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Pulleyblank, G. Edwin

  • Person
  • 1922-2013

Edwin G. "Ted" Pulleyblank was a Canadian sinologist and professor at UBC’s Department of Asian Studies, known particularly for his work on the history of the Chinese T’ang Dynasty and on the historical phonology of the Chinese language. He was born in 1922 in Calgary, Alberta. A bright student, he taught himself Ancient Greek while still in high school. He attended the University of Alberta from 1939 to 1942, majoring in Latin and Greek while also tutoring other students in math and physics.

After graduation, his aptitude for both mathematics and languages led one of Pulleyblank's professors to recommend him to the “Examination Unit”, Canada’s civilian code-breaking office during World War II. In 1943 Pulleyblank was sent to England to train with the British Code and Cipher School at Bletchley Park. He returned to the Examination Unit in Ottawa later that year, where he joined the Japanese Diplomatic Section, and began studying Chinese at Carleton University. He married Winona Relyea in 1946.

In 1946, Pulleyblank received a Chinese government scholarship to study Chinese at the School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London. In 1948, the School made Pulleyblank a lecturer in Classical Chinese, even though he later claimed that his command of Japanese at that time was still better than his Chinese. He taught while pursuing doctoral studies at the University of London, and received his Ph.D. in 1951 for a dissertation entitled "The Background and Early Life of An Lu-shan" – published by Oxford University Press in 1955 as The Background of the Rebellion of An Lu-shan. He spent a year doing further research in Japan, and also did additional studies in Chinese at Cambridge, receiving an M.A. in 1953. That year he was hired as Chair of the Chinese programme at Cambridge, where he remained for 13 years.

As Pulleyblank and his wife wanted to return with their family to Canada, in 1966 he left Cambridge to join the Asian Studies department at UBC, where he remained until his retirement in 1987. He served as department head from 1968 to 1975, succeeding William L. Holland. During his time at UBC Pulleyblank continued his research in Chinese linguistics and Chinese history, publishing extensively in both fields. He returned as acting department head in 1985-86, and hosted the 1987 International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics at UBC. After his retirement he continued with a number of research projects. Pulleyblank’s first wife Winona had died in 1976, and he married his second wife Pan Yihong in 2002. Pulleyblank was still regularly publishing papers and attending conferences until 2008, when Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases made that impossible. He died in 2013.

Purdy, Al

  • 1918-2000

Born near Wooler, Ontario, Alfred Purdy moved to Trenton, Ontario in 1920. He left high school and then worked at various occupations: in a factory, in the RCAF (1940-1945), as a store clerk, at Simon Fraser University as a visiting professor and at the Banff School of Fine Arts as a creative writing teacher (1971-1973). In 1940 Purdy published his first book, The Enchanted Echo. Purdy has also published short stories and fifteen plays and has produced radio and television programs for the CBC.

Quadra Club

The Quadra Club was established in Vancouver in 1922.

Quails' Gate Vineyards Estate Winery

  • Corporate body
  • 1989-

Known for its pinot noirs, chardonnays, and ice wines, Quails’ Gate Vineyards Estate Winery is located in West Kelowna, British Columbia. The land on which the winery stands today, was first owned by the Allison family, one of the Okanagan’s first European settler families. In 1956, the property was purchased by Richard “Dick” Stewart Jr. and his wife Rosemary, along with three other business partners. While the farm originally grew table grapes, in 1961, wine grapes were first introduced. In 1970, Dick Stewart bought his partners’ shares of the farm and expanded the property by purchasing neighbouring lands. In 1978, Dick’s son, Ben, and his wife Ruth, created plans to turn the vineyards into a winery, which led to the official founding of Quails’ Gate Vineyards in 1989.

In 1993, BACAS Holdings Ltd. acquired a portion of Quails’ Gate Vineyards, and later, in 2001, acquired the remaining shares, making BACAS the sole parent company of Quails’ Gate. However, although Quails’ Gate Vineyards Estate Winery is owned by BACAS, Ben Stewart remains the owner of Quails’ Gate Vineyards which is a separate entity. In 2004, Ben Stewart, who had been CEO and proprietor of Quails’ Gate from its founding, stepped down from the role, and was succeeded by his brother Tony Stewart.

Over the years, Quails’ Gate has expanded its vineyards by acquiring more lands. Having had planted various imported vines, the winery produces several award-winning wines. Today, Quails’ Gate farms over 425 acres of land, while the property and business has expanded to include a storefront, restaurants, rental accommodations, and three member-exclusive wine clubs.

