{"id":3572,"date":"2025-10-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca\/honouring-the-past-inspiring-the-future-a-donor-story-gordon-r-lee\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T00:00:00","slug":"honouring-the-past-inspiring-the-future-a-donor-story-gordon-r-lee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca\/zh-hans\/honouring-the-past-inspiring-the-future-a-donor-story-gordon-r-lee\/","title":{"rendered":"Honouring the Past, Inspiring the Future: A Donor Story \u2014 Gordon R. Lee"},"content":{"rendered":"
For Gordon R. Lee, supporting the Chinese Canadian Museum (CCM) is far more than philanthropy \u2014 it\u2019s an act of remembrance, a tribute to the courage of those who came before him, and a way of ensuring that their stories continue to be shared for generations to come.<\/p>\n
Though he grew up in Toronto, Ont., Gordon holds a unique place in Canadian history: he was the first Canadian of Chinese descent to be born in Newfoundland<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that fact alone speaks to how unexpected my life\u2019s path has been,\u201d Gordon says. \u201cI didn\u2019t grow up in Vancouver\u2019s Chinatown or in one of the major Chinese Canadian communities. But as I\u2019ve gotten older, I\u2019ve realized just how deeply my family\u2019s history is intertwined with the broader Chinese Canadian story.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Personal Connection to Vancouver\u2019s Chinatown<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Gordon\u2019s family history connects back to Vancouver in quiet but meaningful ways. His maternal grandfather was the only member of the family to have lived in the city before Gordon himself eventually moved west. He worked as a houseboy for the Rogers family in Vancouver.<\/p>\n
Gordon\u2019s mother often shared stories from her childhood, including the time when her father took the whole family back to China for a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe remembered her father buying the Canadian Pacific tickets for their passage to and from Hong Kong on Pender Street,\u201d Gordon recalls. \u201cMost likely, this would have been at the Wing Sang Building.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, the Wing Sang Building, the oldest brick building in Vancouver\u2019s Chinatown, is home to the Chinese Canadian Museum.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredible to think that my family, in a small way, touched that building long before it became what it is now,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
A Family Shaped by History<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Like many Chinese Canadian families of the early 20th century, Gordon\u2019s family lived through the profound injustices of the Head Tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act. All four of his grandparents and his Uncle Jim paid the Head Tax in order to enter Canada. His parents \u2014 born in Alberta and Ontario in the 1920s \u2014 were registered under the Chinese Exclusion Act as infants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t talk much about it,\u201d Gordon shares. \u201cI only found their C.I. certificates when we were cleaning out the family home after my father passed away. Holding those documents, the physical proof of the discrimination they lived through, was a powerful moment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
C.I. 45 Certificate of Jenny Pon, mother of Gordon Lee. Courtesy of Gordon Lee.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
C.I. 45 Certificate of Roy Lee, father of Gordon Lee. Courtesy of Gordon Lee.<\/em><\/p>\n
His Uncle Jim, James Pon, became a respected community leader who advocated for redress for head tax payers. Gordon later donated a copy of his grandfather\u2019s head tax certificate to the Chinese Canadian Museum\u2019s \u201cThe<\/em> Paper Trail\u201d<\/em> exhibition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was deeply meaningful to me,\u201d he says. \u201cTo have that piece of my family history preserved and shared with the public, it felt like honouring their struggles in a visible, lasting way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Photo of James Pon\u2019s Head Tax Certificate, belonging to Gordon Lee\u2019s uncle Jim. Courtesy of Gordon Lee.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Head Tax Certificate of Lee Gook Soong, Gordon Lee's paternal grandfather. Courtesy of Gordon Lee.<\/em><\/p>\n
Service and Sacrifice<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Gordon\u2019s father\u2019s story adds another layer to this family history. Although he wasn\u2019t considered to have \u201clegal status\u201d in Canada, he was drafted during the Second World War. his father was near-sighted and had flat feet, so he was classified as \u201c4F\u201d \u2014 not suitable for combat \u2014 but spent his summers training with the Reserve Officers Training Corps at Camp Borden and at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in Toronto.<\/p>\n
During this time, his father developed a close friendship with Rev. Gordon R. Taylor, one of his godfathers and a remarkable figure in his own right. Taylor, a Chinese language scholar, had learned Chinese as a boy in Carleton Place, Ontario, from the owner of the local Chinese laundry. He would later go on to teach in the Far Eastern Studies Department at Queen\u2019s University.<\/p>\n
