The National Film Board (NFB) is creating a documentary about Moose Jaw businessman Gale Chow and his experiences as a Chinese youth and entrepreneur.
An NFB film crew first appeared in Moose Jaw in February 2020 to shoot footage of Chow during a Chinese New Year celebration.
After a delay because of the pandemic, the crew returned recently to capture more footage of the Chows packing up their home — Gale and his wife Myrna are moving to Regina to live with their son Kyle — and some of the businesses Gale either worked at or owned.
The documentary — led by director Weiyu Su — will also look at the historical accuracy of the tunnels.
National recognition
“It’s nice to be in the documentary. It lets people know what I do,” said Gale, 84. “(There are) very nice people in Moose Jaw. We get along real good.
“(I’m) very happy to be in (the film) to show the people of Moose Jaw what I’ve done for the Chinese community,” he continued.
Gale added that he is sad to leave Moose Jaw but happy to start a new chapter in life. He is grateful for the friendships he developed over the past 70 years. He will especially miss swimming at the Sportsplex, his barber, and other business owners he knows.
“A lot of people know him by name,” remarked Kyle.
Chinese people faced barriers when they arrived here, Kyle said. For example, many people could not own the buildings where they had their businesses, such as his grandfather Wing Chow. Wing owned Quon’s Music — where John’s Music is on Main Street — in the 1930s and ’40s.
“Once you see the documentary and what Chinese people went through, you’ll understand,” he continued. “There was a lot of hardships and regrets.”
Immigrating to the West
Gale moved at age 14 with his family to Moose Jaw from Hong Kong in 1951 and started attending Central Collegiate.
“I was the only Chinese boy in Westend. I hung around with Richard Dombowsky, my neighbour,” Gale said. “He spoke English to me while I spoke Chinese to him. We both just looked at each other with curiosity … . I learned English at my dad’s grocery store.”
Money was tight for the family that they ate bologna almost every day. Gale hated the food and refused to eat it as an adult.
During the early ’50s, Gale played on a Chinese basketball team called the Chinese Clippers. The team represented the City of Moose Jaw during a tournament that saw the players compete against Regina’s YMCA junior team.
School wasn’t for Gale, however, as he quit Grade 9 in 1954 and moved to Estevan to work at a café. However, he returned to Moose Jaw a year later and started the Arcade Café on Fourth Avenue. He then worked with his uncles at the Apex Café in a building — no longer standing — across from Safeway.
Cultural activities
In the 1960s, Gale and other Chinese men started a cultural athletic club where they played volleyball and basketball at the YMCA. However, they later gave up those sports, started a Chinese bowling team, and joined the community league.
They also played ping pong and Chinese checkers while they learned drama and opera. They later formed a children’s cultural dance group and hired a Chinese dance teacher from Hong Kong.
“The children performed Chinese folk dancing all over Saskatchewan and performed at the Montreal Expo (in 1967),” Gale said. “During the ’70s, we joined the Multicultural Society and joined the celebration on Canada Day. The Chinese community also celebrated Christmas and New Year’s.”
The Chinese United Church on 303 High Street West — built in 1883 — also played a major part in the community’s life. Gale credited Zion United Church’s Tom Rogers for advising them when dealing with the denomination’s head office.
“He will be remembered by the Chinese community for a long time to come,” the businessman added.
An entrepreneurial spirit
Gale later started DeeJay’s Corner Store and Confectionary and Crescent Cleaners laundromat. The white confectionary building stands at the corner of First Avenue Southwest and Home Street — adjacent to the Chows’ home that they built in 1975 — while the laundromat was in the basement of the Hammond Building
“I went to Sunday school and learned more English in night school in Mrs. Archie Sinclair’s class. Mrs. Sinclair … taught Chinese people English for over two generations and prepared us for citizenship court,” he said.
“… We asked this devoted and kind lady why she loved the Chinese people so much. She told us during the (Second World) War (that) some Chinese men helped her husband out in some ways, so she repaid us by helping the Chinese people.
“Mrs. Sinclair was like our English mother … .”
Gale, along with two uncles, later built a little business called the Snow Hut.
“It was really small, just a takeout place,” said Kyle, noting the men operated the business for a year before tearing it down and constructing a larger building. “Business was way too good.”
Gale operated the Snow Hut for 35 years before retiring in 2002.
Having lived in Saskatchewan for 70 years, Gale also came to love the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“I’m a football-crazed fan,” he laughed.
