Bell Island's Chinese Community
The first 4 newspaper clippings below speak about the employment situation in Newfoundland in 1906 and Bell Island in particular, where there was a shortage of workers. Chinese immigrants, all men, had been coming to Newfoundland since 1895. Here is an excerpt from the guide that accompanied an exhibit in the spring of 2012 entitled Taking Root: Chinese Immigrants and Their Families in Newfoundland, 1895-1970s: "In the first half of the 20th Century...over 400 men left the poverty and political instability of southeastern China seeking a new start in Newfoundland. In the early years, the immigrants faced taunts and hostility from locals who feared having strangers in their midst. As well, they were the targets of a discriminatory $300.00 head tax imposed on all Chinese immigrants by the Newfoundland government from 1906 to 1949. This debt was the equivalent of approximately three years' salary at the time." Canada, of which Newfoundland was not a part at that time, followed the lead of the American government with a head tax on every Chinese person of $500. Immediately before Newfoundland introduced its own head tax in 1906, there was a big influx of Chinese from Canada who wanted to avoid the $300 head tax. According to a commemorative book, Past Present Future, honouring the 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Community in Newfoundland and Labrador (1895-1995), many of those who came to Newfoundland from Canada ahead of the Newfoundland head tax were employed by the Nova Scotia Steel Company on Bell Island. (That book also states that "Chinese people were still working in the iron mines on Bell Island in 1923, and they began to set up restaurants and convenience stores in the area." However, there were no Chinese people listed in the 1921 Census for Bell Island.) Addison Bown, in his "Newspaper History of Bell Island," wrote that "There was an abundance of work on Bell Island in 1906 but a great shortage of labour was in evidence. The Labrador fishery was being actively prosecuted in those years and Sydney had drawn away large numbers of men from Conception Bay as well. The Daily News reported in May that 16 Chinamen had left St. John's for Portugal Cove to go to work in the mines. They drove to the Cove in three carriages. Over 300 men were said to have deserted the mines to go fishing because of the good voyage in the previous two years."








​"Miners Wanted," Trade Review, St. John's, May 19, 1906.






"Chinamen For Bell Island," Evening Herald​, St. John's, May 22, 1906







"Chinese Go Fishing," Daily News​, St. John's, June 14, 1906.









​​"500 More Chinamen," Evening Telegram​, St. John's, August 4, 1906.
There are no Chinese names listed in the 1904 or 1913 Directories for Bell Island. The 1915 Directory lists "Duck Lee Laundry," but no other Chinese names. The 1919 Directory lists "Quong Lee Laundry," but no other Chinese names.



"Chinaman Fined," Evening Telegram, St. John's, January 6, 1919.
​The 1921 Census for Bell Island does not list any Chinese residents.
NOTE: Regarding the listing of names, ages, and other facts in the Census of Newfoundland, information can easily have been misprinted and misinterpreted both in the original taking of the Census and in the later transcription of that handwritten work into type and onto other media. This is true with even the most familiar of Newfoundland names, but is much more so with unfamiliar Chinese and other non-British names. For example, the 1935 Census for Bell Island lists "John Hong Wing, age 20. The 1945 Census lists "Wingjohn, Hong," age 34. In the absence of anyone else with any combination of these two names living anywhere in Newfoundland in 1935 or 1945, and considering that Wingjohn Hong declared in 1945 that he was living on Bell Island in 1935, I am assuming, despite the age discrepancy, that these two listings are for one and the same person. If you have any information regarding any of the names listed here and can correct any errors, mis-spellings, etc., or if you know of other names that should be here, please get in touch at "historic.wabana@gmail.com".

A more reliable document for the names of Chinese immigrants to Newfoundland is Newfoundland Register Arrivals and Outward Registrations: Registration of Persons of Chinese Race Admitted Into the Colony of Newfoundland Under the Provisions of the Chinese Immigration Act, 6 Edw. V11 Cap.2, June 4, 1910 to March 26, 1949. (This is online at collections.mun.ca.) In the listings below of people of Chinese nationality recorded in the 1935 Census and 1945 Census for Bell Island, I have tried to match up names from the Census with names in the Register of Arrivals... In a few cases, some names seem like fairly good matches and I have noted those. In other cases, I could not be certain of matches because of the spellings of names.
Chinese residents of Bell Island in the 1935 Census:

Census area - Scotia Ridge:
Mow, Hong, Head; age 43; Single; U.C.; Proprietor of Restaurant; born China; Nationality British since 1913; entered country
​     1911.
Hong, Wing John, Cousin; age 20; Single; U.C.; Waiter; born China; Nationality Chinese; entered country 1930.
Hong, Chu, age 40, Single, U.C., Partner in restaurant; born China; entered country 1913.
     [NOTE: "Register of Arrivals..." shows "Hong, Chu, born Canton City, age 18, entered Newfoundland on July 28, 1912.]

