Carmen and the Chinese Hospital, Since 2008

On October 11, 2026, the Chinese Hospital of Montreal held its Thanksgiving celebration, with a dragon dance, a lion dance and a stage show. Fosetter sponsored the day. Carmen sponsors the hospital's lion dance every year, and this year she went in person. Her story with the hospital goes back to 2008.

Six months as a volunteer

Looking at her old certificate from the hospital, Carmen put it this way.

I volunteered there in 2008. In the blink of an eye, it's been more than ten years. So I have a bit of a soft spot for it.

Back then I walked in and signed up, just by chance. I did six months.

In August 2008 the hospital gave her a certificate of recognition for her volunteer work. That same summer, her restaurant, Restaurant Keung Kee (強記), sponsored the hospital's volunteers' day on August 14, and the hospital sent a certificate of thanks for that too.

Soup during the pandemic

Thirteen years later, during COVID-19, Carmen sent soup to the hospital's staff, free of charge. On April 29, 2021, the hospital wrote to Restaurant Keung Kee on behalf of its staff to thank her for that soup. Here is one line from the letter, in the hospital's own French.

Avec vous, nous ne sommes pas seuls et avec votre soutien, nous sommes plus forts dans notre mission de prendre soin des personnes âgées d'origine chinoise et du sud-est asiatique.

In English, "With you, we are not alone, and with your support, we are stronger in our mission of caring for elderly people of Chinese and Southeast Asian origin."

Every year, usually from a distance

Today Carmen sponsors the hospital's lion dance. In her words, "I sponsor them every year." Most years she doesn't go herself. "Usually I don't go. The sifu and Wendy go." The sifu is the lion dance master, and Wendy is her daughter, who dances on his team.

This year she decided to go too.

October 11 at the hospital

The day started late in the morning. On the roof terrace, young performers in bright silk robes rehearsed a dragon dance to the beat of a drum. Inside, the party hall was decked out in red and gold, with plum blossom decorations and balloons. In the afternoon came the stage show, with singing, fan dances and folk dances, and some families came to visit their elders. Upstairs, in an office, the lion heads and the big drum were packed into boxes.

Carmen spent the whole day there, from the walk over from Chinatown in the morning to the trip back in the late afternoon.

A hospital with deep Chinatown roots

The Chinese Hospital was founded in 1918, during the influenza pandemic, when Chinese Montrealers were hit hard and often turned away elsewhere. In 1919 the Chinese Benevolent Association bought a former synagogue on rue De La Gauchetière, the same street our shop is on today, and turned it into a permanent hospital. Its current building on avenue Viger opened in 1999, with a statue of Confucius at the entrance. Today it is a long-term care centre for seniors.

For a shop in Chinatown, the hospital is a close neighbour.

Fosetter is at 78 Rue De La Gauchetière Ouest in Montreal's Chinatown. More about Carmen and our shop, or read about the lion dance that started at our door.