A Legacy Re‑examined
Chad Soon, a teacher at Mission Hill Elementary, recently saw his article on Larry Kwong, the first Chinese‑Canadian to step onto NHL ice, receive the B.C. Historical Federation’s Anne and Philip Yandle Best Article Award.
Kwong’s historic single shift with the New York Rangers in 1948 has become a touchstone for discussions of diversity in hockey, and Soon’s narrative captures the breadth of his career that stretched from Quebec to Europe.
The piece was lauded for its storytelling and narrative cohesion, qualities that the federation highlighted during its awards gala in Vancouver, where the honour was announced before an audience of historians and community leaders.
Soon, who also serves on the boards of the Okanagan Historical Society and the Okanagan Nation Alliance, noted that the recognition extends beyond provincial borders; the South Dakota Library Association has now featured his book in its statewide student reading program, with fourth‑ and fifth‑grade students voting Kwong’s story the South Dakota Children’s Book winner.
The book, shortlisted for several Canadian literary honours in 2025, also captured the attention of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of B.C., which awarded it the Dr. Edgar Wickberg Prize for the best work on Chinese Canadian history.