Coun. George Chow at the Chinese New Year Parade in February.
He gave up a winnable seat in city council and what could have been a third term in office.
Instead, retiring second-term councillor George Chow took a gamble by jumping into provincial politics.
That hasn’t paid off, or at least not yet.
Chow lost to Gabriel Yiu in the November 6 nomination meeting of the B.C. NDP’s constituency association in Vancouver-Fraserview.
“I have no plans at this point,” Chow told the Straight in a recent phone interview.
In the November 19 municipal election, a neophyte politician of Chinese descent whom Chow actually endorsed and the only nonincumbent Vision Vancouver council candidate—Tony Tang—won, taking what could have been a seat for Chow.
For someone with deep roots in the city’s historic Chinatown, Chow may again be active in the community.
“I’ll be around, whatever help they need in Chinatown,” the former president of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver said.
According to his official council bio, Chow “first served on the Chinatown Historical Area Planning Committee in the mid-70s and was actively involved with the building of the Chinese Cultural Centre (CCC)”.
The account continues: “He spent four two-year terms on the Board of Directors of CCC as Chair of the Special Events Committee that oversaw the first Spring Festival parade and flower market in Chinatown; the UN Habitat Conference Festival; the first community concert with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; and the first Dragon Boat Race in Vancouver.
“In 1990, George was awarded the Dr. S. Wah Leung Award for outstanding volunteer services in the Vancouver Chinese-Canadian Community,” Chow’s bio also states.
Chow said that he’ll take a short break, at least for this winter.
Instead, retiring second-term councillor George Chow took a gamble by jumping into provincial politics.
That hasn’t paid off, or at least not yet.
Chow lost to Gabriel Yiu in the November 6 nomination meeting of the B.C. NDP’s constituency association in Vancouver-Fraserview.
“I have no plans at this point,” Chow told the Straight in a recent phone interview.
In the November 19 municipal election, a neophyte politician of Chinese descent whom Chow actually endorsed and the only nonincumbent Vision Vancouver council candidate—Tony Tang—won, taking what could have been a seat for Chow.
For someone with deep roots in the city’s historic Chinatown, Chow may again be active in the community.
“I’ll be around, whatever help they need in Chinatown,” the former president of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver said.
According to his official council bio, Chow “first served on the Chinatown Historical Area Planning Committee in the mid-70s and was actively involved with the building of the Chinese Cultural Centre (CCC)”.
The account continues: “He spent four two-year terms on the Board of Directors of CCC as Chair of the Special Events Committee that oversaw the first Spring Festival parade and flower market in Chinatown; the UN Habitat Conference Festival; the first community concert with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; and the first Dragon Boat Race in Vancouver.
“In 1990, George was awarded the Dr. S. Wah Leung Award for outstanding volunteer services in the Vancouver Chinese-Canadian Community,” Chow’s bio also states.
Chow said that he’ll take a short break, at least for this winter.
