John Ralston Saul says Canada is Metis/Aboriginal.... in nature - not English/French/Scottish....

Here is John Ralston Saul's 2008 book about Canada:

SUMMARY OF A FAIR COUNTRY (from his website):

"In this startlingly original vision of Canada, thinker John Ralston Saul unveils 3 founding myths. Saul argues that the famous “peace, order, and good government” that supposedly defines Canada is a distortion of the country’s true nature. Every single document before the BNA Act, he points out, used the phrase “peace, welfare, and good government,” demonstrating that the well-being of its citizenry was paramount.

"He also argues that Canada is a Métis nation, heavily influenced and shaped by aboriginal ideas: egalitarianism, a proper balance between individual and group, and a penchant for negotiation over violence are all aboriginal values that Canada absorbed. Another obstacle to progress, Saul argues, is that Canada has an increasingly ineffective elite, a colonial non-intellectual business elite that doesn’t believe in Canada. It is critical that we recognize these aspects of the country in order to rethink its future."

	français

http://www.johnralstonsaul.com/SUM_AFC.html

Arlene Chan has written a new book on dragon boating.

Arlene paddles on a Toronto dragon boat team.  Susan Humphries is past president of Dragon boat Canada. Arlene wrote a children's book on dragon boating, Awakening the Dragon.  This book features chapters on various topics written by top coaches, paddlers, and organizers from across Canada.  Vancouver coach Kamini Jain, former Olympic kayaker, has written the chapter on coaching.

Here's a description from Kamini's website

Description:   Paddles Up! provides an in-depth look at dragon boating from its beginnings in ancient China to the modern-day prominence of Canadian teams on the international scene, as told in the words of top coaches of men's and women's teams, experts and enthusiasts, and sports health professionals across Canada. Contributing writers include Mike Haslam, executive president International Dragon Boat Federation; Matthew Smith, president Dragon Boat Canada; Kamini Jain, Vancouver; Albert MacDonald, Halifax; Jamie Hollins, Pickering; Matt Robert, Montreal; and Jim Farintosh, Toronto. Through legends, history, and traditions, to paddling tips and mental readiness, and from choosing gear to exceptional achievements, a battery of Canadian dragon-boat notables share their considerable knowledge in one authoritative volume.

Last year in June 2008, the author Arlene Chan contacted me.  She wrote:

This is what I originally sent to Arlene, most of it is printed on page 27:


Here's a picture of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team that appears on page 23.  This is from the 2007 Vancouver Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race.  I am drumming.  Emilie is our flag puller learning out over the dragon head.  This photo is by my friend VFK whom I introduced to Arlene to be included in the book, as well as photographers Ben Lee and Heather Mclaren - photo VFK

I discovered more about Arlene.  She is a librarian with the Toronto Public Library and had written two previous books, The Spirit of the Dragon: The Story of Jean Lumb, a Proud Canadian Citizen and The Moon Festival: A Chinese Mid-autumn festival. 

When she told me she also organized a fundraiser dinner for the Jean Lumb Foundation, I had to ask, "Jean Lumb... the first Chinese Canadian woman to recieve the Order of Canada?  I know her daughter, Janet Lumb in Montreal... we met in Ottawa for a conference.  I introduced Janet to Sen. Vivienne Poy (the first Chinese Canadian senator) "

It's a small world.  Arlene told me that Janet is her younger sister.  Back in 2002, I was working for the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society.  Janet is the founder and organizer of Access Asie, the Montreal version of Asian Heritage Month Festival.  Sen. Poy is the patron senator of Asian Heritage Month in Canada, having had it proclaimed in parliament.  Sen. Poy's husband Dr. Neville Poy had an aunt in Vancouver... who married my grandmother's eldest brother.  "Auntie!" I called her.

You can purchase Paddles Up! on Amazon.ca here:
http://www.amazon.ca/Dragon-Boat-Racing-Canada-Paddles/dp/1554883954
or contact Kamini Jain in Vancouver
http://www.rightangleperformance.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64&Itemid=74

Ida Chong, John Yap and Naomi Yamamoto were all appointed to BC Cabinet, creating the largest Asian representation ever, along with  Kash Heed who is South Asian.


Naomi Yamamoto, the first Japanese-Canadian, is sworn into the new BC Cabinet on June 10th 2009, by Hon. Steven Point, the first Aboriginal BC Lt. Governor.


