Person

Lue, Jar

• 雷家
• 雷維昌

• Louie, Wai Chern

1894-1994

LUE Jar was born in China in 1894 in the village of Sam Dor 三多, in the province of Guangdong 廣東, county of Taishan 台山 and the township of Tong Min Heung 塘面鄉.

In 1913, at age 19, he travelled to Canada for work, leaving behind his wife, Ng Shee 伍氏 and one-year-old son, Siu Lay 兆利. He landed at Victoria and was admitted to Canada upon paying the $500 head tax.

Lue Jar listed his destination as Calgary. He mentioned working for a white family as a house servant at one time and this may have been the work he was doing in that city. Other Chinese immigrants also have recalled working as house servants in Calgary when they first arrived in Canada.

Lue Jar was a quick study and this job gave him the opportunity to learn English. However, he was not happy with the work. The mischievous children were always going through his belongings when he was busy with chores. One day he was so fed up that he rigged a mouse trap within his belongings to teach them a lesson. He likely did stay long at this job.

Having learned some English, he found work at Fraser Mills as a mill worker in B.C.. He stayed for quite a number of years, eventually becoming a supervisor to the Chinese workers.

Lue Jar moved to Vancouver around 1922. From there, he found work at Dollar Mill in the Dollarton area of North Vancouver.

The 1923 Chinese Immigration Act required all Chinese immigrants in Canada to re-register. Shortly after Lue Jar did so, in January 1924, he left to visit China after being away for over a decade.

During his 15-month stay, he and his wife Ng Shee had two more sons in quick succession: Siu Yin 兆賢 and Siu Lung 兆能. Lue Jar was required to return to Canada in 1925 and to his job at Dollar Mill, so he did not see the birth of his youngest son.

In 1933, Ng Shee passed away due to poor health. She was only 40 or 41 years old. Lue Jar’s oldest son, Siu Lay, took over the care of the two younger children in addition to his own family.

During the war years, between 1941-1945, Lue Jar found work at Burrard Dry Dock in North Vancouver. Later, he spent a few years running a farm in Drumheller, Alberta.

After the repeal of the Exclusion Act, Lue Jar applied for his Canadian citizenship which he obtained on November 8, 1951.

In 1952, he purchased Ferry Rooms on Alexander Street in Vancouver: a rooming house with 34 rooms on three floors. Lue Jar operated the hotel until he retired in 1973.

Meanwhile, the youngest son, Siu Lung, immigrated to Canada around 1954. He arrived as a “paper son” with the surname Lee. He eventually corrected the surname of his family to Lui.

The middle son, Siu Yin and his family arrived in 1965. This son took over the operations of the hotel.

Lue Jar passed away in 1994, just two months shy of turning 100.

Description supplied by collector/curator