19. ANN & JIMMY WONG - WELCOME INN RESTAURANT

This cameo photo shows - starting in the back row from the left - Hugh Seto, Ann Ows Wong, and husband Jimmy Wong holding their son, Peter. The Wongs owned and ran the Welcome Inn Restaurant on McLeod Road.

 Although the Welcome Inn Restaurant had been around since at least 1960, my memory of it, or rather my recall of Ann Wong dates only back to 1982.

 Mr. Wong (b.1908) had passed away in 1970. Mrs. Wong (b.1915) continued to operate the restaurant on her own for many years after her husband's death.

 In 1982, I had been teaching in Northern British Columbia and had returned to Niagara Falls to visit my parents for a few days. It was also an opportunity to introduce my new partner, Keith, to them.

 Whether it was Keith's appearance - bushy beard, flannel shirt, jeans - or her understanding of Western preferences, we were surprised when Mrs. Wong brought him a tumbler of whiskey during our morning visit. As early in the day as it was, he drank it, out of politeness.

 Perhaps this act reinforced her conceptions about Westerners. 

Nonetheless, I know Ann and my mother were close friends. My mother had seen it important for us to visit. In addition, she and Mrs. Wong use to joke about how they would live together in their old age.

 Mrs. Wong died in 2004. My mother died in 2010. They never did live together.

I did not know/remember Peter Wong. However, in my research for this project, I came across a photo in Images of a Century Chapter 8, page 272.

 Peter played lacrosse. He was a member of the Trojans Midget Lacrosse Team. In 1975, they were the District champions.




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