The Union Laundry on Union Street near Gore in Vancouver, probably in the early 1960s. (Courtesy Elwin Xie)

BCHF board member Elwin Xie will be this month's presenter to the Vancouver Historical Society.

Xie grew up in his parents’ home and business, the Union Laundry on Union Street just west of Gore, land that was transformed in the early 1970s for the Georgia Viaduct’s off-ramp onto Prior Street.

His family is representative of many long-time working-class Chinese families – perhaps it is even the quintessential Chinese Canadian family. He speaks Thursday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Museum of Vancouver and on YouTube.

In addition to making videos for the BCHF and VHS, Elwin works at the newly opened Chinese Canadian Museum as a guide, and has been a museum interpreter at the Burnaby Village Museum since 2009.