Search Results | Heritage Burnaby

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of records acquired from the Chinese Herbalist shop “Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co” operating in Victoria from 1905 until 1968. Textual records include a few pieces of correspondence, receipts and ephemera addressed to "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.", Lim You and Lim Yau (Yew Long Lum) wh…

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds

Description Level: Fonds

Physical Description: 3 folders of textual records + 180 photographs + ephemera + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing

Scope and Content: Fonds consists of records acquired from the Chinese Herbalist shop “Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co” operating in Victoria from 1905 until 1968. Textual records include a few pieces of correspondence, receipts and ephemera addressed to "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co.", Lim You and Lim Yau (Yew Long Lum) while the shop was in operation at 1620 Government Street in the 1940s. Some of the records are written in English while a portion are written in Cantonese and haven't been translated. Most of the photographs document the content of the original shop at the time of aquistion in 1975. Some photographs of unidentified people may be related to the owner or proprietor of the shop. A collection of other photographs document various Chinese Canadian organizations that were in operation in Victoria. Records are arranged into the following series: 1) Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. photographs series 2) Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. documents series

History: The Chinese Herbalist shop "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co" operated in Victoria, BC from about 1905 until [1968]. The meaning of "Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co" can be translated as "Collection, Life, Source, Alive, Shop" although many interpretations can be taken since each Chinese character can have several meanings. Contents of the shop were purchased by the Burnaby Village Museum in 1975 and reassembled as a permanent display in the Burnaby Village Museum. The shop’s original owner was Ng Chee Fong who opened the shop ca.1905. In 1921, Ng returned to Hong Kong and sold the business to Lam Yuen and Wong Ying who were from Vancouver. Lam Yuen and Wong Ying employed Lum Chuck Yue to operate the shop. Lum Chuck Yue had formerly operated a small herbal counter in a Chinese apothecary store on the south side of Fisgard Street, Victoria. In 1924 Lam Yuen and Wong Ying purchased Wah Sun & Co. from Lee S. Yew and Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. moved into the Wah Sun premises at 1620 Government Street in the Lee Block . The furnishings and fixtures of both stores were combined, with the more elaborate fixtures from WSYWK remaining as part of the public part of the shop and the plainer fixtures of Wah Sun moved into the workroom and basement. In the 1930s Lum Chuck Yue took over the business and became the proprietor. In about 1934, Tan Yi Tang purchased the business and the shop reopened as Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. following renovations with Lum Yew Jong as the shop's proprietor. Lum Yew Jong continued to operate the shop until his death in 1967 at the age of 68 years. Following Lum’s death, the property and contents of the shop were purchased by Mr. J. Watson Marles, a local owner operator of an antique store at 1714 Government Street. The shop and contents went through a few more private owners including Rodney Pain before it was purchased by the Heritage Village Museum in 1975 with funds made available by the Vancouver Foundation and the Province of British Columbia. Contents of the original shop were reasembled in a reconstructed building as a permanent display on site at the Burnaby Village Museum.

Creator: Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Company

Accession Code: HV975.5; BV985.5331; BV017.7

Access Restriction: Restricted access

Reproduction Restriction: May be restricted by third party rights

Date: 1908-1975

Media Type: Photograph; Textual Record; Cartographic Material; Architectural Drawing

Related Material: See also Artifacts under Accessions HV975.5; BV985.5331 and BV017.7

Notes: Title based on contents of fonds

Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. documents series

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription19022

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Date: 1910-1970

Collection/Fonds: Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds

Description Level: Series

Physical Description: textual records + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing

Scope and Content: Series consists of small collection of business records and newspapers that were part of the contents of the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. at 1620 Government Street, Victoria in 1975.

Repository: Burnaby Village Museum

Collection/Fonds: Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. fonds

Series: Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. documents series

Description Level: Series

Physical Description: textual records + 1 map + 1 architectural drawing

Scope and Content: Series consists of small collection of business records and newspapers that were part of the contents of the Way Sang Yuen Wat Kee & Co. at 1620 Government Street, Victoria in 1975.