A flurry of activity has emerged this week surrounding the imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon and Niagara-on-the-Lake hotelier Jimmy Lai, just ahead of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in the Niagara region.
On Monday, Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa announced he had sent a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, advocating for Lai’s release.
“This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while,” Zalepa said.
“I’ve followed, I guess, the plight of Mr. Lai for many years and have a keen interest in knowing the gentleman’s business investments and the significant role they’ve played here in town.”
Zalepa said he does not have a prior relationship with Anand and has not yet received a response. He timed his letter to coincide with the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, which Anand will host Nov. 11 and 12 in Niagara.
The exact location of the meeting has yet to be publicly confirmed.
The meeting will bring together Anand and her counterparts from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan and Germany. Zalepa said raising Lai’s case now felt timely.
“I wanted to make sure that that message was being conveyed,” he said. “This gentleman and his plight is important.”
Lai was imprisoned by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong in 2020 and remains there today, accused of participating in pro-democracy demonstrations. Amnesty International lists him as a prisoner of conscience.
He is the owner of Vintage Hotels, which operates hotels such as the Prince of Wales, Queen’s Landing and the Pillar and Post, among other luxury buildings in NOTL. Members of his family, including his twin sister, Si Wai Lai, who owns the Oban Inn, live in town.
In Hong Kong, Lai founded Apple Daily, a prominent pro-democracy tabloid newspaper.
Community members are also speaking out in support of Lai. Amnesty Niagara Group 137, the local branch of Amnesty International, will hold a rally on Lai’s behalf on Nov. 12 — an event planned before Zalepa’s letter was announced.
Lidija Biro, a member of Amnesty Niagara, said Lai’s family will attend, along with supporters such as Yimlei “Molly” Yip, a Chinese-Canadian who admires Lai and his contributions to Niagara.
“I’m not sure how much the residents know about (Lai),” Yip said. “I knew about the history of the Lais, having moved here a year or two after them.”
Yip said her participation in the rally is not about Chinese politics but about supporting Lai.
Biro emphasized Lai’s long-standing ties to Niagara-on-the-Lake and hopes the event helps keep attention on his case.
“He and his Canadian family have contributed greatly to the town of NOTL,” she said. “From the Vintage Hotels to the Monet-inspired public garden, he has had a hand in preserving the town’s cultural heritage and securing its economic well-being.”
“Mr. Lai has not been forgotten.”
The rally will take place from noon to 1 p.m. at Simcoe Park, across the street from the Prince of Wales Hotel.