Ida Chong (Oak Bay)
Minister of Healthy Living and Sport.
Chong is the first Canadian born Chinese-Canadian BC MLA.  Previously she had been minister of small business, technology and economic development and minister responsible for the Asia-Pacific Initiative in the last term.  I first met Ida at the BC Community Achievement Awards last April.  In August, Ida and I were two of 16 BCers voted into the BC Royal Museum's "The Party" display for the "Free Spirit" exhibit celebrating the 150th Anniversary of BC.  see: Royal BC Museum invites 6 new people to "The Party"

John Yap (Richmond Steveston)
Minister of State for Climate Action.
Yap was born in Singapore.  He has been active with many community organizations.  Our paths have crossed with his support of the Chinese Canadian veterans of Pacific Unit 280.

Naomi Yamamoto (North Vancouver Lonsdale)
Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations.
The first ever Japanese-Canadian MLA in BC.  Naomi's parents had been interned during WW2.  She beat out Don Bell, the former North Vancouver District Mayor and Member Parliament for the constituency nomination.  Active in the North Shore community, she has been president and manager of the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce for the past 2 years, and has also previously been chair of the BC Chamber of Commerce.  While I've never met Naomi, I have known her sister Donna for many years through her theatre work.

Kash Heed (Vancouver Fraserview)
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Heed is a Simon Fraser University alumnus where he completed his BA and MA at Simon Fraser University part-time.  Formerly with the Vancouver Police Department, he was appointed Chief of the West Vancouver Police Department in 2007.  While with the Vancouver Police, he was also head of the drug squad, led the Indo-Canadian gang task force and launched the COMPSTAT system, using computer technology to track crime.


Missing cabinet after winning 3 straight election is Richard T. Lee (Burnaby North).

I'll try to identify the Scottish-Canadians appointed to cabinet - but it's a harder task because the while Mac's are usually Scottish and Mc's are usually Irish, they are sometimes interchanged.  Many Scottish-Canadians don't necessarily disclose their Scottish ancestry because Scots have long been part of BC's mainstream political culture and history.  First BC Governor James Douglas' father was Scottish, even though Douglas himself was born in Guyana to a mother who was a Free Black.  Current BC Premier Gordon Campbell claims Scottish ancestry, though I have yet to find a picture of him wearing a kilt.

See links:

Canadian Press: List of BC cabinet ministers

Vancouver Sun: New cabinet to secure BC's economic, fiscal, environmental and ...

North Shore Outlook - Rookie MLA Yamamoto earns seat on cabinet

Georgia Straight: Vancouver tops the charts in Premier Gordon Campbell's cabinet

Watch "Tailor Made - the last Chinese tailor shop in Vancouver Chinatown"

'Tailor Made' is being broadcast again in BC on Knowledge Network on the following dates:

• May 26/2009  10:00PM
• May 27/2009   2:00AM
• May 27/2009    7:00PM
  

  http://tvschedule.knowledgenetwork.ca/knsch/KNSeriesPage.jsp?seriesID=101539&seriesTitle=tailormade

"Tailor Made"is a wonderful documentary about the last tailor shop in Vancouver Chinatown.  It opened in 1913.   It made most of the zoot suits in Vancouver during the 1940's.  Sean Connery's picture is there with the tailors Bill and Jack Wong.  It's a Chinatown success story, that mirrors the history of Vancouver Chinatown, as the original tailor had to pay a head tax to come to Vancouver, as his two sons fought for Canada during WW2 when Chinese weren't allowed to vote, as his sons were unabled to get hired as UBC graduated engineers due to still prevailing racist sentiments, and how the youngest son became one of Vancouver's leading philanthropists and cultural leaders.

Bill Wong the tailor loves to attended the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner.  His son Steven paddles on our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  This is a wonderful documentary that received a standing ovation at the Whistler Film Festival.

Bill and Jack's younger brother Milton Wong is one of Vancouver's important figures, and former chancellor of SFU, and known as the "grandfather of dragon boat racing" in Vancouver.  Both Milton and Steven were interviewed for a German public television documentary addressing multiculturalism in Vancouver.  The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team was featured too!
Check out: http://wstreaming.zdf.de/zdf/veryhigh/071219_toronto_vancouver.asx

My own family has known the Wongs for many year, my aunts and uncles went to school with many of the Wong family members.  My uncle Laddie works as a tailor at Modernize Tailors.

In 2004, both the "Wong Way" dragon boat team and the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team participated in a workshop to carve dragon boat heads at the Round House Community Centre.


Check the Modernize Tailors Website:
http://www.modernizetailors.blogspot.com/





Knowledge Network: Tailor Made http://tvschedule.knowledgenetwork.ca/knsch/KNSeriesPage.jsp?seriesID=101539&seriesTitle=tailormade

'Tailor Made' is being broadcast again in BC on Knowledge Network on the following dates:

• May 26/2009  10:00PM
• May 27/2009   2:00AM
• May 27/2009    7:00PM
  

Gung Haggis Fat Choy making it's way into the lexicon of journals about Scottish culture:
Dr. Leith Davis writes about Toddish McWong for Scottish on-line journal - The Bottle Imp



Dr. Leith Davis of SFU Centre of Scottish Studies, writes that "Gung Haggis Fat Choy" bucks the trend of "Scottish Discursive Unconscious." 

