Year of the Rabbit: Montrealers prepare for Lunar New Year celebrations
The countdown to the Lunar New Year is on, and members of Montreal's Chinese community are getting ready to celebrate.
The Year of the Tiger ends Saturday night and the Year of the Rabbit begins Sunday.
Chinatown is bustling and beautifully decorated for the weekend-long festivities at Sun Yat-sen Park.
"The rabbit is supposed to be the luckiest year, 2023," said Jimmy Chan, president of the Chan Association of Montreal.
His troop, the Chan Lion Dance Club, is performing in Chinatown. A parade is also scheduled, as well as non-stop activities that all are welcome to attend.
"I wish everybody good health, good luck, prosperity," said Chan. "Now the city is opened up and everyone can come together and celebrate Chinese New Year."
It's a time for families to gather over a meal, something they'll do for the first time in years.
At restaurant Dobe and Andy, the menu includes oxtail, vegetarian longevity noodles and other dishes that signify prosperity -- plus, a special collaboration with ice cream shop Ca Lem.
"It's this year's special, we're doing a white rabbit icecream," said restaurant co-owner Eric Ku.
The treat is based on the iconic creamy candy from China that many grew up with.
"It's pretty nostalgic. We used to eat these candies as kids," said Ku.
Ku says the Year of the Tiger has been challenging, and he has one wish for the Year of the Rabbit: better times for Chinatown.
"I want to see Chinatown get busy again. As a community, we've suffered for a couple years. Even after the pandemic, it's been tough."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.