Census area - Bell Island Mines Part 1:
Hong, Chong, Head; age 25; Single; U.C.; Restaurant Manager; born China; Nationality Newfoundland; entered country
     c.1930.
Hong, Ping (or Ying?), age 35; Single; U.C.; Partner in Restaurant; born China; Nationality Newfoundland; entered country 
     1923.

Census area - Wabana Mines:
Ching, Chung: Head, age 48, Single; R.C.; Restaurant; born India; Nationality British; entered country 1918.
Gehen (may be "Se Hen"?), Partner, age 35, Single; R.C.; Restaurant; born China; Nationality Chinese; entered country 1922.
     [NOTE: "Register of Arrivals..." shows "Kung Se Hen, age 22, entered Newfoundland on Oct. 26, 1922.]
​     [NOTE: Kung Se Hen died September 27, 1994 and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, St. John's.]
​The 1936 Directory for Bell Island does not list any Chinese names. This seems unusual considering the 1935 Census information.
Chebucto Grand Banks website under "1945 Census. Provincial. Chinese Population Across the Island," [of Newfoundland] lists 12 Bell Island residents as being Chinese. They are:

Census area - The Loop [Residence seems to have been Bennett Street judging by neighbours listed in the Census]:
Wingjohn, Hong, Head; age 34, Single, U.C., Businessman, born China, Nationality Chinese; entered country-blank;
                                lived Bell Island in 1935; profession in 1935-blank.
                                [NOTE: He is listed in the 1935 Census as "John Hong Wing," age 20, living at Davidson Avenue with and
                                cousin of Hong Mow, and also Chu Hong.]
Wingpong, Lee, age 34, Married, U.C., Businessman, born China, Nationality Chinese; entered country-blank;
                              lived Bell Island in 1935*; profession in 1935-blank.
                              [*NOTE: There was a "Wing Lee Hong," born 1910 in China, living in St. John's in 1935. He was a
                              Laundryman who immigrated to Newfoundland in 1927. No one by that name on Bell Island in 1935
                              Census. He may have moved to Bell Island shortly after the Census was taken.]
                              [NOTE: Lee Wing Hong, age 37, residence Bell Island, died in St. John's on Nov. 6, 1947 of Tuberculosis. 
                              He is buried in the General Protestant Cemetery, St. John's.]

Census area - Town Square to Scotia Ridge; Residence Town Square:
Hong, Chong: Head; age 35; Single; U.C.; Restaurant Manager; born Canton; Nationality Nfld.; entered country in 1930; 
                          lived on Bell Island in 1935; Restaurant Manager in 1935.
Hong, Ying: Cousin of Head; age 35; Single; U.C.; Restaurant Clerk; born Canton; Nationality Nfld.; entered country in 1930;
                       lived on Bell Island in 1935; Restaurant Manager in 1935.
                       [NOTE: In the 1935 Census, Ping Hong, age 35, is listed as "partner" with Chong Hong in the Restaurant
                       business. He immigrated to Newfoundland in 1923.]
                       
Census area - Town Square to Scotia Ridge; Residence Bennett Street:
Chu, Charles: Head; age 42; Single; U.C.; Storekeeper; born Canton; Nationality Nfld.; entered country in 1919;
                          lived on Bell Island in 1935; Storekeeper in 1935.
                          [NOTE: The name "Charles Chu" does not appear in the 1935 Census, however, the name "Chu Hong" is listed
                          for Davidson Avenue, Bell Island, age 40. At that time, Chu Hong was living with and cousin of Mow Hong,                                  and also cousin John Hong Wing. Are Charles Chu and Chu Hong the same person?]

Census area - Town Square to Scotia Ridge; Residence 151 Davidson, Bell Island:
Hong, Yip: Head; age 49; Single; U.C.; Restaurant Manager; born Canton; Nationality Nfld.; entered country-blank; 
                     lived in St. John's in 1935; Restaurant Manager in 1935.
Hong, Sam: Son; age 29; Single; U.C.; Restaurant Helper; born Canton; Nationality Nfld.; entered country-blank;
                      lived in St. John's in 1935; Restaurant Helper in 1935.

