Woo, Joanne
Joanne Woo’s family has a long history in Calgary, Alberta. Her paternal grandfather, Lim Soon, came to Canada in 1900. His wife, Mrs. Lim Soon Dayton (Wong Shee), arrived in 1923 on the last boat to bring Chinese immigrants to Canada before The Chinese Immigration Act, 1923 came into effect, bringing about the Exclusion Period (1923-1947). The family adopted the name Dayton, after the restaurant-turned-store they operated in Calgary. The Lim Daytons’ son, William, married Marguerite Lim Dayton (née Wong) in 1939. Marguerite was responsible for operating the family grocery business along with raising three children, including Joanne. Encouraged to pursue an education by her parents, Joanne entered Business College for secretarial training. She became the first secretary of the Board of Directors of the Sien Lok Society, and has remained active in the organization ever since.
‘[W]hen she got to the interview they looked at her and said, 'Well you're Chinese.' And she said, 'Yes.' And they said, 'Well we don't hire Chinese.'‘
In this clip, Joanne Woo explains how her aunt, Ivy Lee (née Lim Dayton) faced barriers to working as a nurse in Calgary, Alberta. In response, Ivy moved to Toronto, Ontario to work as one of the first Asian nurses in the city.
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