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Anita and Philip Lee, C.M., O.M.’s Legacy Story

September 3, 2024

Anita and Philip Lee, C.M., O.M.’s Legacy Story

Anita and Philip Lee’s decision to support the Health Sciences Centre Foundation with a legacy gift comes from a place of sincere gratitude for the care their family has received over the years. Their generosity is also inspired by their love of Manitoba, the home they first embraced in the 1960s.

Born and raised in Hong Kong by his parents Sam and Lin, Philip arrived in Winnipeg in 1962 as an international student at the University of Manitoba. He came at the urging of his older sister Angeline who had been here as a student for a couple of years and was starting to feel lonely. Philip was happy to come to the University of Manitoba, knowing that it was one of four Canadian universities at the time recognized by the British government. That meant his degree would be recognized when he returned to Hong Kong, which was his original intention.

Philip was active in St. Paul’s College and earned a degree in chemistry and a diploma in public administration. He also played soccer for the Manitoba Bisons, a sport he learned as a high school student in Hong Kong.

By 1967, Philip was finished school and ready to return to Hong Kong to pursue a career in law. At the time, though, devastating and disruptive riots were taking place all over Hong Kong. Philip’s mother said: “What’s wrong with Winnipeg? You can make your life here.” Those simple words inspired Philip to stay. Anita was still in Hong Kong, working in radio communications for the police department—a very busy job during the riots. Philip convinced her to take an unpaid leave of absence and join him in Winnipeg.

She arrived in Winnipeg in January 1968, wearing high heels and a mini-skirt. Her first thought on that chilly evening was to get her luggage and get back on the plane. But she stayed, and enrolled at Success Business College. Anita is the daughter of Lau and Hang Fun Lau. Her mother Hang lives in Winnipeg and is 103 years old at the time of writing.

Shortly after graduation, Philip took a job with the city government as a research chemist. He remembers getting calls from citizens with complaints about Winnipeg’s water. “I’m cooking and you ruined my stew,” Philip remembers one caller saying. “You and your bad water!”

The stew aside, Philip felt that Winnipeg’s water was over-chlorinated and conducted vital research to prove his hypothesis. In the end, thanks to Philip’s work, the city was able to reduce chlorine use by 90% without compromising its effectiveness in killing bacteria, thereby reducing risks of cancer and the erosion of lead pipes.

In 1995, Philip became head of the City of Winnipeg’s industrial waste department, a position he held until his retirement in 2005.

Outside of his day job, Philip—with Anita’s unwavering support and ongoing advice—became very active in Winnipeg’s Chinese community. In Hong Kong, Philip had attended English-speaking Catholic schools—first with the nuns of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of Montreal and then with Irish Jesuits. His fluency in English allowed him to become the community’s new spokesperson and to help newcomers to Manitoba. He helped people connect with the services they needed while establishing their new lives in Canada, and he even advocated for newcomers when their misunderstanding of local rules and customs got them in trouble with the law.

As his networks in the Chinese community expanded, he and Anita were invited to become partners in a Chinese restaurant. They ultimately bought and sold 10 restaurants, and were the first local entrepreneurs to introduce Chinese “fast food” to Winnipeg shopping malls.

On one day in the mid-1970s, former Premier Sterling Lyon came for lunch to one of Anita and Philip’s restaurants. Lyon was considering running for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party at the time and was wondering if Philip—who wasn’t a member of any political party—could be persuaded to run in the next election. “I told Sterling that if he became the leader I would join the party and run.” True to his word, Philip ran as the PC candidate in Winnipeg Centre in 1977, losing to incumbent Bud Boyce by just over 600 votes. While he lost the election, the experience helped to cement Philip’s passion for the quality of life in Manitoba—a passion that served him well as Manitoba’s 24th Lt. Governor, 2009–2015.

While Philip enjoyed remarkable success in public service, and Philip and Anita thrived together in business, their most important roles in life were—and continue to be—as parents and grandparents. The Lees have three adult daughters—Margaret (Maggie) Mona, Mabel Nancy, and Malinda Ann—all of whom were born at Health Sciences Centre. Grandson Philip, who lives in Winnipeg, was born at HSC; and grandson Brandon lives in Toronto.

HSC has played a significant role in the lives of the Lee family. Anita, two of the Lee daughters, and one of the grandsons have von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome, a rare genetic condition that can lead to frequent tumours. Sadly, Anita’s sister passed away from this condition.

The now-retired (and legendary) neurosurgeon Dr. Michael West performed multiple life-saving brain surgeries on Anita, daughter Maggie, and grandson Philip over 30 years. The family describes Dr. West as nothing short of a hero; their gratitude for his skill, his approach, and for the surgical technologies he introduced to Manitoba runs deep.

The family members who carry the VHL gene visit HSC regularly for monitoring and follow-up. The elder Philip also visits regularly for ongoing care and monitoring of an inner ear injury from childhood. Visits to Manitoba’s hospital for the family are frequent.

While officially retired, Philip says he might be busier than ever before with community work with Anita serving as his advisor, as always. He serves as the Executive Chair of the Chinese National Congress, President and Chair of the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre, Chair of the Winnipeg Chinatown Development Corporation, and is active with the Federation of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs. He is also actively engaged in raising funds for the development of a new seniors’ home in Chinatown where residents can age with dignity while embracing their heritage and enjoying their favourite foods and cultural events.

The well-being of others is indeed vital to Anita and Philip Lee, and it shapes their community service and their philanthropy—including their decision to join the HSC Foundation’s Bannatyne Legacy Circle as legacy donors. “Health care is a very important part of life, especially as people get older,” says Philip. “HSC is the leading health care facility in the province and it has always had an enormous impact on people’s lives. We have experienced this in our own family and we are very grateful. Joining the Bannatyne Legacy Circle is our way of saying thank you.”

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