Census area - Town Square to East End Pt. 1:
Chon, Peter: Head; age 46; Married; U.C.; Fruit Store; born China; Nationality Chinese; entered country in 1927;
                        lived in St. John's in 1935; worked in a restaurant in 1935.
Chon, Gertrude J: Wife; age 33; Married; CE; Housewife; born Harbour Grace; Nationality Nfld.;
                                  lived in St. John's in 1935; Housewife in 1935.
Chon, Eleanor J.: Daughter; age 13; Single; CE; Student; born in Harbour Grace; Nationality Nfld.; 
                                 lived in St. John's in 1935.

Census area - West Mines to The Green:
Yick, Jim: Head; age 33; Single; U.C.; Merchant; born in China; Nationality Chinese; entered country in 1931;
                  lived in St. John's in 1935; profession in 1935-blank.
                  [NOTE: The surname that was actually listed on Chebucto Grand Banks website under "1945 Census. Provincial.
​                  Chinese Population Across the Island," (of Newfoundland) was "Yak," obviously a spelling error.]

Census area - Town Square to East End Pt. 1:
​Hen, Hong: Head; age 54; Married; religion-blank; Laundry; born China; Nationality Chinese; entered country in 1929;
                    lived in St. John's in 1935; Laundry in 1935.
                    [NOTE: The surname that was actually listed on Chebucto Grand Banks website under "1945 Census. Provincial.
​                    Chinese Population Across the Island," (of Newfoundland) was "Ho" but all other details were the same. Was this
                    the Chinese laundry man known locally as "Honey Blue Bag," so called because he carried laundry on his back in
                    a blue bag?]
Some Chinese Bell Islanders in the 1948 List of Electors. NOTE: I do not have the full list of Electors, so this is probably not complete:

Gayei, Margaret & Samuel [I am assuming this is Sam Gay and his wife?] Area: Number 1 West, taking in West Track to
     Scotia Track, north of Highroad to Valley (exclusive).
Fong, Hedley, Gouthro Street, West Mines.
Yick, Jim, Ford Street, West Mines.
Hen, Hong, The Green.
Chon, Peter, Scotia Ridge.
Hong, Sam, Scotia Ridge.
Hong, Zip, Scotia Ridge.
John, Wing, Scotia Ridge.
Pong, Lee, Scotia Ridge.
Chon, Gertrude & Peter, Town Square.
Chong, Hong, Town Square.
Lee, Waa, Town Square.
Ying, Hong, Town Square.
Chinese residents and businesses on Bell Island in the 1949 Telephone Directory:

A.B.C. Cafe (phone 94)
Bell Island Fruit Store (Charlie Chew, phone 163)
​Butterfly Tea Rooms (phone 259) [This phone number was listed for Wee Lee's Store, West Mines, in the 1952 Directory.]
​The Candy Store (Peter Chong, phone 79)
Chong, Peter (re phone 96J)
Imperial Cafe (phone 180)
New World Cafe (phone 62) [Was this a Chinese business? Who was the proprietor? What was the location?]
Sam's Grocery (phone 170)
Sea View Cafe (phone 178) [Was this a Chinese business? Who was the proprietor? What was the location?]
Service Store (Jim Yick, phone 131)
Below are Chinese residents and businesses on Bell Island in the 1952 Telephone Directory. Images courtesy of Steadman Bowers.
Listed in the 1952 Telephone Directory for Bell Island:

A.B.C. Cafe (phone 94)
The Candy Store, Peter Chon (phone 79)
Chon, Peter (res phone 190M)
Fong, Hedley (store & res phone 236W)
Gaie, Sam (res phone 179M)
Hollywood Cafe (phone 17) [Was this a Chinese business? Who was the proprietor?]
Hong Bros (store phone 75)
Imperial Cafe (phone 180)
New World Cafe (phone 62W) and New World Cafe Extension (phone 62R) [Was this a Chinese business? Who was the
     proprietor? What was the location?]
Sam's Grocery (phone 170)
Service Store (Jim Yick, The Green, phone 209)
Service Store (Jim Yick, West Mines, phone 131)
Wee Lee's Store (West Mines, phone 259) [This phone number was listed for Butterfly Tea Rooms in the 1949 Directory.]
Wing, Charles (store phone 287)
Wing, John - Lee Wing Pong (res phone 236R)
Some Chinese Bell Islanders in the 1955 List of Electors. NOTE: I do not have the full list of Electors, so this may not be complete:

