Picture of Norman Kwong in his Edmonton Eskimos uniform.
Hi! My name is Christian. I am a grade 6 student. Today I will be talking about Norman Kwong. He was born on October 24, 1929 in Calgary Alberta. He is well known because he is the first person of Chinese ancestry to be a lieutenant-governor of Alberta, play for the Calgary Stampeders from 1948 to 1950 and the Edmonton Eskimos from 1951 until he retired in 1960. His nickname was the "China Clipper", Kwong was the first Chinese Canadian to play on a professional Canadian football team. A powerful fullback, in 11 years Kwong ran for 9,022 yards for an average of 5.2 yards per carry and scored 93 touchdowns. He is the winner of the Grey Cup four times in his career ( in 1948, 1954, 1955, and 1956). Kwong was a Western Conference all-star running back and won the Eddie James Memorial trophy, in 1951, 1955 and 1956. He was awarded the Schenley Most Outstanding Canadian in 1955 and 1956. He was named Canadian Athlete of the Year in 1955. He was drafted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1969, Canada's sports hall of fame in 1975, the Edmonton Eskimos' Wall of Honour in 1983 (where his jersey #95 was retired), and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. In November 2006, he was one of very few of his contemporaries to be voted one of the Canadian Football League's Top 50 players of the sport's modern era by he Canadian Sports network TSN. He was the president and general manager for the Calgary Stampeders from the years 1988 to 1991. He lead the team to a loss in the Grey Cup final in 1991. Between 1980 and 1994, Kwong was a co-owner of the Calgary Flames, having been one of the original six Calgary businessmen who bought the NHL’s Atlanta Flames hockey team. Then they moved it o Calgary1980. The Calgary Flames won the Stanley Cup in 1989, which makes him one of the few people who has their name on both the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup.
His contributions to Canada and Canadian culture are many and very interesting to share. Norman's public abilty from sports helped him transition himself on to politics and government. In 1971 he ran for the Alberta Progressive Conservative party in the riding of Calgary-Millican. In this election, the PCs ended Social Credit's 36-year hold on power. They won all but five seats in Calgary. However, Kwong himself was beaten by long-time holder of office Arthur J. Dixon who won by a 1600 vote lead. In 1988 Kwong was made a member of the Order of Canada and served as national chairman for the Canadian Consultative Council on Multiculturalism. Kwong was chosen to be Lieutenant-Governor General of Alberta on January 20, 2005. Kwong welcomed Queen Elizabeth II to Alberta in June 2005 on a visit commemorating Alberta's first 100 years in Canadian Confederation. During a private assembly with the Queen Norman was presented with the emblem of a Knight of Justice in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. His term concluded on May 11, 2010, and he was succeeded by Don Ethell.
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I was proud to be chosen as Alberta's first lieutenant Governor of Chinese heritage and deeply honoured by such a rare honour to serve the province and country that I love." said Norman Kwong at the unveiling of the portrait of Alberta's 16th Lieutenant Governor.
(Source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN3dD0Plj2g)
Introducing the portrait of Norman Kwong.
Alberta gives Norman Kwong their thanks and in honour of him a portrait of himself.
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Norman Kwong is an inspiration for many Canadians..." said former Prime Minister Paul Martin in a press release.
(Source: http://www.asiancanadian.net/2005/01/cfl-legend-normie-kwong-named-alberta.html )
Other good websites with important information about Mr. Kwong are:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN3dD0Plj2g
http://www.asiancanadian.net/2005/01/cfl-legend-normie-kwong-named-alberta.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Kwong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN3dD0Plj2g
hl=en&source=hp&biw=1003&bih=592&q=1948+grey+cup&aq=f&aqi=g1g-v4&aql=&oq=
http://www.cfhof.ca/
