Patrick Wong

Patrick Wong was a politician in British Columbia, Canada and was appointed Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services on September 20, 2004. Mr. Wong is fluent in Chinese, including the Mandarin, Cantonese and Chiu-chow dialects that are most popular in the Chinese community in Canada.

Wong was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2001 provincial election. He has served as a member of the Legislative Select Standing Committees on Crown Corporations and Public Accounts, and the Government Caucus Committee on Education. He also served as a member of the Government Caucus' Multicultural Committee. After one term, he was defeated in the riding of Vancouver-Kensington by David Chudnovsky during the 2005 Provincial General Elections.

In 1999, after three years as commissioner, he was the Fraser River Port Authority chair until he became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). While living in Hong Kong from 1965 to 1974, Patrick worked in the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation's export and international trade department, with the Hong Kong Housing Authority, and as assistant manager of a stock brokerage firm.

Mr. Wong's professional activities have included serving as vice-chairman of the Vancouver Board of Trade's Economic Development Committee and council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC which has given him a community service award for his contributions to the community.

His community activities have included: Canadian Liver Foundation's Asian Development Committee senior advisor; Canadian Chinese Business Development Association founding advisor (1984-2001) representing the association in a federal Standing Committee dealing with small and medium-sized export business in Ottawa; Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association advisor (1983-2001); Celebrating the Year of Older Persons Committee chairman (1999-2000); Vancouver-Kensington Chinese Seniors Club advisor; and Victoria Drive Business Association president.

Born in Hong Kong, Patrick and his wife Jenny have four children.

Reference

http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/37thparl/wong.htm