Norman Lim Kwong (born Kwong Lim Yew; ; October 24, 1929 – September 3, 2016) was a Canadian professional football player who played for the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was also an active businessman and politician being part owner of the Calgary Flames and serving as the 16th lieutenant governor of Alberta from January 2005 to May 2010.

The son of Chinese immigrants from Taishan, Guangdong, Kwong was the first Canadian professional football player of Chinese heritage. In addition, Kwong was also the first person of Chinese heritage to serve as lieutenant governor of Alberta. As a former vice-regal representative of Alberta, he was styled "The Honourable" for life. Kwong was the third Canadian of Chinese heritage to be appointed as a vice-regal in Canada, after David Lam and Adrienne Clarkson.

Kwong's life and legacy are the focus of a Heritage Minute short film, made in Calgary in late 2023, and released on February 13, 2024.

Early life

Kwong was born to a Chinese immigrant family in Calgary, Alberta, on October 24, 1929. His father, Charles Lim Kwong, immigrated to Canada in 1907 and had to pay the head tax, and his mother, Lily Lee, immigrated with her family in 1912. Their marriage was arranged by their parents. They lived in British Columbia at first. Still, they moved to Calgary because anti-Chinese discrimination was less severe there, and Charles could open his own business, the Riverside Cash and Carry Store. Norman (Lim Kwong Yew) was the fifth of six siblings. They were lucky to have both parents in Canada, as family reunion was restricted at the time for Chinese Canadians and many children grew up with one parent. though Kwong accomplished his record in fifteen games, rather than eighteen for Cornish.

He was president and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 1991, leading the team to a loss in the Grey Cup final in 1991. Between 1980 and 1994, Kwong was a part owner of the Calgary Flames, having been one of the original group of six Calgary businessmen who bought and moved the NHL's Atlanta Flames hockey team to Calgary in 1980. The Calgary Flames won the Stanley Cup in 1989, making him one of five people whose name is on both the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup. The feat was later matched by Wayne Gretzky, who in an interesting symmetry to Kwong's achievement has his name on the Stanley Cup four times as a player and on the Grey Cup once as an owner.

Public service career

Kwong's public stature from sports helped him move on to politics and government. In 1971 he ran for the Alberta Progressive Conservative party in Calgary-Millican. In this election, the PCs ended Social Credit's 36-year hold on power, winning all but five seats in Calgary. However, Kwong himself was defeated by longtime incumbent Arthur J. Dixon who won by a 1,600 vote plurality.

In 1988 Kwong was made a member of the Order of Canada and served as the national chairman of the Canadian Consultative Council on Multiculturalism. Kwong was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta on January 20, 2005, replacing Lois Hole, who died in office on January 6, 2005. Kwong welcomed Queen Elizabeth II to Alberta in June 2005 on a visit commemorating Alberta's first 100 years in Canadian Confederation. During a private audience, the Queen presented Kwong with the insignia of a Knight of Justice in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.

Kwong swore Ed Stelmach into office as the 13th Premier of Alberta on December 14, 2006. Kwong's term concluded on May 11, 2010, and he was succeeded by Don Ethell.

Personal life

Kwong married Mary Lee on March 26, 1960, and together they had four sons: Gregory, Bradley, Martin, and Randall. He died in his sleep on September 3, 2016, at the age of 86. He was survived by his wife, four sons, and ten grandchildren.

Arms

Honours

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{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"

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|Ribbon || Description || Notes

|-

|40px || Order of Canada (CM) ||

  • Member
  • October 21, 1998

|-

|40px || Order of St. John (K.StJ) ||

  • Knight of Justice
  • June 2005

|-

|40px || Alberta Order of Excellence (AOE) ||

  • 2005

|-

|40px || 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal ||

  • 1992

|-

|40px || Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ||

  • 2002
  • Canadian Version of this Medal

|-

|40px || Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal ||

  • 2012
  • Canadian Version of this Medal

|-

|40px || Alberta Centennial Medal

||

  • 2005

|-

|}

  • In 2006 Kwong received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Alberta.

Notes

See also

  • The Honourable David Lam – former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and Canada's first vice-regal of Chinese heritage
  • The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson – former Governor General of Canada and the first Chinese Canadian to serve in the post
  • Larry Kwong, the original "China Clipper", former NHL hockey player and first Chinese-Canadian NHL player
  • Lost Years: A People's Struggle for Justice
  • Peter Ing former NHL goaltender
  • Philip S. Lee, former Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

References

  • Lost Years (Episode 2) CBC TV, August 27, 2011 & March 3, 2012
  • CBC News - Jan 19 2005: Ex-footballer Normie Kwong Alberta's new lieutenant-governor