Quan, Ben Dick

  • Person
  • 1923-1989

Ben Dick QUAN, the second Canadian-born child of Quan Gow and Der Shee, was born at the family home in Mount Pleasant. He arrived into the world in 1923 as the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act was coming into effect. With his sister Mary and brother Dick, he attended boarding school in Guangdong, China in the late 1930s.

In 1942, he ranked first in the province in the junior matriculation examinations and won a full scholarship to the University of British Columbia. Graduating with first class honours in mechanical engineering in 1947, he was discouraged from finding work in the automotive industry, which was closed to Canadians of Asian descent. He was, however, hired by the National Research Council in Ottawa to work on projects including the engine testing programme for the Avro Arrow Fighter. Unlike private industry, the government was willing to hire Chinese Canadians as engineers.

While in Ottawa, Ben met and married Isabel Yee in 1956. Tragically, that same year, while travelling back from Vancouver after visiting Ben’s family, Isabel died in an automobile accident. In 1957, Ben accompanied his father on an extended trip to Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong; in Taipei, he met and married Cathrine Wu. He worked in Ottawa at the National Research Council until 1961, after which he and his wife moved back to Vancouver in 1962.

In 1964, when he discovered that his 1962 income tax return had been stamped "Oriental" by the Canadian government, Ben raised his voice in protest, sending letters to Prime Minister Lester Pearson, the Leader of the Opposition John Diefenbaker, members of the Cabinet, and local MPs, noting that the use of the word to single out Canadians of East Asian ancestry was disturbing and inappropriate, particularly since he was born and educated in Canada. After the Deputy Minister of National Revenue responded with some unconvincing excuses about the need to ensure the proper identification of taxpayers, the department bowed to public criticism, including commentary by Vancouver Sun columnist Jack Wasserman, and ended the use of the term "Oriental" as a designation.

Ben worked as a consulting engineer in the pulp and paper industry, for periods in both Seattle and Vancouver. In his spare time, he enjoyed working with his hands to design and make contemporary mid-century furniture. He died in Vancouver in 1989. Ben and Cathrine had two children, Winston and Virginia. Virginia passed away from leukaemia in 1978. Winston went into finance and then academia, and now lives in Scotland with his partner and three children.

Quan, Chan Wai

  • Person

WONG Chan Wai arrived in Victoria, B.C. in 1892. By 1914, he had settled in Edmonton, Alberta.

Quan, Chow Yick

  • Person
  • b. [1910]

QUAN Chow Yick arrived in Victoria, B.C. in April 1923. He entered Canada as a schoolboy.

Quan, Hin

  • Person
  • b. [1892]

QUAN Hin (also recorded as QUAN Hui) arrived in Vancouver in the winter (January) of 1910 at age 18. He was from Hoy Ping and worked as a labourer.

Quan, Joo

  • Person
  • 1889-1943

QUAN Joo (QUAN Yuen) was born in China in 1889. He arrived in Canada in 1911 and became known as Joseph Quan.

He met and married Betsey LAW (1906-1999) and the couple settled in New Westminster, BC and ran a tailor shop. Together, they had four daughters and two sons.

When Joseph passed away in 1943, Betsey took over the tailor shop and eventually moved to Burnaby.

One of their daughters, Denise, studied ballet and moved to New York City. She performed in the Broadway production of the Flower Drum song in the dream sequence.

Quan, Mary

  • Person
  • 1921-1991

For Mary Quan, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, education was a major force that propelled her forward into a life she likely could not have imagined as a child.

She was born in Vancouver in 1921, the eldest Canadian-born child of Quan Wing Gow and Der Shee, whose parents were farmers in [開平 Hoiping / Kaiping], Guangdong province. The Quan family lived at 147 West 7th Avenue in Mount Pleasant, a working-class Vancouver neighbourhood. The family spoke a village dialect of Cantonese at home; Mary spoke no English when she started elementary school.

In 1935, her father took her and two younger brothers to China and enrolled them in boarding school in Canton (now Guangzhou) so that they would become proficient in Chinese language and culture. After the Japanese military began bombing Canton in fall 1937, Mary’s school was evacuated twice. The three children returned to Canada in March 1938 and had to re-adjust to attending school in English. Mary completed high school at King Edward High in Vancouver, ranking first in her class every year. Although at the time daughters of Chinese families in Vancouver commonly entered arranged marriages, Mary’s teachers encouraged her to set her sights on winning a scholarship to UBC.

