A18 NewsLeader NewsLeader Friday, Friday, August August 9, 9, 2013 2013
Vet who fought for redress passes away Mario Bartel
photo@burnabynewsleader.com
Gim Wong fought to join the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War despite his Chinese heritage. Then he fought for redress of the Canadian government’s Head Tax. Wong will be remembered Friday at a service at Willingdon Church after the Burnaby resident lost the fight for his life on July 29. He was 90 years old. Wong was born on Dec. 28, 1922 to Chinese immigrant parents, the eldest son of seven children. His family eked out a living working in canneries, farms and laundries, often earning half what Caucasian workers were paid. To help support his family, Wong started working at farms in Richmond when he was 13 years old, bringing home about 60 cents for every 12-hour shift. Discrimination against Chinese immigrants at the time pretty much ensured
Wong’s family would never break the poverty cycle. They weren’t considered Canadian citizens. They were barred from occupations like doctors, lawyers, registered nurses, teachers or police officers. “The horrible thing was school was out of the question,” Wong told the NewsLeader a few years ago. “A university degree was useless for a Chinese.” Wong was undeterred. He tinkered in a garage, constructing an airplane engine from a 1928 Ford Model A. He flew model planes. He dreamed of joining the air force. “It was like being an astronaut in those days,” said Wong. But when he was old enough to try, the door was shut in his face. Time and again his application was rejected because of his ethnicity. “They always looked at Chinese and any Asiatics as being inferior physically,” said Wong. But he persisted and eventually he got an interview with an RCAF
KARI MEDIG/NEWSLEADER FILE
Gim Wong was 82 years old when he rode his motorcycle across Canada to appeal for an apology for the Chinese Head Tax.
recruiting officer who assigned him to boot camp in Edmonton where the discrimination continued,
from his fellow recruits. Wong didn’t let it bother him, focusing his energies on becoming a gunner.
“There was a war on. I wanted to do my share,” he said. Wong graduated in 1944 as a sergeant and was asked to retrain as a flight engineer to serve in the Pacific war. Wong excelled in his new role and he was commissioned as a pilot officer in March, 1945. But he never saw action. After cooling his heels in the reserves for three months and working at a gas station, the Americans dropped atomic bombs on Japan and ended the war on the eve of Wong’s scheduled deployment to Calcutta. Wong said he was disappointed. “It’s almost like saving a lot of money to buy a car and they say you can’t drive it,” he recalled. But the mechanical aptitude Wong honed in his air force training served him well. He raced cars at the old Digney Speedway in South Burnaby and he opened his own auto body shop. But Wong never
forgot the hardships and discrimination he and his family endured in his younger days. When Wong was 82 he rode a motorbike across Canada with his son Jeffrey, as part of a campaign to get an apology for the Head Tax that had been paid by his parents and other Chinese immigrants. When they reached Ottawa, Wong pleaded his case at the House of Commons. A year later, on June 22, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made that apology in Parliament. Wong was in the gallery. “You feel like you’re being recognized as more Canadian,” said Wong. “These things people take for granted, and we had to fight for every inch of it.” In 2012, his efforts were recognized when he received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. • Wong’s funeral service will be held at Willingdon Church, 4812 Willingdon Ave., Friday at noon. —files from Wanda Chow and Chris Bryan
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D L O S 253 E. 8th Ave • $599,900
Perfect starter home. Move-in ready, well maintained home with huge fully fenced yard. Large renovated kitchen, fully renovated bathroom & 3 bdrms. Den & rec room below plus tons of storage in crawl space. Large deck for outdoor entertaining opens up to the yard with space for everyone’s activities. Peace of mind with all major work completed: replumbed, mostly re-wired, new furnace & ducting, updated roof, new dbl or triple glazed windows throughout. Easy access to HWY 1 or Patullo bridge. Large lot, great family neighbourhood, short walk to schools & parks.
222 8th Ave • $779,900 Spacious 5 bdrm, 2 bath character home on a large lot. Lots of character, fir & oak floors throughout. Main floor offers large dngrm, lvgrm w/ gas F/P, 1 bdrm, den, full bath & an updated kitchen featuring maple cabinets & gas stove. 2 bdrms above, w/ sink (potential for 2nd bathroom). 2 bdrm registered suite below could rent for $1,000/mo. Huge backyard has it all, 2 year old large deck, above ground pool, room to play & garden. Close to great schools, easy access to transit & walk to shopping.
#107-38 7th Ave • $244,900 Desirable Glenbrooke location in the Whistler inspired Roycroft condos. 1 bdrm ground level unit on the quiet side of the building. Original patio expanded to now offer more than 500 sq ft of outdoor space. 9’ ceilings w/ open concept living space, feels larger than it is. Good in suite storage + bonus fully private individual storage room. Well run strata with low maintenance fees.
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1031 Cornwall St • $669,900
#143-600 Park Cr • $269,900
#214-611 Blackford St • $159,900
Family friendly neighbourhood offering a great family house. 4 bdrms above ground PLUS 2 bdrm secondary accommodation below (currently occupied by family). Large living room and kitchen. Lots of space to play and/or garden in the fully fenced back yard. Recently updated windows, furnace and hot water tank. Fantastic central location close to all levels of schools, parks and transit.
Desirable Glenbrooke North location. You’ll find a great sense of community surrounds this spacious 1 bdrm townhouse. Direct access to your front door through your large patio. 9 foot ceilings show off the open concept living. Large living room offers gas F/P. Bonus built in office space off the kitchen. Mbdrm offers ample closet space on the way to the cheater ensuite bathroom. Pet friendly building with a well-run strata. Only steps to Queen’s Park & a short walk to transit & shopping at Royal Square Mall.
Bright 2 bedroom unit in a great uptown location. Features good size rooms, functional layout and newer paint. The balcony outlook is to a large evergreen and provides lovely shade on warm summer afternoons. Well run building with live in caretaker. Shared laundry on each floor. Walk to all amenities.
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