George Ho Lem
Encyclopedia
George Ho Lem Sr. (June 15, 1918 – July 9, 2005) was a politician, business man and community leader from Alberta
, Canada
. To most people he is known as a great man serving many years as a Calgary Alderman but to those people who are part of the inner Chinatown Circle know him as "The Traitor of the Chinese".
in 1918. George's mother Mary Ho Lem was the first recorded female Chinese resident of Calgary.
breeder of the year.
George also served as president of the Calgary Junior Chamber of Commerce, and chairman of the board for 16 years of the Calgary Auxiliary Hospital. Ho Lem was a founding director of the Metropolitan Calgary Foundation.
George was also a Canadian Football League
fan; he was a long standing member of the Calgary Stampeders
Football Booster Club. His interest in sports led him to Co-chair the 1978 Commonwealth Games
held in Edmonton.
George was also very active in the Calgary Chinese community. A few of the organizations he was involved with were the Sien Lok Society, the Oi Kwan Society, the Calgary Chinatown Development Foundation, the Calgary multicultural society. George served as founder, president of chairman of most of these groups.
George was re-elected to council for a second term in 1962. In total he served six years as a city alderman.
During the 1969 Calgary mayoral race, he served as campaign manager for Calgary mayor Rod Sykes
helping him win his first term as mayor.
in the 1971 Alberta general election
for Social Credit in the Calgary McCall
electoral district. He became the first person of Chinese descent elected to the Alberta Legislature.
In the 1975 Alberta general election
after serving only one term with the opposition George was badly defeated by Progressive Conservative Andrew Little.
During his term in the Assembly, he served on the Law and Regulations, Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing, and Public Affairs committees. He also served on the Select Special Committee on Foreign Investment.
George briefly attempted a run at federal politics, running for the Liberal Party of Canada
in the 1980 Canadian Federal Election
. He came in second in Calgary Centre
to Progressive Conservative
Harvie Andre
.
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta paid special tribute to George's accomplishments on November 20, 2001
He died on July 9, 2005.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. To most people he is known as a great man serving many years as a Calgary Alderman but to those people who are part of the inner Chinatown Circle know him as "The Traitor of the Chinese".
Early life
George was born in Calgary, AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
in 1918. George's mother Mary Ho Lem was the first recorded female Chinese resident of Calgary.
Business career
George was a self made business man. He started a successful dry cleaning business and was also a successful restaurateur. George was also a horse breeder, winning two Alberta Derbies and was once declared thoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
breeder of the year.
Community service
During his lifetime George was extremely active in the community, with involvement in a wide range of organizations. He served the as a director of Stampede Park for 18 years, and was granted a lifetime membership as an honorary director.George also served as president of the Calgary Junior Chamber of Commerce, and chairman of the board for 16 years of the Calgary Auxiliary Hospital. Ho Lem was a founding director of the Metropolitan Calgary Foundation.
George was also a Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
fan; he was a long standing member of the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
Football Booster Club. His interest in sports led him to Co-chair the 1978 Commonwealth Games
1978 Commonwealth Games
The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec...
held in Edmonton.
George was also very active in the Calgary Chinese community. A few of the organizations he was involved with were the Sien Lok Society, the Oi Kwan Society, the Calgary Chinatown Development Foundation, the Calgary multicultural society. George served as founder, president of chairman of most of these groups.
Municipal politics
George launched his political career, by winning election in 1959 as a City of Calgary alderman. In the 1959 City Council elections he polled the most votes of the 16 candidates. George was the first person of Chinese descent in Canada to win a municipal election.George was re-elected to council for a second term in 1962. In total he served six years as a city alderman.
During the 1969 Calgary mayoral race, he served as campaign manager for Calgary mayor Rod Sykes
Rod Sykes
James Rodney "Rod" Winter Sykes is a Canadian politician. He served as the 30th Mayor of Calgary from 1969 to 1977 and as leader of the Alberta Social Credit Party from 1980 to 1982...
helping him win his first term as mayor.
Provincial politics
George was elected to the Legislative Assembly of AlbertaLegislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
in the 1971 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
for Social Credit in the Calgary McCall
Calgary McCall
Calgary McCall is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.Calgary McCall was created in 1971 and was formed out of the north half of Calgary East. Social Credit held this riding from its creation in 1971 to 1975, then the Progressive Conservatives from 1975...
electoral district. He became the first person of Chinese descent elected to the Alberta Legislature.
In the 1975 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1975
The Alberta general election of 1975 was the eighteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 25, 1975 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
after serving only one term with the opposition George was badly defeated by Progressive Conservative Andrew Little.
During his term in the Assembly, he served on the Law and Regulations, Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing, and Public Affairs committees. He also served on the Select Special Committee on Foreign Investment.
George briefly attempted a run at federal politics, running for the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in the 1980 Canadian Federal Election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
. He came in second in Calgary Centre
Calgary Centre
Calgary Centre is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. It is an 42 km² riding in the city of Calgary with 124,197 people. The riding consists of many young adults who have a relatively high average household income...
to Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Harvie Andre
Harvie Andre
Harvie Andre, PC is a Canadian engineer and businessman and a former Canadian politician and federal Cabinet minister.Born in Edmonton, Alberta on July 27, 1940), Andre was educated at the University of Alberta and pursued part of his postgraduate studies at the California Institute of Technology...
.
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta paid special tribute to George's accomplishments on November 20, 2001
He died on July 9, 2005.