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Margaret Jean Gee

Margaret Jean Gee


Reason for inclusion / First:  First Chinese-Canadian woman admitted to the bar in Canada.

Bio / Key facts: DOB - DOD, Place of Birth, Occupation: Margaret Gee was born in 1927 in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was called to the bar in British Columbia on 31 May 1954 becoming, at the age of 26, the first woman of Chinese descent to be admitted to the bar in Canada. She died in 1995.

Early years / Motivations: Margaret Gee grew up in Vancouver’s Chinatown during the ‘exclusion era’ (1923 – 1947). This period saw large-scale anti-Chinese demonstrations in British Columbia and the legislated exclusion of Chinese-Canadians from certain professions including law.

Three years after the Law Society of British Columbia lifted restraints that barred Chinese Canadians from the legal profession, Gee enrolled in law school at the University of British Columbia.

Key accomplishments / contributions: In 1953 Gee became the first woman of Chinese descent to graduate in law at the University of British Columbia. And one year later, in 1954, she became the first Chinese-Canadian woman to be called to the bar in British Columbia. With the opening of her law office in 1955, Gee also became the first Chinese-Canadian woman to practice law in British Columbia.

Later years / Present day: In a CBC interview in 1957, Gee discussed the racism she experienced in school, university and in he­­­­r private practice. She noted though that she had been fortunate that such incidents had been few.

Gee died in 1995 at the age of 67.

Other / Interesting facts: Gee was also the first Chinese-Canadian female Pilot Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force Reserves.

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