Dr. Joseph Du — a man of distinction

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/08/2016 (3630 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Let me familiarize you with  Dr. Joseph Du, a prominent Canadian citizen who is the recipient of several distinguished awards. This modest, kindly fellow tenant, aged 83, is often seen with his loving wife, Jeannine, beside him as he is wheeled into our dining room or a waiting taxi.

Dr. Du is diabetic and is taken to the St. Boniface Hospital three times a week for dialysis. But this does not deter him from monitoring the progress of a seniors’ home on the site of the beloved Shanghai Restaurant, which we once frequented in our younger years.

Which leads us into Du’s spirited reply as to why he has been so richly honoured.

His is a story of service.

He was the youngest of 11 children born to Chinese parents in Vietnam, but when the country was divided, he fled to Taiwan. Having seen several of his young siblings decimated by disease, he studied pediatric medicine for seven years, and was welcomed into Canada in 1961 to do his internship. His plan was to use his medical training to help his people in his homeland.

It was Canada’s good fortune that his interest in a young X-ray technician student at Misericordia Hospital resulted in their marriage in 1964 and in the couple settling in Winnipeg. The Winnipeg Clinic became Dr. Du’s base, and from here he ventured out to northern First Nations reserves several times a month, for two or three days at a time, between 1968 and 2002 — the longest-serving doctor to do so.

Dr. Du was made a member of the Order of Canada by Gov.-Gen. Jeanne Sauve in 1985. He was made a member of the Order of the Buffalo Hunt in 1997, followed by the Order of Manitoba in 2003.

Dr. Du’s most visible contribution to the community has been the transformation of the area around King and Princess Streets into a thriving, attractive Chinese village. As chairman of the Chinatown Development and Peace Tower Corporations, Dr. Du engineered $40 million worth of contributions from the federal, provincial, and civic governments towards this revitalization.

Now the area boasts the Dynasty Building, housing a cultural and community centre, a Chinese garden, a gate spanning King Street, the Peace Tower at 260 Princess St., restaurants that serve fine Chinese cuisine, and future developments such as the seniors’ home to serve Asian-Canadian groups.

“When you agree to do something, do it right away,” he says.

“Too many things accumulate and you don’t remember. Line up other people to help.”

In conclusion, I asked Dr. Du why he hasn’t gone for a kidney transplant.

“My body has too many problems. It would be unfair. Better to have younger people receive help.”

Unselfishness is the very essence of being a great Canadian.

Anne Yanchyshyn is a community correspondent for St. Vital.