Chinese Canadian Museum Unveils New Military Exhibition: "A Soldier for All Seasons: Chinese Canadians in the Second World War"
Open to the public on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, "A Soldier for All Seasons" is located on the newly expanded and renovated third floor of the Chinese Canadian Museum. This powerful exhibition shares the heartfelt and often overlooked stories of Chinese Canadian soldiers who risked their lives to serve a country that, at the time, regarded them as "second-class" citizens. Their sacrifices were instrumental in prompting the Canadian government to repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1947 - marking a critical step toward full citizenship and equal rights for Chinese Canadians.
"These were men and women who risked everything for a country that did not yet recognize them as equals," says Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum. "Their bravery and sacrifice challenged deep-seated discrimination and helped lay the foundation for lasting change. It was through their service that the Chinese Exclusion Act was eventually repealed, and Chinese Canadians were finally acknowledged as full citizens. This exhibition honours their legacy and ensures their stories are remembered."
Curated by Catherine Clement, Naomi Louie, Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, and Sarah Ling, A Soldier for All Seasons marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and highlights the powerful stories of Chinese Canadian men and women who served in every branch of the armed forces—despite being denied full citizenship. Their service at home and abroad helped challenge discrimination and reshape Canada's path toward equality.
"Our mission is to ensure Chinese Canadian veterans are never forgotten," says Randall (Bud) Wong, President of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum and retired B.C. Supreme Court Judge and Chinese Canadian Museum Board member. "This exhibition with the Chinese Canadian Museum helps share their stories of courage, sacrifice, and the fight for belonging in Canada."
This exhibition brings their stories to life like never before—with rare photos, immersive design, and a groundbreaking 3D holobox that lets visitors hear directly from Chinese Canadian actors retelling the powerful experiences of wartime soldiers."
At the exhibition entrance, a commemorative artwork by Vancouver artist Jeanette G. Lee - niece of a Second World War veteran - honours Chinese Canadians who served in the World Wars. Through the Looking Screen features engraved names of known soldiers, offering a poignant tribute to their sacrifice and legacy.
The exhibition highlights powerful stories of resilience and heroism, including:
Albert Mah, a fighter pilot who, alongside his brother Cedric, survived hundreds of perilous missions transporting vital supplies from India to China.
George Chow, who narrowly escaped death during the D-Day invasion when Allied planes mistakenly bombed his unit, killing two comrades beside him.
Roger Cheng, who led a team of Chinese Canadian soldiers who parachuted behind enemy lines in Borneo on a top-secret sabotage mission for Britain's elite Force 136.
"These stories are powerful reminders of courage, sacrifice, and the fight for dignity. Chinese Canadian soldiers served this country with honour and helped shape a more inclusive Canada," says the Honourable Spencer Chandra Herbert, B.C. Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. "I'm deeply moved by this exhibition, and proud that our government continues to support the Chinese Canadian Museum in sharing these vital histories with all of us."
A Soldier for All Seasons is housed in the Chinese Canadian Museum's newly expanded third-floor permanent exhibition space, dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of Chinese Canadian war veterans. Presented in collaboration with the Chinese Canadian Military Museum, the exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Jack and Sylvia Gin Foundation, the Government of Canada, and the Province of British Columbia.
For more information about the Chinese Canadian Museum and its current exhibitions, please visit www.ChineseCanadianMuseum.ca.
About the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society | https://www.ccmms.ca
The Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society (CCMMS) was founded in 1998. Its mandate has been to collect, preserve, document and commemorate the role of Chinese Canadians in service to Canada's military with a focus on the role these "unwanted soldiers" played in the community's efforts to achieve full equal rights in Canada. Today, the society also works to educate a new generation of Canadians on the role the Chinese played in Canada's history.
The Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia is an independent, non-profit organization established in March 2020 to create a museum honouring and sharing Chinese Canadian history, contributions, and living heritage. Guided by its mission statement "Connecting to the Chinese Canadian story – addressing inclusion for all", the Chinese Canadian Museum aspires to provide an invigorating and transformative experience for present and future generations through its exhibitions and educational programming throughout B.C. and Canada.
