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Type of entity
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Authorized form of name
Wong, Dong Han
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- Wong, Gordon
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Dates of existence
1898-1965
History
WONG Dong Han (known in Canada as Gordon Wong) was the third brother of his family to immigrate to Canada. He was born in China in 1887 and arrived in 1919, paying the $500 head tax.
Gordon headed east to Nova Scotia to join his brothers. He worked at various establishments including the Savoy Café in Glace Bay. He worked as a waiter, dishwasher and cook. Unlike his brothers, he never returned to China and was the only one to marry in Canada.
There were very few Chinese women in 1930s Nova Scotia. Instead, Gordon travelled across the country to Victoria, B.C. where he arranged to find a Chinese wife through a marriage broker. In 1930, he married Dorothy Tso and together they had nine children.
Around 1939, Gordon worked at Wong‘s restaurant in Antigonish. In 1942, Gordon and his family adopted his brother Charles’ grandson, Ching Yue (b. December 28, 1940) who was living in China. Despite the family’s best efforts, larger events intervened. WWII and later the revolution and the installation of the Communist regime, prevented Ching Yue from coming to Canada. He never did make it out of China.
Gordon eventually owned his own restaurant, the Capital Café on 211 Provost Street in New Glasgow.
He died in 1965 and was buried in Antigonish.
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