The 1923 Chinese Immigration Act, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, banned nearly all Chinese immigration to Canada. The Exclusion Act followed decades of high taxes designed to restrict Chinese migration. In 1947, lawyers Kew Dock Yip (1906–2001) and Irving Himel (1915–2001) successfully lobbied the Canadian government to repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act. The plaque was unveiled at Toronto City Hall by Barry Chong, Alfred Yip, MP Kevin Vuong, John Yip, and MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam.

Plaques

Open to public applications

Plaques commemorate the people who lived in our homes and once walked our streets; the communities, events and streetscapes they shaped; and the world they faced and changed.

Anyone can apply for plaque and we encourage applicants to find funding support to make them happen. Heritage Toronto provides expertise in research and writing, plaque design and fabrication, and installation on buildings and in public spaces.

Produced in partnership with the Toronto Legacy Project, this program marks the places where great people achieved great things in Toronto.

Apply for a plaque

We are always accepting applications for the following programs:

Share your building’s history

Properties on the City of Toronto’s Heritage Register are eligible for a Heritage Property plaque.

Explore our city’s diverse heritage

Tell the story of a person, place, or event with rich interpretive text and colour images.

Image of a plaque mounted on a red brick wall on a porch. A railing, front door, window, and flower pot planted with red geraniums are all visible. The plaque is oval in shape, with a black background and text that reads 78.

Join the Century House movement

Century House address markers highlight Toronto’s 100-year-old homes.