In 1941, Mary ranked first in the Lower Mainland and third in the province in the junior matriculation examinations, winning a full tuition scholarship to UBC. She was the first in her family to attend university. Her four years at UBC opened the doors to a wider world. After her first and second years, she won a University Scholarship based on her class rank in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She majored in Honours English to pursue her love of literature and studied with renowned professor G.G. Sedgewick. She was president of the Chinese Students Club and secretary-treasurer of the Letters Club. Upon graduating from UBC in 1945 with first-class honours, she won the University Graduate Scholarship, which supported her in earning a master's degree in comparative literature at Columbia University in New York City. As a child of Chinese immigrants who faced discrimination in the broader society, Mary quoted Thomas Mann: “I stand between two worlds. I am at home in neither.”

In 1947 in New York City, she met Frank B. Lee, who had excelled academically in his engineering studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He had also won numerous scholarships and awards, and was elected president of the Engineering Society in his senior year. Mary and Frank were married in Vancouver in 1947. Over the years, they lived in Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, Quebec, the State of Washington, and southern California. They traveled to China, Southeast Asia, Nepal, Mexico, Spain and Morocco, the Caribbean, and Alaska. She and Frank had three children. In a loving and supportive home, Mary encouraged her children to find their capabilities and pursue their chosen studies and careers. David became a computer engineer. Carol and Ron became lawyers.

Mary died in 1991.

Quan, Sang Now

  • Person
  • 1907-2012

QUAN Sang Now (known in Canada as Charlie QUAN) was born in 1907 in [開平 Hoiping / Kaiping], China.

In 1923, Charlie left his family and journeyed to Canada alone. The Exclusion Act came into effect shortly after; those already in transit were allowed entry. He was sponsored by an “uncle” (likely a distant relative) who was already in Canada, claiming to be 12 years old. His actual age of 15 or 16 made him over the age limit for entry.

Charlie settled in Leader, Saskatchewan. Sometime in the 1940s, he moved to Vancouver where he lived the rest of his life.

He worked primarily as a restaurant cook and grocer. Charlie had to work and save over many years to repay the $500 head tax his “uncle” advanced.

In 1929, Charlie married LEE Own Yee (1910-1984) in China, who became QUAN LEE Own Yee. The Exclusion Act would separate the couple for over twenty years. They were married 55 years until her death in 1984.

The couple had four children. Two were born in China: QUAN Wah Fay, aka Philip QUAN (1930-2004); and QUAN Gem Len, aka Len QUAN (1936-2006).

Following the repeal of the Exclusion Act, Philip emigrated to Canada in 1949, followed shortly thereafter by Charlie’s wife and daughter. Charlie would have two more children born in Canada: Wesley QUAN (b.1954) and Gary QUAN (b.1955).

Philip’s son, Terry QUAN (b.1961), recalls his grandfather was actively involved in two Chinese clan organizations: Quan Lung Sai Tong and Lung Kong Kung Shaw. "He played mahjong regularly at the former for decades, and these Associations provided him with a vast social network that he navigated effortlessly.”

“As a kid in the ‘60s and '70s, I accompanied my grandfather on his Sunday morning shopping trips to Chinatown. People would recognize him and say hello everywhere we went. It seemed everyone knew him and everyone liked him. He was a fixture in Chinatown. After he retired, he took the bus to Chinatown every day from his home at 6th and Commercial Drive until he was well over 100 years old.”

“I was surprised when my grandfather, in his eighties, became a leader in the Chinese head tax redress movement through his involvement with the Head Tax Families Society of Canada and the Chinese Canadian National Council. I knew my grandfather as a quiet and modest man, slow to anger, content to stay in the background. But after joining the redress movement, his profile grew exponentially with his activism. He appeared frequently in print and television over the next 15 years, passionately advocating for social justice and redress. He met with two Prime Ministers (Paul Martin and Stephen Harper), and ultimately succeeded at age 99 in getting an official apology from the Canadian government for all head tax payers and their descendants. On October 20, 2006 in Vancouver, Heritage Minister Beverley Oda honoured my grandfather by presenting him with Canada’s first head tax redress payment.”

“My grandfather is often mentioned in textbooks and films about Chinese Canadian history,” says Terry. “He is an historical figure now. He had a difficult life, but he persevered and continues to inspire me and those who knew him. We are all tremendously proud of him.”

Charlie Quan died peacefully in Vancouver on February 23, 2012 at the age of 105. On January 23, 2013, Charlie was awarded, posthumously, the Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal for his significant contributions to Canada.

Quan, Wing Foon

  • Person
  • 1902-1933

QUAN Wing Foon was born in China in 1902 in [開平 Hoiping / Kaiping], 廣東 Guangdong, arrived in Canada in 1920, became a partner with two cousins in a produce store in downtown Vancouver, and died in 1933 in a truck accident, leaving behind a widow in his home village.

