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The Honourable Norman L. Kwong,
CM, AOE, KStJ
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
"Over the years, I've
had the tremendous honour of breaking new ground as the first
Chinese Canadian to play in the Canadian Football League and
as the first person of Chinese heritage to serve as the Lieutenant
Governor of Alberta. I hope that I've been able to show young
people that we all can make a difference. It's important to be
proud of the unique perspectives that come from our cultural
heritage as well as the collective strengths and identity that
we are so privileged to enjoy as Canadians."
Quote from the Honourable
Norman L. Kwong
For Virtual Museum of Asian Canadian Cultural Heritage website
November 2008
The Honourable
Norman L. Kwong of Calgary was installed as Alberta's 16th Lieutenant
Governor on January 20, 2005. He is the first person of Chinese
heritage to serve as Lieutenant Governor in Alberta.
One of six children, Mr. Kwong
was born in Calgary to Chinese immigrants Charles and Lily Kwong.
He completed his secondary schooling at Western Canada High School
in Calgary where he discovered his talent for football. In 1948,
at the age of 18, he joined the Calgary Stampeders Football Club
as a halfback. That year, he became the first Chinese Canadian
to play in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the youngest
player to win a Grey Cup.
After three years with the
Stampeders, Mr. Kwong was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos, where
he spent 10 years and won three more Grey Cup championships.
He was chosen to receive the "All-Canadian Fullback"
award five times and won the Schenley Award as the Most Outstanding
Canadian in 1955 and 1956. In 1955, he was also selected as Canada's
Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. By the time of his retirement
in 1960, Mr Kwong held over 30 CFL records. He is a member of
the Canada Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Football Hall of
Fame, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and the Edmonton Sports
Hall of Fame.
Upon his retirement from the
CFL, Mr. Kwong moved to the private sector and spent the next
few decades in sales, mainly in commercial real estate. He eventually
became Vice President and General Manager of Torode Realty.
From 1988 to 1991, Mr. Kwong
served as President and General Manager of the Calgary Stampeders.
He was also co-owner of the National Hockey League's Calgary
Flames from 1980 to 1994, during which time the Flames won the
Stanley Cup Championship (1989). He is among only a few Canadians
to have won both the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup as a player,
manager or owner.
A popular dinner speaker and
Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Kwong has spoken in support of numerous
non-profit organizations across the nation from Vancouver to
Halifax. He is a former National Chairman of the Canadian Consultative
Council on Multiculturalism (1979-1980) and also served as Honorary
Chairman of the Easter Seal Campaign in Calgary (1982-1984).
Mr. Kwong is a Member of the
Order of Canada (1998) and is Chancellor of the Alberta Order
of Excellence (2005). In May 2005, Queen Elizabeth II appointed
him Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. In June 2006,
he received a Honourary Doctorate of Laws from the University
of Alberta. The Canadian Embassy in Beijing dedicated their gymnasium
to Mr. Kwong in recognition of his tremendous contributions to
Canadian football and to sportsmanship. In appreciation of his
participation in bringing the Flames hockey team to Calgary,
donors endowed the "Normie Kwong Bursary" in Medicine
at the University of Calgary, which is given annually to a student
in financial need.
Lieutenant Governor Kwong and
his wife Mary have been married for 48 years. They have four
grown sons. Their Honours remain devoted grandparents to their
seven grandchildren.
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