Person

Gee, Chan How

• Gee, Howe
• Gee, Jean Hoy
• Gee, How
• Gee, Chau How

[1895]-1974

GEE Chan How was also known as GEE Jean Hoy (married name) and the Anglicized Howe GEE.

GEE Chan How wanted a better life for him and his family. He heard that Canada was the “Land of Opportunity – the Golden Mountain”. Not being from a wealthy family, he borrowed money for his passage from friends and relatives. In 1913, at the young age of 18, he boarded a cargo ship named Tamba-Maru and traveled across the rough oceans to Victoria, B.C., Canada.

The head tax placed upon Chinese immigrants at that time had increased to $500. This was a tremendous amount of money - equivalent to a man’s salary for 2 years. This was a monetary burden he was willing to endure to have a better life.

Victoria was his home for several years. He then moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan where he spent 3 years working on a chicken farm. He felt a sense of belonging here amongst its sizeable Chinese community. They were known as “Chinese bachelors” since many were single or their families were back in China. A Chinese community developed with poor living and working conditions in the underbelly of Moose Jaw. The Chinese were not treated very well by the white people, who would wear a sign on their breast pocket that said “Pure English”.

GEE Chan How returned to China in the early 1920s to marry. As was common at the time, he only met his wife on their wedding day. Their first son was born, and shortly thereafter he returned to Canada.

Howe heard of a business opportunity to buy the Rex Café with his cousin, in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan. He became known as “Little Gee” a man with a kind heart, and his cousin, being a larger man, was known as “Big Gee”. Even though they had many customers and the Café kept them busy, life for the Gee cousins was very lonely.

Howe was able to return to China at least two more times and had 3 more children. He and his wife now had 4 children; 3 boys and 1 girl. However, with the Chinese Exclusion Act in effect, Howe was unable to bring any of them to Canada to join him; no new Chinese were permitted into the country. Over this long period, Howe was only able to send money back to his wife. He did not see his children grow up. He was not able to bury his eldest son, who passed away during WWII, from tuberculosis. They did not have money for medicine.

After the Exclusion Act was repealed, Howe managed to sponsor his wife and two youngest children (Mary and Moon) to Canada, reuniting with him in January 1951. After much red-tape, his second son, Sam, joined the family the following year. This was a very happy day.

Howe moved to Regina, Saskatchewan and opened a tea room that served hamburgers, fries and milkshakes, and sold grocery items. Everyone in the family worked at the tea room or went to school.

His children married in Canada. Howe and his wife were blessed with 16 grandchildren. Howe passed away in 1974 at age 79.

Description supplied by collector/curator