Person

Lum, Joe Ming

• 林焯明

• Lim, Joe Ming
• Lum, Tommy Ming
• Lum, Joe
• Lum, Ming

1909-1987

LUM Joe Ming was born and raised in the village of Antang 安堂 in 廣東 Guangdong province near Zhongshan city. He arrived in Canada in 1922 at 13 years old, joining his brothers as a vegetable seller. He would be known in the country also as Joe LUM and Tommy Ming LUM.

When Ming made a return visit to China in 1929 at 20 years old, his family arranged for him to marry 林玉蕑 (née Tseng Yook Lahn), who hailed from a neighbouring village in Guangdong province. The couple would be separated for a decade due to Canada's Exclusion Act, with Yook Lahn living with her in-laws in China. In 1940, she joined Ming in Canada as a ‘paper daughter’ under the assumed identity of Irene Wong of Victoria, B.C. Yook Lahn departed on one of the last boats leaving Hong Kong harbour before the Japanese captured the city.

Ming was a talented calligrapher and man of letters, but could not afford a formal education. In addition, Chinese in Canada were barred from entering the professions. Instead, he turned his sights to growing his family’s business in Vancouver. Ming, Irene, and their son Raymond, worked side-by-side at Canada Produce, a small grocery store and supplier of potatoes for White Spot’s famous french fries. Ming grew his business, undeterred by the discriminatory by-laws that curtailed Chinese retailers, nor the lobbying efforts of white grocers' associations. Canada Produce became a neighbourhood staple for fresh produce on Vancouver’s busy South Granville corridor.

Ming was actively involved with Chinese benevolent societies such as the Lum Sai Ho Tong (Lim Association), an organization with ties to Lum/Lim/Lam/Lem families in China, Hawai‘i, Australia, and beyond.

Ming passed away unexpectedly of an aneurysm on August 15, 1987.

In 2016, Ming's Canadian-born son Raymond, daughter-in-law Sharon, and two grandchildren travelled to Zhongshan to see the house that Ming helped finance for his parents, but never got to visit in his lifetime.

Tseng, Yook Lahn

Description supplied by collector/curator