Alice Wong, MP

Alice Wong is an educator, entrepreneur and an active community leader. She moved to Canada from Hong Kong in 1980 and is currently a resident of Richmond.

Before being elected, Alice was teaching ESL and then entrepreneurship at Vancouver Community College and assisting her husband in his family business. She continued her studies at UBC and obtained her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in 1993. Alice joined Kwantlen University College (now Kwantlen Polytechnic University) in 1998 and became the Manager of International Programs until October 2006.

She started the Centre for Small Business at Vancouver Community College, which offered the first bilingual small business management classes for immigrants, of which many of the participants have become successful and award winning entrepreneurs.

Alice has been happily married to her husband, Enoch, for nearly 30 years. They have been working hard to serve other families, especially those who are disadvantaged or in need. Together with Enoch, Alice started their own business, and operated a consulting firm specializing in research and education since 1994.

Alice served on many different boards including: the Rosewood Manor in Richmond, Rotary Club of Richmond, Benevolent Relief Seniors Care Society, Ethno Business Council, Chiu Chow Benevolent Association, and the Women’s Enterprise Society of BC. She guest hosted current affairs programs on local Chinese and Multicultural radio and television.

Alice has been actively promoting and solving issues concerning the people in Richmond. Alice was one of the founders of the Richmond Greenspace Society, for the promotion of greenspace usage in Richmond – especially in a time when Richmond is increasingly urbanizing. Alice has been active in the field of public safety. She was part of a group that raised awareness of community safety for women, which came up as a result of the release of the so-called “balcony rapist” from prison.

On the issue of passports, Alice surveyed the needs of Richmond residents and brought their concerns about the effectiveness of the passport office to the government in 2007. Consequently, operations at the passport office have vastly improved, including moving the office to a larger space and providing better services for seniors and disabled people.

Alice has worked to protect pedestrians, especially seniors, on traffic crossings and also promoted traffic safety. She raised funds and purchased neon-coloured stripes which can be easily worn over the shoulders and distributed them to seniors – giving car drivers better visibility of the people crossing the street.

Alice was involved in helping the victims of plane crash on Saba road (the Rosario Gardens Condominium), and also involved in raising funds for earthquake relief for the people in Sichuan province in China.

On October 14, 2008, Alice Wong was elected to the House of Commons in Richmond, and continues to serve the public as a Member of Parliament for Richmond.  On November 7, 2008 she was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism.  Alice Wong is a member of two standing committees in the House of Commons: (1) Citizenship and Immigration; and (2) Status of Women.