Wong's Café in London, Ontario

Wong's Café in London, Ontario, Canada was the place to be if you were looking to impress that special someone.

Considered to be the most elegant restaurant in London, Wong's was known for its excellent food, service, music and dancing.

The corner of Dundas and Richmond Streets in London, Ontario in 1914 - the year that Lem Wong opened his restaurant. Wong's Café isn't visible on this postcard. It would have been a little further to the left of the building on the left side of the image at 434 Richmond Street.

Wong's was a popular venue for special events, New Year's Eve parties, and wedding receptions.

99 years ago today, William Walter "Bill" Hodgins (1898-1964) married Lila Ann Sanders on 15 October 1921 in Exeter, Ontario. Bill and Lila held their wedding reception at Wong's Café. For more information about Bill Hodgins, the great-grandson of John Culbert & Mary Ward, click here.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hodgins left for London where a dainty wedding dinner awaited them at Wong's." Source: Exeter Times, 20 Oct 1921, page 1.

 

Famous Canadian bandleader, Guy Lombardo got his start at Wong's Café, entertaining customers on the weekends in exchange for practice space. Radio station CJGC (later known as CFPL) broadcast from the café on Friday nights.

Grainy image showing Wong's Café at 434 Richmond Street, just north of Dundas Street on the east side.

This is the only close-up photo I could find of Wong's but it doesn't do it justice. Architectural drawings of the restaurant are available here.

434 Richmond Street (formerly Wong's Café) as it looked in 2019. You have to use your imagination to picture it in its glory days from 1914-1941. The dining room was on the second floor where you see the big window.

Dinner plate from Wong's Café, found on eBay.

Lem Wong (born 1881 near Canton) opened the restaurant in 1914. Wong's Café remained open for 27 years until he sold it in 1941. Lem worked 15 hours a day to ensure that Wong's Café flourished. Aside from struggling like everyone else during the Great Depression, Lem Wong's business was a success.

Young Lem Wong.

Lem Wong and his wife, Toye Chin are regarded as the first Chinese immigrants to raise a family in London, Ontario. 

Lem Wong, his wife Toye Chin and their eight children.

Aside from chop suey, a dish which was accepted by North Americans, the menu at Wong's was European. At that time, if a Chinese restauranteur wanted to stay in business, he had to serve European or Canadian food. White linen tablecloths and silver cutlery graced the tables at Wong's Café and the waiters were trained in New York City. Upon arriving at the restaurant, Lem would personally greet each guest at the top of the stairs and escort them to their tables. He remembered his customers' names and faces.

If you had ancestors or relatives in London or the surrounding area, they probably spent a memorable night dining and dancing at Wong's Café.

Lem Wong and his family contributed greatly to the community in London, Ontario. For more information about Lem Wong, click here to read Lem Wong: A Story of Perseverance; and click here to read Gift of Opportunity: Gretta Grant BA'43, celebrates legacy of her trailblazing parents. Click here to watch the video, The Road Chosen: The Story of Lem Wong. 

180th Anniversary of the Purchase of the Culbert Homestead near Lucan, Ontario

On this Thanksgiving weekend, I give thanks for this bill of sale...

Are you a descendant of John Culbert and his wife, Mary Ward? If so, you wouldn't have been born if not for that bill of sale. Or are you a descendant of John's brother, Richard Culbert and his wife, Ann Jane Harlton? Read on...

180 years ago today on 10 October 1840, our ancestor, John Culbert purchased Lot 19 on Concession 2 in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario on what is known today as The Coursey Line. The image above is a copy of the Memorandum of Sale for those 100 acres, purchased from the Canada Company for the sum of 12 pounds, ten shillings. The man I believe to be John's brother, Richard Culbert purchased the property next door (Lot 18), three days after John purchased Lot 19.

John Culbert, his wife Mary Ward and their family made the voyage from Ireland to Canada in 1840, settling in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario. None of us would be here today were it not for that voyage, and for that purchase of land.

The John Culbert-Mary Ward family, c1865. For more info about this photo, click here.

This being Thanksgiving weekend (here in Canada) let's raise our glasses in thanks of our ancestors making a new life in Canada. We're here today because of them.

If you're new to the Culbert Family History blog and want to learn more about our family, consider reading any of the following blog posts:

We don't know why the Culberts left Ireland but for my thoughts on the possible reasons, click here.

To read about the Culbert family's voyage from Ireland to Canada, click here.

For a biography of John Culbert, click here.

For a biography of John Culbert's wife, Mary Ward, click here. 

For a biography of Richard Culbert (the man I believe is John Culbert's brother,) click here.

To read about the Culbert homestead near Lucan, later known as Poplar Farm, click here. 

The Culbert homestead (Poplar Farm) as it looked in 2013.

On the Air With Terry Culbert

Terry Culbert's Morning Show broadcasts live from Prince Edward County, Ontario every Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on 99.3 County FM.

My favourite part of the show takes place on alternate Fridays from 9:00-9:30 a.m. That's when retired Italian Chef Carlo Angeloni visits the studio. 

Retired Italian Chef, Carlo Angeloni. Sketch by Terry Culbert.

Expect an entertaining half hour of lively banter with Terry and Carlo. Carlo prepares a different recipe each week for Terry to sample. 

Spanish tapas prepared by Chef Carlo Angeloni.

 

This Friday, October 9th Terry will give a shout-out to some of our Culbert cousins. Tune in to find out which of our family members are listening.

