Carol Anne Lee is the Chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, a registered charity that she co-founded in 2011. The Chinatown Foundation is committed to the cultural, economic, and physical revitalization of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. Projects that she has spearheaded focus on creating a lasting positive impact such as affordable housing, seniors housing, and cultural and economic development. These initiatives include: 58 West Hastings, a social housing project located in the Downtown Eastside that will provide 231 new homes and a 50,000-square foot healthcare centre that will serve the entire community; May Wah Hotel, an Single room occupancy form of housing,which provides low income housing in Chinatown, ensuring a safe home, activities and events for residents; and the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, Canada’s first institution of its kind dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of early Chinese Canadians whose contributions have shaped Canada’s past, present, and future.
During COVID-19, under her leadership the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation launched an Economic Recovery program, which helped businesses apply for COVID-19 support programs by connecting businesses with financial institutions and government agencies. The Foundation also launched an online pop-up shop called Gifts from Chinatown and created “A Taste of Chinatown” to promote local restaurants and businesses through a walking tour and media campaign.
Carol is a community builder and serves on a number of boards including BC Achievement, UBC Properties Trust, Harvard Business School Canadian Advisory Board, Faculty Advisory Board of Sauder Business School and co-chair of the John McArthur Distinguished Fellowship. She was vice-chair of the Asia Pacific Trade Council, a member of the Federal Advisory Council on Economic Growth, on the board of the Rideau Hall Foundation and on the Leadership Council of the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics in Waterloo. She has honorary doctorates from the University of British Columbia and BCIT, and a Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.
