Mah, Jan
Jan Mah (née Wong) is a third generation Chinese Canadian. Her parents were part-owners and operators of the Sunrise Drive-in Restaurant from 1956 to the 1970s, one the first Chinese restaurants with carhop service in Calgary, Alberta. Growing up, Jan worked at the restaurant’s dairy bar and also immersed herself in community and social activities. She led a busy work life, becoming the first woman to recruit for executive positions at a recruiting firm. In addition to raising her son and establishing a career, Jan has been an active contributor to Calgary’s Sien Lok Society as Lifetime Honourary Director and President. Jan resided in Calgary at the time of the interview.
In April 1969, Calgary’s Sien Lok Society hosted the first National Conference on Urban Renewal in Chinatown. The conference was held to address city development plans that affected Chinatowns across the country. The Sien Lok Society grew out of the Calgary Chinese community’s opposition to a plan that would run a highway through the centre of Chinatown. Here, Jan Mah reports on the conference in the Chinatown News.
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