Mar Fee and Mar Jok
1900 – Mar Eulie and his father immigrated into Canada from Kwangtung Province, China. Eulie settled in Revelstoke, B.C.
1900 – Mar Eulie and his father immigrated into Canada from Kwangtung Province, China. Eulie settled in Revelstoke, B.C.
1910 -1912 – Eulie returned to Canton, China to bring his two sons – Fee (oldest) and Jok (youngest) back to Revelstoke to work at the family laundry business.
– Fee worked at the family business – Mar Eulie Laundry, which provided business/book keeping experience, while Jok attended Revelstoke High School where he was involved in sports and proved to be an exceptional athlete *The Mar wash tub was displayed at the Revelstoke Museum
1920 – Jok acted as an interpreter for court cases involving accused who were Chinese *Jok served as a court interpreter for both criminal and civil court for 50 years
1921 – Jok was mentioned in publications i.e. wrestling competition and being on the basketball team
1929 – Eulie, Fee and Jok moved to Kelowna to open the Golden Pheasant Cafe *During the depression the Mars would open the back door of the cafe to feed those in need..”Mar Jok always fed the poor” – 48th Report Okanagan Historical Society
1933 – Eulie returns to China, leaving Fee and Jok to own and operate the Golden Pheasant Restaurant
1940’s – Jok joined the 9th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment, British Columbia Dragoon; he was an instructor and obtained the rank of Sergeant
Late 1950’s – Fee and Jok purchased 365 acres in Westbank in the area now known as Rose Valley. *Fee and Jok farmed the land which had fruit trees, asparagus, vegetable garden, livestock, bee hives and chickens…the Mar farm was well known for their asparagus.
– Jok was one of the original Boy Scout leaders in Kelowna and one of the original founders of the Chinese Cultural Society
1968 – Jok retired from the Golden Pheasant Cafe *Attending Jok’s surprise retirement party was Mayor R.F. Parkinson and Alderman E.R. Winter who presented Jok a bridal, saddle, cowboy hat and the Order of the Ogopogo
1969 – Golden Pheasant Cafe closed
Early 1970 – Fee moved to Edmonton to live with his son Quentin Marr; Jok continued to farm the Mar land *Over the years, most of the Mar land was sold for development and/or donated to Westbank for community use
1974 – Fee passed away in Edmonton
1983 – Jok passed away in West Kelowna *Quentin kept approximately 25 acres of the remaining Mar(r) land, which he allowed the community to use as an informal walking, hiking, bicycling and dog area
*Jok’s daughter – May Jones also kept some of the land, which continues to be the home for her youngest son – Gary Jones
2014 – Mar Jok Elementary School opens in the Rose Valley Community. The school was named in honour and remembrance of Jok’s service, charity and benevolence to the Okanagan community.
2018 – The Marr family sold and donated a portion of the remaining 25 acres to the City of West Kelowna (CWK) to be developed into community soccer fields and a walking/bicycling trail i.e. Mar Fee Sports Complex and Quentin Marr Memorial Trail *The Marr family honoured Quentin’s dream of having the land used for sports and recreation to benefit the community’s health and wellness, and provide athletic activities/opportunities for youth. Of note, Quentin rejected many offers and queries from profiteering land developers.
2020 – The CWK and the Marr family officially enter into a “land use agreement” to have the combined properties (property) used as a temporary dog off leash, bicycling, jogging and walking area for the community.
*CWK provided proper signage, wildlife proof garbage containers and pick up, and did fire mitigation work on their portion of the property; the Marr family did fire mitigation work on their portion of the property and continues to groom and clean all trails on the property on a daily basis as part of their role/commitment in the partnership
*The Marr family initiated the CWK/Marr family temporary dog off leash, bicycling, jogging and walking concept and partnership; the main purpose was to have a dog off leash area, as the Marr family grew up with dogs and valued their quality of life and wellness
*** It is noted that Fee did not speak English well (unlike Jok) and therefore his work/contributions were very much behind the scenes and not recognized
The grandchildren of Fee and Jok continue to contribute to the CWK and the Okanagan:
David Jones (grandson of Jok and son of May) – Supervisor with the Commissionaires working in GAOL with RCMP Kelowna, and Captain with the BC Dragoons (Reserve), Kelowna
Gary Jones (grandson of Jok and son of May) – volunteer wildfire responder, Okanagan
Adrian Marr (grandson of Fee and son of Quentin) – Board member Westside Youth Soccer Association (City of West Kelowna), Investigator with the Royal Canadian Humane Association, Bravery and Lifesaving Awards in B.C. and volunteer with the Okanagan Forest Task Force
Below is a video the Revelstoke Museum on the Chinese community in Revelstoke. Mar Eulie came to Canada from China in 1900. The museum has the laundry tub in the museum that Mar Eulie used and was very generous in providing the Marr family with information on Mar Eulie.
School Honours Chinese Canadian Pioneer
Mar Jok Elementary School was named after Jok Mar, a pioneer in the local Chinese Canadian community and who once owned the land the school was built on. Read More