Hong, Chong, merchant, Memorial Street.
Hong, Lilla, housewife, Memorial Street.
Fong, Hedley, storekeeper, Mercer Street.
Fong, Elsie, housewife, Mercer Street.
​Mee, Lee, storekeeper, West Mines.
Gaie, Sam, grocer, Lower Green.
Hun, Gue, Laundryman, Lower Green.
Hung, James, grocer, Lower Green.
Yick, James, grocer, Lower Green.
Hong, Sam, merchant, Scotia Ridge.
Hong, Wallace, clerk, Scotia Ridge.
​Hong, Zip, merchant, Scotia Ridge.
Wing, Charles, merchant, Scotia Ridge.
Wing, May, housewife, Scotia Ridge.
Lee, Gee, housewife, Scotia Ridge.
Lee, June, housewife, Scotia Ridge.
Lee, Pong, merchant, Scotia Ridge.
​Lee, Thomas, merchant, Scotia Ridge.
Chong, Hong, merchant, Town Square.
Chong, Lilla, housewife, Town Square.
Kee, Hong, laundryman, Town Square.
Ying, Hong, laundryman, Town Square.

​Listed in the 1957 Telephone Directory for Bell Island:

ABC Grocery, The Ridge (phone 94)
Fong's Studio [Hedley Fong?]: Developing, printing, enlarging, expert photography, portraits, colour processing (35 m.m. slides), also slides for theatre advertising, photo supplies, framing, and sign painting. (phone 236W)
Gay, Sam, Lance Cove (phone 9F7)
Gay, Sam (phone 179M)
Gene, Hughie, store (phone 467)
Hollywood Cafe, Davidson Avenue (phone 188M)
Hong Bros Store (phone 75)
Hong, K.: Groceries, confectionery and snack bar, meats, West Mines (phone 431M)
Imperial Grocery: All kinds of refrigerated foods, confectionery, film, coloured, black & white, novelties, Bennett St.
     (phone 180)
John, Wing, res (phone 169W)
Lee, Ming, store (phone 235M)
Lee, Wee, West Mines (phone 259)
Lings, Henry Store, The Green (phone 237W)
New World Cafe (phone 62)
Paradise Cafe (phone 16)
Sam's Restaurant: Hot dinners, chop suey, fish & chips, Canadian dishes, southern fried chicken, sandwiches, delivery
     service, The Green (phone 170)
Sam's Supermarket: Low prices, quality groceries, meats, confectionery, dry goods, The Green (phone 198J)
Sam's & Hughie's Supermarket: Low prices, self-service, confectionery, dry goods, meats, etc., Bennett St. (phone 21)
Service Store: Jim Yick's for groceries, meats, dry goods, hardware, chips and lunches served at Newest Store, The Green
     (phone 209W)
Sun Cafe (Billie Hong): Stop at Billie's for lunch, dinners, sandwiches, fish, chips, etc., everything in confectionery, Bennett
     Street (phone 439)
Wing, Charles (store) (phone 287)
Wing, John (phone 163)
Yick, Jim (Confectionery Store) (phone 209R)
INDIVIDUAL CHINESE BUSINESSES
in alphabetical order by business name
NOTE: This is an ongoing project. If you have information or photos to add, please get in touch by email at: 
​               historic.wabana@gmail.com
A.B.C. GROCERY & CONFECTIONERY
DAVIDSON AVENUE - SCOTIA RIDGE
​Late 1930s - c.1966
​TOM (ZIP) HONG, PROPRIETOR
The newspaper clipping on the right of Tom (Zip) Hong, his sons and grandsons is from the Daily News, Nov. 5, 1955, p. 16.
The first advertisement below is from the 1952 Telephone Directory is for the Hong business on Davidson Avenue (Scotia Ridge). The next one below is from the 1953 school yearbook of the Church of England Academy.
The 2016 photo below is of the building that housed the A.B.C. Grocery & Confectionery on Davidson Avenue, Scotia Ridge. Photo courtesy of Gerald Purcell.



