Ying Hope

Ying L.K. Hope (1923 – November 12, 2007), P. Eng., was a Chinese Canadian politician and former Toronto Public School Board trustee and Metro Toronto Councillor and Toronto Alderman.

Hope's grandparents, great uncles and aunts emigrated from China to Victoria, British Columbia in the 1880s as part of a wave of Chinese immigrants working on the railway and in mines. His father and uncle established "Wo Hope Tailoring" ("peace and unity" in Chinese). Though the family's surname was Low, it was assumed by the doctor delivering Ying Hope that the family surname was Hope so it is that name that was put on his birth certificate."From the head tax to hope" by Nicholas Keung, "Toronto Star", February 15, 2006, page H5]

He left Canada in 1946 to study engineering at the University of Washington, earned his degree, and ultimately settled in Toronto. He was elected an alderman on Toronto City Council in the 1969 municipal election representing Ward 5 after having previously been a school trustee. He remained on council until he was defeated in the 1985 municipal election by Ron Kanter. He won a seat as a Metro Councillor representing Midtown Ward in a 1987 by-election but was defeated the next year, in the 1988 election, by Ila Bossons. ["Hope loses in upset to community activist Bossons" by Lorne Slotnick and John Allemang, "Globe and Mail" page A20, November 15, 1988] . He attempted to return to council again in the 1991 election but was defeated by John Adams in Ward 13 by a narrow margin of 747 votes. ["Metro Toronto election results", "Toronto Star", November 13, 1991 (special section)]

Hope has also run for office at other levels. In the 1967 provincial election he was the Ontario Progressive Conservative candidate in Riverdale placing second to James Renwick of the Ontario New Democratic Party. Decades later he ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1984 federal election as a Progressive Conservative but placed third in the riding of Spadina which included the Ward 5 Toronto seat he represented on city council.

Since leaving politics, Hope has continued his activity with the Chinese community as an advocate for reparations for the Chinese head tax ["PM must keep Tory pledge to repay head tax" by Ying Hope, "Toronto Star" page A13, October 11, 1993. [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/518988531.html?dids=518988531:518988531&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Oct+11%2C+1993&author=Ying+Hope&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.13&desc=PM+must+keep+Tory+pledge+to+repay+head+tax] ] After leaving politics he worked as a consultant for Environment Canada's "green plan" in the early 1990s ["The greening of Ying Hope", Globe and Mail, August 14, 1992] and has pursued a new career as a real estate agent. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060602.wreal-heritage0602/BNStory/RealEstate/home] [http://harveykalles.com/agentsdetails.asp?aid=38]

Hope died at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto on November 12, 2007.

Hope leaves behind his second wife Audrey and four children, Jim, Judy, Michael and Madeline, from his first marriage to Alice Hope.

References

External links

* [http://www.thestar.com/article/276238 Ying L.K. Hope, 84: Head-tax apology his crowning triumph]
* [http://www.thestar.com/article/181677 From the head tax to hope]