The Markham community has banded together to show support for local restaurant Wuhan Noodle 1950. Since news broke of the novel coronavirus, the Chinese eatery has been subject to racism, discrimination and a decrease in business.
Zhengyu Fang, the owner of the small noodle shop, went to the media after losing two-thirds of his customer base; all from the fear surrounding the virus. His story was wide-spread across Toronto, sparking outrage in locals; and so they acted.
Many people visited the delicious noodle restaurant in support, including Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, who shared his adventures on Twitter. He said that it was heartwarming to see the community support the establishment, and noted that the restaurant was again "busy and bustling".
Mayor Scarpitti, enjoying his meal of delicious noodles.
Other notable community members like Dr. Craig Stephenson (the president and CEO of Centennial College) and Mary Ng (the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade) visited the shop. Both remarked how tasty their meals were, with Mary claiming this was one of her favourite restaurants.
Many other diners have chimed in on social media, sharing their support of the restaurant.
Despite the unfortunate events that occurred, the strength of the Markham community has outshone any negative and discriminatory actions.