​In 2011, the Hong family of Bell Island and St. John's were inducted into the Restaurant Association of Newfoundland and Labrador's Restaurant Hall of Fame for their three-quarters of a century in the restaurant and food service business in Newfoundland. In the photo on the right, Ted Hong accepts the award on behalf of his family. The history and tribute to the Tom Hong family (below) was read at the 2011 presentation of the award:
​"Mr. Tom Hong began in the restaurant business in the late 1930s on Scotia Ridge, Bell Island. That restaurant and store were operated by Tom's sons, Sam and Wally Hong. Ted Hong, Tom's grandson, went back to Hong Kong in the early 1960s to learn the art of Chinese cooking and, on returning to Canada, spent a couple of years in Toronto furthering his skills. He then returned to St. John's and convinced his father Sam, mother Lum S, and uncle Wally to open a first-class Chinese restaurant. The site they chose was Kenmount Road, where the Kenmount Restaurant opened in 1965 and has operated continuously since then, a period of 46 years [54 years as of 2019]. The restaurant is still owned and operated by the Hong Family today.

"In addition to the wonderful meals at the Kenmount Restaurant, many will also remember getting both Chinese and Canadian food at the A1 Take Outs located on both Topsail Road and Duckworth Street. These take outs were owned and operated by Ted Hong and his wife, Jane, in the 1970s. As well, there have been several successful take outs in the Village Mall owned and operated by Wally Hong for many years. 

"Both Sam Hong and his son, Ted, were active members of the Restaurant Association in its formative years, with Ted serving on the Board of Directors for a number of years.

"Mr. Sam Hong passed away in 1981, but Ted is still an owner of the Kenmount, while Wally is enjoying a well-deserved retirement. The Hong family have been active participants in the restaurant and food service business in Newfoundland for almost 75 years [83 years as of 2019]."
Yan Quon William (Billy) Hong (1928-2021): Businessman, owner of the Sun Cafe. He was born in Guangdong, China, October 14, 1928. He came to Canada in the 1950s, probably 1957, as he was not found in Voters Lists up to and including 1957, but he was listed in the Bell Island Telephone Directory that year with the following entry: ​Sun Cafe (Billie Hong) Stop at Billie's for lunch, dinners, sandwiches, fish, chips, etc., everything in confectionery, Bennett Street (phone 439). 

​


​​In the 1965 Voters List, he was listed as "Hong, Yon Quon, businessman, Bennett Street." His cafe was located at the western end of Bennett Street near the intersection with Davidson Avenue, on the north side of the street. It was here that he learned to cook traditional Newfoundland meals. He also learned to ice skate, the Monsignor Bartlett Memorial Arena being just a minute's walk west of his place. He was last listed in the Telephone Directory in 1969, three years after the mines shutdown and many people had left Bell Island to seek employment elsewhere. 
When he left Bell Island, he returned to China for a time, then worked in Ontario before settling in the northeast area of St. John's with his wife, Lan, and young family in the 1970s. He and Lan operated Hong's Take-Out on Torbay Road for 30 years until retirement. Yan Quon Hong died on April 9, 2021 at age 92. 

OBITUARY:
​HONG Yan Quon William “Billy” It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father and grandfather, Yan Quon William Hong of St. John’s, NL, who passed away on April 9th, 2021 at the age of 92. Yan Quon was born in Guangdong, China in 1928. His entrepreneurial spirit brought him to Canada in the 1950s to first settle on Bell Island, NL. While there, he operated the Sun Café for over ten years. Known as “Billy” to the local folks, he quickly made many friends and gained many new experiences, including learning how to prepare some of Newfoundland’s traditional fare and how to skate in his spare time. Deciding it was time to again see the world, he returned to China for a period of time before working in Ontario and finally settling in St. John’s with his wife, Lan, and growing family in the 1970s. Yan Quon and his wife were well-known in northeast St. John’s having owned and operated Hong’s Take-Out for 30 years until their retirement. During retirement, Yan Quon’s favourite pastimes included watching the business news and sports and keeping active. As an avid NHL hockey fan, he followed the Boston Bruins in his early years and then later the Montreal Canadiens. Tennis was another of his favourite sports. To keep fit, Yan Quon’s daily routine would include a walk on the local trails and around Quidi Vidi which continued into his late 80s. He will always be remembered for his great work ethic, dedication, providing for his family, preparing special family meals, and being mistaken for someone much younger in years. Left to mourn are Lan Hong, his wife of 54 years; children Caroline (Perry Trimper), Julia, William (Minnie), Ha, and Elise (Peter Cheng); grandchildren, Stanley and Mason; extended family members and countless friends.  Source: Carnell's Funeral Home, St. John's, NL.
The following newspaper photo and article are from the Evening Telegram, c. October 28, 1961. The article was found at the United Church Archives, St. John's, Box 2 of Bell Island Records.
More information to come.