Print | Heritage Burnaby

Description: wrapper ; white tissue paper with print in turquoise blue ink; text in blue ink at top in Chinese characters; text in blue ink beneath reads: "THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA"; illustration in blue ink beneath of three snow covered mountains inside circle; text in blue ink beneath with Chinese characters; text in blue ink beneath reads: "SNOW MOUNTAIN MANDARIN ORANGE"; label in two pieces - top left triangular segment of wrapper is torn away

Object History: Item was part of a scrapbook created by Cecil Chue Kan Lee documenting the time he was employed as a Prodcue Buyer for Kelly Douglas and Company Limited and Western Commodities Limited in the 1970s and early 1980s. As a produce buyer for Kelly Douglas, Cecil Lee worked closely with local farmers along Marine Drive and in the Fraser Valley. The Burnaby company was one of the largest food distributors in Canada. In the mid-1970s, Lee was asked to oversee the import of Chinese mandarin oranges into Canada. Until that time, mandarin oranges had come from Japan and were sold in the winter, especially at Christmas. When the Japanese market could no longer keep up with demand, Kelly Douglas looked to China. The company relied on Lee’s cultural knowledge to build this very profitable part of their business.

Reference: For other records in this collection see: Business records series of Julie Lee and Cecil Lee family fonds