He was the second son of QUAN Hung Kwok, who had emigrated to Canada in 1913, and his wife Tom Ken. Foon and two other young men with the surname Quan came together to Canada on the Empress of Asia steamship, arriving in Vancouver in 1920. Listed as students, they were admitted as merchant’s sons exempt from paying the head tax. In March 1923, he and two cousins became partners in Parkview Produce, a new fruit and vegetable store on Robson near Hornby.

In December 1926, Foon returned to China to get married. His wife was from the Seto family, a well-established local clan. During this visit, he built a two-storey house near the entrance to Fong Yeung Lai village. He returned to Vancouver in March 1928 while his wife remained in the village. Foon’s father went home to China in November 1930; the family lived in the house Foon had built.

Foon was never able to return to the village. On the morning of Sunday, October 29, 1933, he died in a truck accident in Ladner, B.C., near Richmond. He and two other Quan relatives were bringing back vegetables from a farm when the truck swerved to miss another vehicle, slid off the road into a ditch, and tipped over. Foon was crushed under the truck. His death certificate listed him as a fruit and vegetable merchant. He was buried in Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery in the old section near the Chinese altar. His grave marker is inscribed entirely in Chinese.

Foon’s widow lived in the village for the rest of her life. After Foon’s death, she adopted a son, Sen (Soo Seng Kwan), who was born in 1930. When he was young, Sen moved to the Philippines to live with a married aunt. In 1964, Sen emigrated to Canada. He operated restaurants in Alberta and British Columbia. He and his wife had two children, who live in Canada. In retirement, Sen lived in Toronto and Vancouver. After he died at age 86 in November 2017, he was cremated and his ashes sent back to Fong Yeung Lai village.

Quan, Wing Gow

  • Person
  • 1891–1969

Born in a village in [開平 Hoiping / Kaiping], Guangdong, QUAN Wing Gow became a successful businessman in Vancouver and leader in the community through hard work, business acumen, and personality. Joining his father who had arrived in 1898, he came to Canada in 1903 at age 12, weeks before the head tax increased from $100 to $500. He attended school for one year, qualifying him for a refund of the head tax. He helped his father sell fish from a pushcart, then worked as a houseboy and a cook. Around 1908, he returned to China to marry Der Shee (d. 1963). After his father returned to China in 1913, he became a partner in an import-export store in Chinatown.

In 1920, he brought his wife and son Allen to Canada, buying a house at 147 West 7th Avenue in Mount Pleasant that was the family home for 50 years. They had five more children. The family spoke a village dialect of Cantonese at home; the older children spoke no English when they began school.

In 1923, Quan Gow established Parkview Produce on Robson Street near Hornby, specializing in high-quality produce. He arose at 4 a.m. to buy the best fruits and vegetables from wholesalers. His outgoing personality made him popular with customers, who called him “Harry.” Parkview sold to walk-in customers and restaurants and made home deliveries. Relatives and fellow villagers worked at the store, including the Quan children on weekends.

Quan Gow was active on the boards of directors and committees of the Kuomintang, the Lung Kong Kung Shaw, and the Hoiping and Quan associations. He was president of the Chinese Fruit and Vegetable Merchants Association. He was generous in helping relatives and friends settle and establish themselves in Canada and in assisting with community causes. His name appeared regularly in the Chinatown news. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1951. In the late 1950s, Quan Gow retired from Parkview. In later years, he made successful real estate investments and was a partner in the Ding Ho restaurant chain and other ventures.

Of Quan Gow's children, Allen served in the Canadian Army in Asia during WWII and was later active in veterans’ organizations. Mary, Ben and Dick attended boarding school in Canton in 1936 and 1937. After the Japanese military attacked Canton, they returned to Canada and graduated from King Edward High. In the provincial examinations, they ranked among the top students and won full scholarships to UBC. Mary majored in English language and literature and won the University Graduate Scholarship, attending Columbia University for a master's degree in comparative literature. Ben and Dick majored in engineering and began their careers at the National Research Council. Dick obtained a master’s degree at Caltech. Jean was a stewardess for Canadian Pacific Airlines. Joe majored in commerce at UBC, founded a camera shop and photofinishing laboratory, managed family enterprises, and was a notary public. Quan Gow’s descendants live in Vancouver, Toronto, the United States, Scotland and Australia.

Quan, Yuen Yen

  • Person
  • [1897]-1943

QUAN Yuen-Yen was born in China in the district of [開平 Hoiping / Kaiping], as the youngest of seven siblings. At age 15, he and his next older brother traveled to Canada aboard the Tacoma Maru, arriving in Victoria, B.C. on August 14, 1912.

