Historic Cantonese school in Vancouver reopens amid rising interest in the language [Video]

One of Canada’s oldest and once-shuttered Cantonese language schools is back by popular demand.

Vancouver’s Mon Keang School closed its doors in 2011 due to low enrolment, but its directors say renewed interest in the language allowed them to reopen their doors to adult learning this fall. 

It’s an intriguing development because, in the last few decades, statistics show that in Canada, the once more common Cantonese language continues to diminish in usage, giving way to the more dominant and official Chinese language of Mandarin. 

“There is a growing desire for people to either learn or reconnect with their Cantonese heritage,” said Aynsley Wong, one of the directors of the Wong’s Benevolent Association, which runs the school.

“[We are] really excited to have students back in the building, to have these classrooms full. And our elders here at the Wongs Association were incredibly excited to have the vibrancy to hear …