(May 4, 1914 – December 27, 2007)
The Peasant's
Gold:
The Story of Peter Wing
This is the story of Peter Wing, son of a landless Cantonese
peasant, and first Chinese Mayor in North America. From the
arrival in Kamloops of Eng Wing Him, his father, to Peter's
accomplishments in his retirement, it covers the history of his life
and the growth of city of Kamloops.
Peter Wing's father Eng Wing came to Canada in 1910 at age 16 fronm
the Canton region of China. He returned to China in 1910 to
take a wife before returning to Canada in 1913. Peter's mother
was the only fifth Chinese woman in Kamloops.
Peter was born in 1914 and went to Stuart Wood School and excelled
but eventually left school to work for his father who had started a
grocery business, married Kim Kwong of Revelostoke in 1932 and
became an active member of the Kamloops Board of Trade in 1934.
Being civic-minded, Peter joined many organizations such as the
Rotary Club f Kamloops which he joined in 1942, serving as president
in 1976-77. As welll, he has been involved with the Chamber of
Commerce and Union of BC Municipalities.
In 1958 Peter ran for political office and was eleted the first
public official of Chinese descent of any major city in North
America. Following two more successful aldermanic elections,
in 1965, he became mayr the 28th mayor of Kamloops. Peter won
two more terms and retired in 1972.
During his term of office, Peter worked for the amalgmation of North
Kamloops and Kamloops (North Shore and South Shore). In 1972
he was made Freeman of the City and a member of the Order of Canada
in 1976
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