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B C B U S I N E S S . C A
J U N E 2 0 2 5
"What we do at the Chinatown
Foundation is rooted in
community, and we're driven
by a deep sense of hope for
the future."
W
WHEN CAROL LEE SAYS she
has a "people-centric approach
to revitalization," she makes
the work sound awfully simple.
But the fact is, this commu-
nity builder, entrepreneur and
champion of philanthropy has
a multifaceted, creative and
complex labyrinth of ongoing
strategies for uplifting Van-
couver's Chinatown. At the
forefront in 2024 was the com-
pletion of Bob and Michael's
Place (named for two legendary
philanthropists: her father Rob-
ert Lee and Michael Audain), an
affordable community housing
project that provides the neigh-
bourhood with 231 units and a
50,000-square-foot integrated
health centre. Within Bob and
Michael's Place, Lee's ability
to rally and connect diverse
community members is evi-
dent: landscaping was done
by Vancouver Gardening Club
volunteers, resident welcome
baskets were donated by
TNT and the playground was
designed by esteemed B.C. art-
ist Douglas Coupland.
The collaborative core
of Bob and Michael's Place
doesn't just unite the neigh-
bourhood; Lee stresses the
impact that it has on residents.
"It sends a signal to the people
living there—that there's lots of
people that care about them,"
she says. This intentional com-
mitment to community care
shines through in every one of
CAROL
LEE
C H A I R , VA N C O U V E R
C H I N AT O W N F O U N DAT I O N
COMMUNIT Y BUILDER
