Lee, Loretta
Loretta Lee’s family history in Canada dates back more than a century. Both her paternal and maternal grandmothers arrived in Calgary, Alberta, in the early 1900s as two of the first Chinese women to arrive in the city. Loretta’s mother, Nellie Ho Lem, was very active in her community as a member of the United Church and the Lady Laurier Club, a women’s organization for the Liberal Party. Loretta grew up in Calgary and in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, where the family lived for a number of years. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Loretta has actively pursued community work and has been a volunteer with the Sien Lok Society in Calgary since its inception.
This hand-coloured black and white photo shows young women dressed in their finest clothing as volunteer servers for the ‘Chow Mein Tea,’ an annual event that raised funds for the Chinese Mission. This photo has appeared in Paul Yee’s publication, Chinatown, as well as the photo exhibit, Builders and Patriots: Portraits of Chinese Canadians (2005). Notable individuals depicted include Nellie Ho Lem (nee Wong, second row, first left), Marguerite Dayton (nee Wong, Nellie's sister and Joanne Woo's mother, second row, fourth from left), Alice Louie-Byne (front row, first left) and Mary Dayton (Joanne Woo's aunt, Marguerite's sister-in-law, front row, first right).
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