During the war, Gordon Taylor served as a naval commander with Far Eastern Intelligence under Chester Ronning. In collaboration with British Intelligence, he helped recruit and deploy Force 136 \u2014 a secret unit of Chinese Canadians who played a critical role in Allied operations in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad used to have breakfast with Gordon Taylor at Murray\u2019s Restaurant in Toronto during the war,\u201d Gordon recalls. \u201cOn one of those mornings, Gordon told him he\u2019d lost a man from Force 136. Even all these years later, that story stuck with me. It\u2019s one of those quiet, human moments that tells you how much sacrifice there was, and how little of it was ever spoken about.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Photograph of Rev. Gordon R. Taylor, godfather of Gordon Lee. Courtesy of Gordon Lee.<\/em><\/p>\n
Growing Up Chinese Canadian in Toronto<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Gordon\u2019s childhood in Toronto shaped his early understanding of identity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were the only Chinese family in our neighbourhood,\u201d he says. \u201cMy brothers and I were the only Chinese kids in our classes. Like many of our generation, our goal was to blend in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their family would go to Chinatown for groceries, dim sum, or the occasional banquet, but otherwise, Gordon remembers his upbringing as very Canadian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom cooked Chinese food maybe once or twice a week,\u201d he laughs. \u201cI loved steamed minced pork with Chinese sausage from my uncles\u2019 factory in Montr\u00e9al, and of course, wonton soup. Wrapping wontons together was a family tradition and one we\u2019ve passed on to our children. But most of the time, our meals were ham, chicken, roast beef \u2014 classic Canadian.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ironically, Gordon became so well integrated into mainstream Canadian society that when he was being considered for a vice president position at Kwantlen University College (now Kwantlen Polytechnic University), a board member commented that he \u201cwasn\u2019t diverse enough.\u201d He laughs telling the story now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shows how far things have come \u2014 and how complicated identity can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rediscovering Heritage<\/strong><\/h3>\n
As Gordon grew older, he found himself increasingly drawn to his family\u2019s history. Long conversations with his father and letters he left behind opened up a world of stories and details. His father had kept extensive documentation on their ancestral village, including a book tracing their family\u2019s lineage back to the 13th century.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took me to St. Catharines to see his high school and his dad\u2019s restaurant,\u201d Gordon recalls. \u201cHe showed me the places where our family story unfolded in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n
This journey of rediscovery also took Gordon to the town where his mother grew up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I learned more about their struggles and achievements, I realized how much I owed to their courage. They came to a country where they didn\u2019t speak the language, where they faced discrimination, and they built a better future for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Pon Family. Back row: Dr. George Pon, Louise Pon (James and Vera\u2019s daughter), Roy Lee, James Pon; Front row: Vera Pon, Daisy Pon, Gordon Lee\u2019s grandmother, Jenny Lee (n\u00e9e Pon), and Gordon Lee. Courtesy of Gordon Lee.<\/em><\/p>\n
A Legacy of Courage and Contribution<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Supporting the Chinese Canadian Museum is Gordon\u2019s way of ensuring these stories are preserved, both his own family\u2019s and those of thousands of others.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to honour the courage, endurance, hard work, and legacy of Chinese Canadians who came before us,\u201d he says. \u201cThey made it possible for us to thrive and prosper.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gordon is particularly moved by the \u201cThe Paper Trail\u201d<\/em> exhibition at the museum. \u201cSeeing my grandfather\u2019s head tax certificate there is deeply personal,\u201d he shares. \u201cIt\u2019s a tangible reminder of what they endured. And it connects my family\u2019s story to a much larger, shared history.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Deeply resonating with CCM\u2019s exhibitions such as \u201cThe Paper Trail\u201d<\/em> and \u201cA Soldier for All Seasons\u201d<\/em>, Gordon believes the museum\u2019s work is crucial for future generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur history deserves to be remembered,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen we tell these stories, we keep the courage of those who came before us alive. And we give younger generations a sense of where they come from \u2014 something to be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n
His hope is that the museum will continue to be a place where Chinese Canadian history is preserved, celebrated, and shared with the wider community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about the past,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt\u2019s about creating a sense of belonging for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Gordon Lee (left). Photo by William Luk.<\/em><\/p>\n
Support the Legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Gordon Lee\u2019s story is just one thread in the rich tapestry of Chinese Canadian history. The Chinese Canadian Museum is dedicated to preserving these stories \u2014 but this work is only possible through the generosity and commitment of people like Gordon, and the broader community.<\/p>\n
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