oral histories

What is your background?

I’m from China, Guangzhou City.  I managed to emigrate to Canada. I just finished high school and then my whole family emigrated to Vancouver. When I came to Canada, I have nothing. No money. I have to borrow money to buy an air ticket. When I came in 1981 in December it was my first time seeing snow in Vancouver, in Canada, and because I’m from Asia, Guangzhou, I had never seen it. It feels very cold!

Why and how did your family start Kin’s Farm Market?

The whole family is working to survive in Chinatown. It’s very small . . . around 200 square feet the whole family is living. I looked for a job in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. My mom is taking care of the baby. My dad worked in Richmond, one restaurant, washing dishes. My brother is working in a Chinese restaurant, too, in Vancouver. After two years, there is one friend that told us that we can open the stand, one table on Granville Island. We don’t know how to do the business but we tried – from the eight-foot table – to make money to survive.

What was life like before you came to Canada?

Oh, my family is very unique. Before, in China, our family worked in different areas. My mom and my dad worked in a government bus company. My sister worked with a manufacturer, and my brother worked in a restaurant, dim sum. Me, I was a mechanic, fixing cars. So it’s totally different. When I was an immigrant to Canada, we worked together. We were so happy working together. We, three sisters and brothers, worked very closely. The whole family is very close.

How does your family impact your business?

My father and my mom are emotionally very strong. They’re working hard and opening communication with all. It doesn’t matter who, it’s their friend. Don’t just only do it yourself. Make sure you work together, work together, honestly, humbly. They taught us to always listen. The main thing my dad always tells me is just, anything, just do it. Don’t just think, always thinking. Just do it. Wrong? That means do it again. Never give up. Never be afraid. Just do it.

Do you have any special memories from China?

[Interpreter] One of the most fond memories that he has was right before he had to travel to Canada. His grandmother was actually not able to accompany them to Canada. In fact, Mr. Kin Wah’s grandmother gave him a red pocket. In the Chinese culture that represents something of good luck or good fortune. Since Mr. Kin Wah is the eldest grandchild he was expecting, “Oh, this would be something very important.” His grandmother instructed him not to open it until he has gotten to Canada. He was, at one point, when he first got here there was that emotion of sadness in terms of leaving his grandmother behind and just maybe not being able to see her again. When he arrived and when he opened the red pocket, inside there was a note reminding Mr. Kin Wah to work hard in life and try to honour the family and he will be very, she believes he will be very successful in that way. Mr. Kin Wah still has that red pocket with him today because that’s what motivates him in life and for his company and in terms of his career because that’s what set off everything.

How did you go from one table at Granville Island Market to 28 locations in Metro Vancouver?

The Granville Island Market, the management team at the upstairs office really liked our stand. So we’re planning how we can do better or bigger business. We’re looking for a location. They have one new development at Number 2 and Blundell shopping centre. The table, display, everything . . . my dad and my brother, we built it ourselves.  After two years, I see that we’re a success at Blundell and Number 2. Very busy. Always, it’s packed in the store. We’re planning, with my brother, to open another one in Ladner.

The Ladner store was at a new shopping Centre. They have lots of farmers, fishermen. The Ladner store is the first time for management. So it’s very new for us. The landlord who came to see our store is very famous. So he came in, asked to open a store in Brentwood Mall because all the shops at that time are always fashion, but they enjoyed Kin’s style of selling fresh and it’s very clean. So they give us all the benefit for us to open the store. When we opened in Brentwood Mall, it’s the same. Very busy, very good, and very famous. Then we look at Park Royal or New West. All in a busy shopping mall. We tried to build Kin’s store, retail.

Why is Richmond important to this story?

When I lived in Vancouver, I never heard of Richmond.  Then, everybody said Richmond has lots of farmers, good farmers, good products, and it’s very fresh. So, at that time [working at Granville Island], I had a small car and every day driving to Richmond to bring the romaine leaf or something like that to put it on the table.

[Interpreter] They decided on bringing the new store to Ladner because they already had working relationships with farmers from Ladner.

How has Kin’s Farm Market changed your life?

[Interpreter] Even just being in Canada changed his life. They strive to be better every day and, for the family, they’re able to work together and slowly achieve all their goals. So, the business is just an extension of that.

He’s also very grateful that he’s been able to be in the business with his brother and his wife ever since the Granville Island stall. From then, it has already been more than thirty years. Although each of them have different perspectives, they share the common goal. He’s really grateful that with all their different perspectives they’re able to put it together and make the company work.

Kin’s is known for freshness.  What else makes the business so successful?

A family environment. Providing a rewarding career, our staff is just like our family. It’s providing a partner, franchising, and bonus. They’re always sharing the reward together. Before and now and in the future. We always think like this. We’ll be together, just like a family.

One specific example would be for their local store’s cauliflower section. For each customer, you should always bring them the biggest, the best cauliflower, rather than keeping it for yourself or keeping it for your own family. In that sense, that’s how use your heart to treat your customers, be honest, be humble, and be passionate in terms of what you have in providing.

Why is giving back to your community important to you?

[Interpreter] Mr. Kin Wah is very grateful for all the help that he has received when he had first moved to Canada. So now that he is successful in his business, he wanted to give back to the community because he was once in that position. So he feels very satisfied in terms of being able to give back and help the community.  He donates to Success and Vancouver General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, and Richmond Hospital. He is really happy because he can see the changes that he makes. For example, he can see the improvement in medical equipment in the hospitals. He also donates for scholarships at UBC, food science scholarship as well.

Your family has accomplished so much.  What are your hopes and dreams moving forward?

[Interpreter] His goal or his vision is to have a Kin’s Farm Market in every community or every city. That’s a big number, being in every community and every city. To strive in that goal he understands he will have to work hard every day and keep on improving it in order to reach his goal and vision.

Another goal for Mr. Kin Wah is to work with new immigrants and, to do that, Kin’s Farm Market actually provides a platform to collaborate with new immigrants and help them achieve success in the community and in Canada as well.