In 1996, a deadly car crash sent Junie and her sister to The Ottawa Hospital’s Trauma Centre. The same crash killed their husbands. Today, Junie remains grateful for the specialized care she received, and after being a monthly donor for years, she’s now leaving a gift in her will to the hospital.
At only 20 years old, Junie immigrated to Canada from Malaysia with ambitions to study at the University of Toronto. A new life would begin — one that would entice her family to follow her in the years ahead but would be filled with adversity.
While Junie was initially drawn to Canada for her studies, a particular experience in her early years in Toronto cemented her desire to make Canada her home. Junie remembers a newspaper stand on a busy street in downtown Toronto. “There was a pile of newspapers, and I didn’t see anybody around. I noticed people came by, picked up a paper and dropped some money in a bowl. It was so orderly. I couldn’t believe that people were so nice.” It was the honour system and that’s what Junie loved. “I remember thinking ‘This is a kind of society I want to live in.’”
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