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Former Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows MLA’s family finally recognized

Chinese served though denied the rights of Canadian citizens
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Remembrance Day had more meaning for ex-MLA Doug Bing this year, a year after the death of his half-brother Fred Bing, a veteran of the Second World War.

After years of service to his country, Fred Bing received a military funeral and was buried in the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa in July.

Doug said his half-brother was only 17 years old when he joined up with the RCAF in 1940 at the start of the Second World War.

“Although Chinese were denied Canadian citizenship, Fred wanted to prove his loyalty to the country, and he joined the RCAF in 1940. He flew missions on Mitchell aircraft out of Dunsfold, England. He made bonds with his air crew that lasted his lifetime,” Doug explained in a speech last year to the B.C. legislature.

After the war, Fred re-enlisted and served in peacekeeping operations around the world.

“Fred was a humble person with a calm, easygoing manner, a quick wit and a wry sense of humour. He was kind to others, and others were kind to him in return. To me, he will always be larger than life – a hero,” Doug said.

It was only after the war, in 1947, that discriminatory laws against people of Chinese ancestry were dismantled. Until then, even though they served in the military, they were denied right to vote, hold public office or own real estate. There were also labour, education and employment restrictions, as well as health and housing segregation, Doug explained.

Many people today don’t know about that part of Canadian history, he added Wednesday.

“It wasn’t that long ago, it was a totally different scene where they didn’t want people, certain people in particular. For those of us of Chinese background … it’s very significant. It really shows the social progress that we’ve made in this country.”

Bing said that hundreds of discriminatory laws were passed by the B.C. legislature.

That led him to think when he was serving as MLA , that if he had been born earlier he wouldn’t even have been allowed in the building.

The B.C. legislature in 2014 unanimously apologized for wrongs to the Chinese community.

People don’t realize that the reason there’s a Chinatown in Vancouver because that “was basically a Chinese ghetto. Chinese weren’t allowed to live in the rest of the town,” Doug said.

“They weren’t allowed to go to hospitals or schools … it was like apartheid really. You had separate schools, hospitals, facilities for these people, and then everybody else.”

Chinese weren’t allowed in government positions or to own real estate, he added.

Bing said the ceremony at the National Military Cemetery was a proud moment for his family who came from across Canada.

“It’s a very special place,” and is the burial ground of Canada’s military elite.

“We were just kind of floored that here’s our lonely half brother buried amongst them. It just made us very proud to see that happen.”

Bing said he never realized that the survival rate of a bomber crew in the Second World War was only 50 per cent.

“They did that, mission after mission, for years.”

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(Contributed) Fred Bing received a military funeral in Ottawa last July.
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Fred Bing with RCAF during Second World War. (Contributed)