Peter Wing

Early years

Peter Wing’s father, Eng Wing, immigrated to Canada from Canton, a southern region of China in the early 1900s. While Wing’s real family name was Eng, like many other early Chinese immigrants to Canada, Eng Wing’s name was incorrectly translated. Regardless, the last name Wing stuck. In 1910, he returned to China and married Leung Lin. In 1913, she also immigrated to Canada. She was the fifth Chinese woman in Kamloops, British Columbia. (See also Immigration to Canada.)

In 1914, Peter Wing was born in Kamloops. He had six siblings: three brothers (John, Jim and David) and three sisters (May, Lily and Jean). While Peter Wing began his studies at Stuart Wood School, he left school in grade nine to work with his father.

Did you know?
His father’s groceries store, Cut-Rate Self-Serve Grocery, was also the city’s first-ever self-serve grocery store.

The Wing family was passionate about supporting their community. In the 1940s, the Wing family provided credit and free food to vulnerable people in Kamloops. The Wings’ grocery store was a pillar of the community. Many Kamloops residents shopped there regularly. Peter, through working at the store, got to know many people in town.

In 1932, Peter Wing married Kim Kwong from Revelstoke.

Community Involvement

Before he became a politician, Peter Wing became involved in the local community through his family’s store, church and volunteer work. He taught himself to play the piano and he played the pump organ during Sunday services at the Chinese Methodist Mission in Kamloops. Later, he joined the United Church choir and began to do volunteer work with that church. In 1934, at age 20, Wing became the youngest member of the Kamloops Board of Trade. Wing also began working in Kamloops as an orchard farmer and realtor.

With a flair for civic duty, Peter spent much of his early life working for many organizations around Kamloops. In 1942, he joined the Rotary Club of Kamloops. Eventually, he served as the club’s president in 1976–77. He also became involved with the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and the Union of BC Municipalities.

Political Career

In 1959, Peter Wing ran for public office for the first time and was eventually elected as an alderman in 1960. He was the first public official of Chinese descent in any major municipality in North America. In 1966, he became mayor. Wing served for three terms as mayor and retired from the position in 1972. As mayor, Wing oversaw the amalgamation of North Kamloops with Kamloops.

Honours

For all of his accomplishments, Peter Wing was awarded many honours later in his life. In 1976, Wing was made a Member of the Order of Canada — the highest civilian honour in the country — for his service to the community of Kamloops. He was also awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1990. In 1972, Wing was bestowed the Freedom of the City, the highest honour given by the City of Kamloops. In 1977, Wing also received the Human Relations Award from the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews. In 1994, he was awarded the Brock House Society BC Senior Award. The City of Kamloops also renamed the Peter Wing Rotary Rose Garden in his honour in 1999.

Later Life

In 2001, Peter Wing and his wife moved to British Columbia’s Lower Mainland — the first time he lived somewhere other than Kamloops. In 2007, the couple celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. They were proud to receive many messages of congratulations from notable figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, and the Premier of British Columbia, Gordon Campbell.

Aside from being well respected in Canada, Wing was seen as a pioneering Chinese Canadian politician. He inspired the Chinese communities in Kamloops, Canada and overseas.

Wing died at the end of 2007, at the age of 93, from a stroke.