Vancouver, BC – Milton Wong who passed away on Saturday, December 31st, was a tireless philanthropist and supporter of life sciences research in British Columbia. A man who came from humble beginnings leaves a legacy of community, vision and inspiration. Through his business leadership and numerous philanthropic contributions his legacy will continue to provide for British Columbians in the years to come.

Among his many activities and ventures including HSBC Asset Management (Canada) Ltd. (which he headed after HSBC purchased his company MK Wong and Associates), Chancellor of Simon Fraser University, co-founder of the International Dragon Boat Festival; he also started health related companies including Nurse Next Door, ALI Technologies and Perceptronix Medical Inc. 

Milton was a board member of Genome British Columbia from 2002 to 2006 and was a current board member of the Genome British Columbia Foundation until his passing. Over the years Mr. Wong gave back tirelessly to his community - not only giving of his time but also through his charitable contributions providing research funding and investments for local start-up companies.

“Milton’s vision and leadership contributed substantially to the success of Genome British Columbia and the BC life sciences sector. He was not only a great leader, but a wonderful man who touched the lives of many people through his generosity and endeavours that span decades. He will be missed,” says Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC.

                                                         -30-

About Genome British Columbia:
Genome British Columbia is a catalyst for the life sciences cluster on Canada’s West Coast, and manages a cumulative portfolio of over $550M in research projects and technology platforms. Working with governments, academia and industry across sectors such as forestry, fisheries, agriculture, environment, bioenergy, mining and human health, the goal of the organization is to generate social and economic benefits for British Columbia and Canada.  The Genome BC Foundation was established to support the expansion and enhancement of life sciences education in the province.

Contact:
Sally Greenwood
VP Communications and Education, Genome BC
Phone: 604-637-4373
Email: sgreenwood@genomebc.ca