22. JAMES LAU

Although James “Jimmy” Lau has lived in Niagara Falls off and on since 1949, I only became acquainted with him at, and after, the Niagara Falls Ching Ming Festival in June 2017. Yet Jimmy had known my parents, my brother and me, to some extent, but for those years our lives coincided in Niagara Falls, I have no memory.

I only recognize his grandfather Charlie Fong’s face when I see his photo (see Post #9: Chinese Nationalist League / Kuomintang Party; Post #14: Sam Lee & New World Café).


Jimmy immigrated to Canada in 1949 so he could make a better living and support his parents in China. He stayed at 226 Park St. – my parents’ building – with his grandfather for a couple weeks before leaving for St. Mary’s ON to attend public school and work in his uncle’s restaurant.

Jimmy returned to Niagara Falls in 1953 and shared a four bedroom flat upstairs at 257 Park St. He attended high school at NFCVI for a year before heading off to Ottawa. Robert Wong and Sammy Chan attended at the same time. However, Jimmy found there was little work for young men in Niagara Falls and he needed to work.

He left Niagara Falls for Ottawa where he found work as a waiter.

Jimmy came back to Niagara Falls in 1956. He continued to work in the restaurant business: helping with the opening of the Rose Garden and, later in 1964, the Jade Garden.

From 1964 to 1970, Jimmy worked at the Fallsway Hotel. (The Fallsway Hotel was located on Ferry St. near Clifton Hill.)

After all that restaurant experience, Jimmy struck out on his own to open the China Doll in the Lincoln Motor Inn on Portage Road. The closure of the China Doll in 1978 coincided with his marital breakup. Jimmy had been married to Rose Taylor since 1958.

Jimmy eventually left Niagara Falls for Edmonton where he helped take care of a hotel and restaurant. He retired to Niagara Falls in 2001.

While in Edmonton, Jimmy met and married Patty Hui who had come from Hong Kong in 1980.


When Jimmy reflects on the past, he says he has no regrets:

“Life was good except the first 10 years as I learned the trade and enough English to manage with the Canadian way. [Work] in Niagara Falls was hard but in Alberta was different: pay better, get room and board and travel experience. Plus bonus once a year.”

Jimmy also noted that working hours in a Chinese restaurant were long with lots of prep work. Hotel work was different with only eight hour days.



Jimmy is retired now. He has six children:

Roseanne is a restaurant manager. Raymond owns a garage and fixes cars. Sandra is a waitress. David is a mechanic. Susie is a housewife. They all live in Niagara Falls. Daughter Theresa is a teacher and lives in Barrie, ON.

Jimmy has 11 grand children.




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