To listen online to Terry Culbert's Morning Show, click here for 99.3 County FM's homepage, then click "Listen Live," and follow the link they provide for live streaming.

For biographical information about Terry, click here. Terry grew up in Lucan, Ontario, Canada. He's the great-great-grandson of our ancestors, John Culbert and Mary Ward.

Lila ARLENE (Westell) Stewart MacQueen (1928-2020)

Arlene (Westell) Stewart MacQueen (1928-2020)

Arlene Westell, the great-great-granddaughter of John Culbert and Mary Ward grew up in the Kincardine Lighthouse where her father was the lighthouse keeper.

The Kincardine Lighthouse

 

Lila Arlene Westell was born 12 January 1928 in Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. Her parents were Oran Westell (1891-1955) and Jane Russell aka Jenny (1891-1982). Arlene's older siblings were John "Jack" Russell Westell (1920-2013) and Susan "Toots" (Westell) Jarrell (1923-2013).

The Westell Family of Kincardine. Left to right: Parents Jenny (Russell) Westell & Oran Westell with their children, Jack, Susan "Toots" and Arlene in front.

The Westell Family: Left to right: Susan "Toots", father Oran, Arlene, Jack, and mother Jenny.

The Westell siblings. Left to right: Jack, Susan "Toots" and Arlene.

The Westell siblings in the 1940s. Left to right: Jack, Susan "Toots" and Arlene. Photo colourized by Jack's son, Ian Westell.

Arlene's nephew, Don Jarrell recalls how Arlene got the nickname, "Wa."  He said that "as a young girl, Arlene had difficulty saying her own name, and called herself "Wa" or "Wa Wa Waikell" - the name stuck, and she retained the nickname "Wa" since those days.

Young Arlene Westell.

Arlene Westell in Kincardine. The house in the background belonged to Myron Bert Hall aka Marnie Hall and his wife, Evelyn (Harvey) Hall. The Hall's house was located beside the Kincardine Lighthouse where Arlene lived. Myron Bert Hall (1886-1970) was the great-grandson of our ancestors, John Culbert & Mary Ward. Myron Hall was the 1st cousin of Arlene's father, Oran Westell. Arlene's brother, Jack Westell would much later take ownership of the Hall house.

After high school, Arlene worked at the local drug store in Kincardine. 

20-year-old Arlene married 31-year-old Hector Raymond "Ray" Stewart on 7 January 1949 in Kincardine. Ray was from Wood Islands, a small farming and fishing community in Prince Edward Island.

Ray Stewart and Arlene Westell on their wedding day in Kincardine.

The happy couple.

Arlene and Ray's wedding party.

Arlene and Ray moved to British Columbia where she developed a love of skiing and the outdoors. They moved to various locations in B.C., depending on where Ray's construction job took him but they eventually settled in Kelowna. 

In British Columbia, they raised three sons: Raymond Oran Stewart (1952-2020), David Russell Stewart (1956-1978), and their youngest son, Douglas Alexander Stewart. 

Arlene and her son, Raymond Oran Stewart (19 Feb 1952 - 20 Feb 2020) of Burlington, Ontario. Ray was an avid motorcyclist, skiier, sky diver, and scuba diver.

Arlene's son, Raymond Oran Stewart He was a renowned technical scuba diver with over 100 dives on the RMS Empress of Ireland and the remains of the German submarine, U853.

Arlene's husband, Hector Raymond "Ray" Stewart (born 1 January 1918) died of a heart attack on 11 February 1968 in Kelowna, British Columbia, age 50.

After her husband died, Arlene and her sons moved back to her hometown, Kincardine, Ontario, and she returned to her old job at the drug store.

On 21 September 1974, Arlene married Donald Murchison MacQueen (born 28 May 1918 in Prince Edward Island.)

Arlene and her second husband, Don MacQueen on their wedding day.

In 1977, Arlene, Don, and her three sons moved to Prince Edward Island. Don MacQueen died 20 years later in 1997.

Arlene died 21 September 2020, age 92 at Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague, Prince Edward Island.

Arlene’s obituary says that she loved music, theatre and travel; she had a special love for Ireland and blessed her children and grandchildren with memories of Irish lullabies. Her desire for adventure and to remain active brought her to swimming, yoga, tai-chi, white-water kayaking and jet-skiing into her 90s. She loved animals of all kinds and loved retelling her memorable moment with the law when she was pulled over for speeding on her way to deliver puppies.

Arlene's philosophy of life was "Keep busy. Don't sit and twiddle your thumbs." Her thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic? "Soon, we'll all get back to normal ... whatever that is."

Arlene in her later years.

Further reading: To read about Arlene's father, Oran Westell, click here, her brother, Jack Westell, click here, and for her sister, Susan "Toots" (Westell) Jarrell, click here. To read an article about Arlene and her friend, Dora MacKenzie, click here.

Arlene (Westell) Stewart MacQueen's Family Tree:

Ancestors:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (2xgreat-grandparents)
Elizabeth "Eliza" Culbert & Richard Dagg (great-grandparents)
Susan Dagg & Omar Westell (grandparents)
Oran Westell & Jane Russell (parents)

Descendants (Children):

Raymond Oran Stewart (1952-2020)

David Russell Stewart (1956-1978)

Douglas Alexander Stewart 

Note: Photos of Arlene and her family courtesy of her nephews, Don Jarrell (son of Susan "Toots" (Westell) Jarrell) and Ian Westell (son of John Russell "Jack" Westell).