The first of its kind in Canada, the Chinese Canadian Museum opened to the public in 2023, and is located in the historic Wing Sang Building in Vancouver Chinatown.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Chinese pop music's 'deeply local' Canadian story shines in Vancouver exhibition
A new exhibition on Cantopop and Mandopop music in Vancouver is a Canadian story, says curator Melissa Karmen Lee. The Dream Factory exhibit, which opened on May 28 at the Chinese Canadian Museum, pays tribute to the golden age of Chinese pop music "through the lens of Chinese Canadian identity, migration and memory." Its stories are anything but foreign, said Lee, who is also the museum's chief executive. "It is a deeply local story about how many of these Cantopop stars [and] Mandopop stars made Vancouver their home. They lived here, they worked here, they grew up here," she said. "They all deeply considered Canada a part of their identity, and we're so pleased to feature that in this exhibition." Cantopop and Mandopop refer to Chinese-language pop music in the two most widely spoken tongues in the community, Cantonese and Mandarin. The exhibit, running through May 2026, features a collection of music from the genres between 1980 and 2000, when stars such as Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui wowed fans globally. But Lee said many outside the community didn't realize that such giant stars were living among them in Canada. Lee pointed out that Cheung — a singer and actor who became known to Western audiences by starring in movies including Farewell My Concubine and Happy Together — lived in Vancouver in the early 1990s. A park bench that honours Cheung in the city's Stanley Park is a pilgrimage site for fans of the star, who died by suicide in 2003. Lee said singer and actress Sally Yeh grew up in Victoria before reaching stardom. The Cantopop and Mandopop genres are intrinsically connected to Canada's large Chinese communities, especially in neighbourhoods in Metro Vancouver and Toronto where their songs were ubiquitous at Chinese malls, restaurants and karaoke bars. Vancouver native Stephanie Kong, who designed a wedding dress at the exhibit that was inspired by Mui's 2003 farewell performance, said Cantopop music saturated many of her childhood memories. "Growing up here in Canada, that was definitely a part of my childhood," Kong said. "Going to Parker Place [a mall in Richmond, B.C.] and waiting while my parents were in those music stores buying LaserDiscs, and I would be like, 'What's taking so long?' "Because I didn't quite understand it … So it's funny that it comes kind of full circle, coming as an adult and getting a new appreciation for what I've always kind of — for the lack of a better word — just dismissed when I was a kid." In addition to costumes inspired by Cantopop and Mandopop in the exhibition's main room, there's a large screen blaring hit songs, a separate room featuring artwork using LaserDiscs, a stage set up for karaoke and listening stations for popular songs. On one wall, original sheet music for famous Cantonese movies from Hong Kong composer Joseph Koo are displayed. Koo lived in Richmond before his death in 2023. 'A preservation of culture' Lee said Cantopop culture seeped deep into many parts of Canada. She said Cheung's 1986 song Monica was anecdotally regarded as responsible for a large number of Chinese Canadian girls bearing the name. "They listened to Cantopop in Vancouver, in Toronto," Lee said of immigrant waves to Canada. "They made this very Asian music part of this global Chinese diaspora community. "So, part of the popularity of Cantopop and Mandopop across the globe was because of these overseas Chinese communities that made it really great. "Immigrants that came in the '60s and the '70s, they brought over their own culture and … made it a uniquely Canadian experience. And so, it's a preservation of culture, but it's also an evolution of something that is Asian into Asian Canadian."
Global News
3 days ago
- Global News
Pair of Lethbridge Collegiate Institute grads discover unique connection from Second World War
What began as a fun graduation night between two close friends at the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute has grown into a story with unexpected historical depth. The students, both in their final year in 2025, chose to attend prom together to mark the end of high school — never imagining their families had crossed paths long before they were born. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In the days following the event, their families discovered a striking coincidence. A newspaper clipping from the Second World War revealed that both of their great-grandfathers had flown together aboard the same aircraft during active service. The men, Mel Sherwood (Drew Sherwood's great uncle) and Grant Spackman (Anna Johnson's great grandfather), were crewmates in the Royal Canadian Air Force and recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded by King George VI. Though the students had no idea about their shared lineage, the revelation created a moment of reflection across both families. A wartime bond had quietly resurfaced in the form of a modern-day friendship, bridging generations in an unexpected and meaningful way. Story continues below advertisement Learn more about the story by watching the video at the top of this article.
Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Woman sues B.C. Place after drunk falls on her, leaving permanent injuries
B.C. Place was negligent by putting profit ahead of the safety of patrons at a Luke Combs concert by overserving alcohol, which led to a 'grossly impaired' woman falling on to another woman, causing permanent injuries, a lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court alleges. Jaspreet Boparai filed the lawsuit against B.C. Pavilion Corp., the operator of B.C. Place , Live Nation Canada, which brought the country music megastar to Vancouver, an unnamed security company and the concertgoer who was allegedly drunk at the May 27, 2023, concert, according to the claim. Boparai's lawsuit refers to the woman as Jane Doe, as her identity isn't known, but says she was sitting in seat 104, row DD, section 416. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Jane Doe, who was impaired by alcohol while attending the concert, fell on to the plaintiff,' the cases says. The lawsuit focuses on the actions and practices of B.C. Place, alleging it was negligent and liable for damages because safeguards to prevent patrons from becoming inebriated were disproportionate to the money raised by alcohol sales. The defendants 'put their own financial interest and gain before the health and safety of the plaintiff' and as a result she was injured, it said. It alleged Jane Doe was either allowed into the concert when she shouldn't have been or 'was served alcohol to the point of impairment, for profit' at the concert by the defendants. Boparai is seeking damages for a list of injuries, which include traumatic brain injury, headaches, injury to the neck, back and shoulders, chronic pain, fatigue, dizziness, and mood and personality changes, it said. She says the injuries caused her unspecified damages, including loss of earning capacity and opportunity to earn, cost of future care, out-of-pocket expenses and loss of ability to perform activities such as household tasks. She also claims other unspecified damages, including for pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, as well as for cost of prescriptions and medical care, such as physiotherapy and massage therapy, it said. The claim alleges the defendants were negligent because they legally owed a duty of care under B.C.'s Occupiers' Act to Boparai and others to ensure B.C. Place was 'managed, supervised and maintained' to make it reasonably safe for patrons. The negligent behaviour including selling or serving alcohol to Jane Doe when 'they knew or ought to have known it was likely to cause her to become impaired and become a danger to other patrons at the concert,' and served her when they knew she was intoxicated, it said. And they allowed her to enter and stay at B.C. Place when they knew she was impaired 'and a danger to herself and others,' it said. And they failed to train or educate themselves on the effects of alcohol and signs of intoxication or have any system to ensure drunk patrons were cut off or taken to a safe place if impaired, it said. The defendants failed to monitor or supervise the amount of liquor being consumed by concertgoers and didn't adequately safeguard patrons by implementing a system of inspection and monitoring of alcohol service, it said. There were negligent by 'exposing the plaintiff to a risk of injury while at the concert by serving patrons, including Jane Doe, excessive amounts of alcohol for profit,' and by 'encouraging or tolerating the conduct of the employees of B.C. Place to overserve patrons to maximize' their revenue despite the danger, according to the claim. The defendants have yet to file a response and messages left with the two companies were not immediately returned. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
