"My belief is that great countries and great cities are created by great citizens," Lee told Sounding Board in a recent interview set among grand pianos at his company’s main store in downtown Vancouver. "As chair, I’m looking forward to focusing on what we need to do today to guarantee future prosperity for Vancouver, but it’s definitely not a one-person operation; it requires the whole mass to be willing to pitch in."
Lee has an impressive vision for Vancouver, and with a background in engineering, construction, banking, development and, of course, retail, he certainly has the résumé to help his vision become a reality.
In addition to his professional experience, Lee also has a noteworthy history of community service, particularly in Vancouver’s entertainment district and the area around Granville Mall, where Tom Lee Music’s flagship store is located.
His crusade began in 1994 when, after 10 years in Toronto, Lee returned to Vancouver and was "shocked" at what he called "the demise of Granville Street."
"From that point onwards, I said to myself, since we can’t move the building, let’s try to change the environment."
Lee, along with other merchants in the area, was instrumental in founding the Community Policing Office on Granville Street in 1996. He played a major role in pushing for a redesign of the street (adopted by Vancouver City Council last year), and was a director of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association for eight years.
"Working within the downtown area was a good training ground for me," Lee reminisces, "but The Board of Trade’s scope is much larger. Now it’s time to look at the bigger picture and ask, ‘What can we do as citizens for Vancouver?’"
Lee and his wife Doris are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this month. They have two sons: Jeffrey, 20, a fourth-year student at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, and Kenneth, 18, who is heading to Queen’s University in September to study commerce.
He immigrated to Vancouver from Hong Kong in 1969, and he still maintains strong ties with Asia, often travelling there for business several months each year. He has lived in Canada’s three largest cities, as well as in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Lee believes that his global experiences have made him a better person, which in turn can help Vancouver become a better place.
"My task is to ensure that Vancouver shines when it comes to being the best and most enjoyable place to live, invest, and conduct business," Lee says with his trademark big-picture gusto. "Our beautiful city is definitely suffering from growing pains right now. But beneath all these challenges are huge opportunities that can transform Vancouver into the ultimate global city." But he admits it’s a tall order, one that will require an efficient business environment, effective government system, a clear global vision, and above all, highly engaged citizens.
As he prepares to take the helm of western Canada’s most active member-based business association later this month, Lee stresses that when citizens are proactive and take ownership of issues, nothing is impossible. And for him, The Board of Trade is the best venue for citizens and businesses to become engaged about the issues that matter the most to them.
"As individuals, we can’t do much. We can write to our MLAs, we can write to our councillors, but that’s just the voice of one person," Lee says. "What The Board of Trade allows its members to do is to come together to work on key issues, whether for the benefit of society or for business. By getting a critical mass of like-minded and caring people together, we can facilitate changes. Ultimately, we’re not here to just talk, we’re here to make things happen, and The Vancouver Board of Trade causes that to occur."
