after school. Family members folded laundry late into the evening. Living spaces were often attached directly to the business itself.

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Like many Chinatown families, the Wongs lived within a world where work and home were inseparable.

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Community Networks and Support

 

The family’s story also reflects the strong family networks that existed within Chinatown. Businesses supported one another. Information was shared between families.

 

Community organizations and social halls provided important support systems during difficult years.

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The Foundation of Chinatown’s Economy

 

Even though laundry businesses rarely received the same public visibility as hotels, cafés, or large produce markets, they formed part of the foundation of Chinatown’s economy.

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They kept the town running.

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Preserving Everyday History

 

Today, photographs and archival references connected to the Wong family preserve an important part of Duncan’s everyday Chinatown history — one built not on headlines or major investments, but on relentless work, sacrifice, and family cooperation.​

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