In Victoria, Yuen-Yen worked at Man Yuck Tong, a Chinese herbal store and tailor shop originally located at 532 Fisgard Street. Yuen-Yen’s father was a major shareholder in the business.

Quan Yuen-Yen returned to Hoy Ping in 1921 to marry Tse Sau-Chun (Jessie Tse). Due to the pending Chinese Exclusion Act, Yuen-Yen was forced to leave a pregnant Jessie in China and return to Victoria alone in February 1923. Jessie was able to reunite with her husband in Canada in 1929, traveling under the purchased identity and papers of Chan Yet-Ngo. However, the exclusion law prevented Jessie from bringing their six-year-old daughter with her. Their daughter grew up in China, separated from her parents, under the care of her grandparents.

In 1938, Yuen-Yen purchased the building at 544 Fisgard Street. Man Yuck Tong moved and operated at the new location until 1983. Today, Man Yuck Tong is part of the Royal British Columbia Museum’s permanent collection. Parts of the store are also on display in Barkerville Historic Town and in storage at the City of Victoria Archives.

Yuen-Yen was an active member of Victoria’s Chinese community. He served on the Chinese School Board, raised funds for China’s war effort against Japan, and served as a warden during the war years. He possessed good business sense and foresight, branching into farming, restaurants, and real estate in Victoria and Vancouver. He was secretary of the United Greenhouse Cooperative Association, president of Parkview Greenhouse in Victoria, and shareholder of Parkview Greenhouse and United Fruit (Vancouver).

On June 16, 1943, during a heated argument, Yuen-Yen was murdered in his office by an employee. He left behind his wife Jessie and their seven children.

Quastel, Juda

  • UBCA-ARC-AUTH-742
  • Person
  • 1899-1987

Juda Quastel is remembered for his crucial scientific research contributions in cancer, soil metabolism, cell metabolism, and neurochemistry. Born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, in 1899, Quastel began his successful career in the life sciences as a lab assistant at the St. Georges Hospital for the British Army from 1917-1919. Quastel studied chemistry at Imperial College London and pursued graduate work at Cambridge University. He received a Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1924, followed by a doctorate of science in 1926; additionally, by 1930, Quastel became the Director of Research at Cardiff City Mental Hospital and began to research the metabolism and enzymology of the brain. In 1941 the Agricultural Research Council contacted Quastel to research crop yields because of the deficiencies of food supplies. In 1947, Quastel became Assistant Director of McGill University-Montreal General Hospital Research Institute and professor and then the institute's director in 1948 while supervising 70 Ph.D. candidates. Quastel, although retired, came to UBC in 1966 to become a professor in neurochemistry in the Department of Psychiatry. Over his career, significant honours for Quastel included earning an honorary doctorate of science from McGill University in 1969, receiving the Companionship of the Order of Canada and an honorary doctorate at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1970, as well as becoming an honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1983. Quastel was widowed by his first wife, Henrietta Quastel, in 1973, and he passed away in 1987, leaving behind a second wife, Susan Ricardo, three children Michael, David, Barbara and eleven grandchildren.

Queer Arts Festival

  • Corporate body
  • 1998-

The Queer Arts Festival (QAF) was founded by Two-Spirit artist Robbie Hong and Black artist Jeffery Gibson among other queer visual artists in 1998. Originally called Pride in Art, QAF was incorporated in 2006 as a nonprofit and the first multidisciplinary QAF occurred in 2008. In 2018, the SUM gallery was founded by Artistic Director SD Holman to serve as a permanent space to hold the QAF and host other events and artistic residencies. The SUM gallery, “is one of less than a handful of permanent queer-mandated art galleries in the world. SUM produces, presents and exhibits with a curatorial vision favouring cutting-edge, thought-provoking multidisciplinary work that pushes boundaries and initiates dialogue,” (https://sumgallery.ca/). The QAF and SUM gallery’s goals are to bring diverse queer communities together to support risk-taking art and artists, collaborate and experiment with other creators, and to celebrate the vivid history and heritage of queer art and artists. The QAF has been hosted annually since 2006 at the Roundhouse at the SUM gallery in Vancouver, and has presented over 2,000 artists in more than 450 events to over 100,000 patrons of the arts.

Quinn, Valentine G.

Valentine Quinn was an accountant for the Northern Bank in Vancouver and a partner in Quinn Brothers and Company, Wholesale Lumber and Commission Lumber, Lath and Shingles of Winnipeg.

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