George Chow
Encyclopedia
George Chow is a two-term Vancouver
City Councillor
who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver
party in 2005 and 2008. Prior to being elected Chow worked at BC Hydro
for over 30 years, where he currently works part time.
. He initially enrolled at William Dawson School and then transferred to Britannia Secondary School
. He went on to complete a degree in engineering
at the University of British Columbia
.
following its 2003 opening and was subsequently recruited by Vision Vancouver
to join its slate for his successful 2005 campaign. He was re-elected for a second term in 2008.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
City Councillor
Vancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
who was elected as a member of the Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver is one of three parties represented on Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.-Formation:...
party in 2005 and 2008. Prior to being elected Chow worked at BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
for over 30 years, where he currently works part time.
Background
Chow was born in China and immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1965 at the age of 14 and settled in Vancouver. His father was a cook, and his mother a farm worker. After immigrating, Chow grew up in the Downtown EastsideDowntown Eastside
The Downtown Eastside is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is known as "Canada's poorest postal code"....
. He initially enrolled at William Dawson School and then transferred to Britannia Secondary School
Britannia Secondary School
Britannia Community Secondary School is a public community secondary school located in the Grandview–Woodland neighbourhood on the east-side of Vancouver, British Columbia. The school educates its students using a district-wide block schedule program that alternates four blocks every two days....
. He went on to complete a degree in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
.
Political career
He first ran for council as an independent in 2002 because of his opposition to the proposed safe injection site in the Downtown Eastside near Chinatown. Chow reassessed his position on the safe injection siteInsite
Insite is the only legal supervised injection site in North America, located at 139 East Hastings Street, in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia. The DTES had 4700 chronic drug users in 2000 and has been considered to be the centre of an "injection drug epidemic"...
following its 2003 opening and was subsequently recruited by Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver
Vision Vancouver is one of three parties represented on Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vision was formed in the months leading up to the 2005 municipal election.-Formation:...
to join its slate for his successful 2005 campaign. He was re-elected for a second term in 2008.