BC’s “Lieutenant-governor, the Hon. David Lam 1923-2010

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Honourable David Lam coat of arms

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uploaded by Barry ORegan

David Lam, British Columbia’s most memorable and beloved Lieutenant Governor died November 22, 2010, losing his battle with prostate cancer.  Out of the many battles David Lam fought or mediated in his term as our Lieutenant governor, his body’s own defences did him in.

David Lam reluctantly accepted the appointment, it has been said he refused it more than once, before finally accepting the position when requested by then Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1988 to be British Columbia Vice Regal representative to Canada’s Commonwealth Monarch, Queen Elisabeth.

While as the newly appointed Lieutenant Govenor David Lam did not seem go into a lot of pomp and circumstance during his appointment from 1988-1995. 

So as not to distance himself from the common people, David Lam showed his mettle and broke a long standing tradition and avoided wearing the Lieutenant Governors flashy resplendent Windsor uniform whenever possible.  Perhaps feeling with the current economy at that time,  it was a tad over the top.

David Lam’s bio shows a man who packed more endeavors for the benefit of Canadians and ensured the common good  for all of us in British Columbia.  

Once landing in Canada with his family in 1967, he was up and running in making a success in everything he touched including helping those new Canadians just starting out in Canada.

During David Lams time in Canada, his philanthropist activities can be seen all over Metro Vancouver, from UBC’s David Lam Management Research Library, David Lam Park to the David Lam Campus at Douglas College.

When David Lam was asked about multiculturalism, David Lam offered the following views;

“To me, multiculturalism doesn’t mean one can just stay in one’s own ethnic group. Multiculturalism to me is love—love for your country—and the desire to contribute the best of your culture to make Canada better. What is the point of hundreds of different minorities living together in isolation, ignoring each other!

Multiculturalism is not totally understood. People think that it is my shield, my wall, my protection. Leave me alone to speak my own language, follow my own culture and do my own thing. If it is so, then I would ask in what way are you contributing to your country? When I speak to various groups a lot of my message is that the best way the country will improve is for everyone to contribute his or her best. Participate, I say. Coming to Canada is like being invited to a pot-luck dinner; if everyone brings leftovers, we’ll have a leftover dinner. But if one spends some of one’s time, picks one’s best recipe, and is prepared to give one’s best, we will have a feast.”.

Certainly the Hon. David Lam is a man who gets it, in what was Trudeau’s Canada,

Perhaps the honourable David Lam’s way of giving the middle finger in prose to Trudeau and his ideology what Canada should be.  After all, Trudeau once extended his middle digit to the citizens of British Columbia and it seems David’s eloquent rebuttal certainly shows a man who speaks his mind, regardless of the political correctness which grips British Columbians to this day.

Many Canadians will miss David, his actions and words.

One can be sure wherever our Lieutenant Governor is, he is planning something to make his new home a better place for everyone.