Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1967-2011 (predominant 1990s) (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2.87 m textual records, 703 photographs, and other material
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Toronto Chapter of the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNCTO) was incorporated in Ontario in 1985. The grassroots, non-profit organization is made up of Chinese Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area organizing to advance equity, social justice, and inclusive civic participation of Chinese Canadians, under an overarching respect for diversity and human rights. Major activities include public education, systemic advocacy, community development, coalition building, and providing direct assistance to individuals facing discrimination.
The CCNCTO is a local member chapter of the umbrella Chinese Canadian National Council that was formed in Ontario in 1980 (as the Chinese Canadian National Council for Equality) as an outcome of the Anti-W5 campaign protesting the irresponsible journalism of CTV. Chinese Canadians across the country had mobilized against the national television network’s W5 program segment “Campus Giveaway” (aired September 30, 1979) that depicted Chinese-presenting students as “foreigners” taking up “Canadian” spots on university campuses. In Toronto, an Ad Hoc Committee Against W5 under the Chinese Canadian Council of Ontario first gathered in support of University of Toronto students whose images were included in the segment without their consent and who took legal action against CTV. The campaign concluded in April 1980 with a public apology from CTV and the formation of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Equality and some of its first member chapters. The Toronto Chapter is a direct offspring of the Toronto Ad Hoc Committee Against W5.
A major, decades-long issue within the Chinese Canadian community taken up by the CCNC and supported by the CCNCTO was the campaign for redress among those who had paid the discriminatory Chinese head tax to enter Canada under the country's Chinese Immigration Act (1885-1947).
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Records were donated to University of Toronto Libraries in 2014, with facilitation provided by OISE Prof. Roland Coloma with then CCNCTO executive director, May Lui. The records were accepted by the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library and transferred to the Richard Charles Lee Chinese Canadian Archives in 2025 for processing and long-term stewardship.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records in the fonds relate to the founding, development and activities of the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter. Record types include meeting minutes, business correspondence, funding applications, position papers, media releases, newspaper clippings, and photographs and negatives.
The fonds consists of seven series: Minutes, etc.; Funding applications; Organizational memberships and correspondence; Projects and issues; Legal cases; Publications and photographs; and News clippings.
Many of the organization’s records are functionally and thematically interrelated across the series and between files.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Further accruals expected.
System of arrangement
Donor's arrangement and file names have been maintained by the archivist, with some rearrangement made to Series 7.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
A number of files in Series 5 relate to legal cases of individuals and are restricted under solicitor-client privilege until the year 2100.
Conditions governing reproduction
Records are provided for research, private study and educational purposes only.
Copyright remains with the holders. Reproduction for exhibition, publication or commercial use requires permission. Please see archivist for details.
Language of material
Chinese
English
French
Script of material
Han
Latin
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Preferred citation:
Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter fonds (CA CCA F002), Richard Charles Lee Chinese Canadian Archives, University of Toronto Libraries, Special Collections, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cite items or files according to APA Style and Grammar Guidelines for Archival Documents and Collections: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/archival
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Series-level description and finding aid created by June Chow in January 2025. File-level description created by Nicole Zhuohua Yang and June Chow in October 2025. Finding aid last updated in February 2026.