She writes: "In his contribution to the recent volume on Transatlantic Scots, Colin McArthur comments on what he calls the "Scottish Discursive Unconscious," a restricted range of "images, tones, rhetorical tropes, and ideological tendencies, often within utterances promulgated decades (sometimes even a century or more) apart"...

"Vancouver, British Columbia, serves as a good test case for McArthur's comments. Like so many Canadian cities, it has been home over the years to a large population of Scottish immigrants....
 
"There are indeed traces of the Scottish Discursive Unconscious at work in Vancouver....

Where traditional Burns suppers of today include very little poetry, apart from snippets of the bard's most famous works, Gung Haggis Fat Choy keeps the spirit of Burns's creativity alive by featuring readings from Asian-Canadian poets and donating money to the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, Ricepaper magazine and the Joy Kogawa House. Kogawa was one of the first Asian-Canadian writers to reach a national popular audience with her 1981 novel Obasan.

Read the entire article at:

http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ScotLit/ASLS/SWE/TBI/TBIIssue5/Diaspora.html

It's been too rainy and cloudy for me to go skiing at Silver Star this weekend.  So I kayaked on Kalamalka Lake and helped walk the doggies up in Kalamalka Lake Park, where the snow still lies.

Yesterday I went to Village Green Mall in Vernon, where people were buying Chocolates and in the food court, an Easter show for families consisted of trying to fit 12 members of the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band into a giant balloon.  (photos to follow).

After a week of Tartan Day/Scottish Week activities... and not having any Chinese food in recent memory... I am beginning to question my Easter heritage.  Even though my great-great-grandfather was a Chinese United Church Minister, I never went to United Church for Easter.  For many years, I was a member of Celebration of Life Centre, and Centre for Spiritual Living - both New Thought Churches.

The only Chinese cultural event that I can think of, is giving Red Eggs at a dinner, one month after a baby is born.  But this isn't necessarily related to Easter, except perhaps as a reminder of sucessful fertility in relation to Spring fertility rituals.

I remember one childhood Easter where we received Easter baskets in Honolulu.  There were always lots of Chocolate bunnies for Easter as a child, but the Honolulu baskets had the little fluffy toy chick decorations... That was cool.  No grass skirts on Easter bunnies back in the 60's though.

The Gung Haggis dragon boat team paddled this morning to Granville Island for Hot Chocolate and Coffee, and found some Easter Eggs.  This is becoming a team tradition.

My Irish-Canadian writer friend Terry Glavin sent me this email message, and a link to his website:

"Toddish McWong"- the creator of "Gung Haggis Fat Choy."  This picture was created while Todd Wong was involved with the local CBC television performance special "Gung Haggis Fat Choy", based on the concepts of his annual Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner.  This picture was reproduced in the Vancouver Sun today uncredited...  even though it was first used by the Vancouver Sun, Dec 21, 2004, in the  Mia Stainsby article "Have a taste of  2004"

What are Canadian values?  and Canadian diversity?

Who makes them: Canadian citizens? Immigrant Canadians?

or Jason Kenney - minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism?

Jason Kenney is the federal minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism.  He presided over the Chinese Canadian Head Tax redress, that resulted in Prime Minister Stephen Harper giving a parliamentary apology for a racist tax but only gave an ex-gratia payments that recognized less than 1% of head tax certificates, because it was limited to only surviving head tax payers and spouses... most have long since died since Margaret Mitchell first brought up the the issue of Head Tax Redress in the Canadian Parliament back in 1984.

Recently, Jason Kenney waded into the discussion about Canadian identity, and immigration language classes, when he talked with editors at the Calgary Herald:

To that end, the government has sensibly ceased funding programs such as heritage language classes. Why should the federal government pay for children to learn the language of the country their parents and grandparents come from? It's the family's responsibility to teach children about their heritage, including the language.

The original story appeared in the Calgary Herald on March 20th.

Kenney right person for immigration minefield
http://www.calgaryherald.com/columnists/Kenney+right+person+immigration+minefield/1409011/story.html

The same story appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on March 30th (with comments)

Kenney stands for Canada
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/personal-tech/Kenney+stands+Canada/1443307/story.html

Today, the same story appeared in the Vancouver Sun on April 1st, with a new title:

Immigration minister is right to stand up for Canadian values.
http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/blogs/Immigration+minister+right+stand+Canadian+values/1451075/story.html

But this time, it appeared with a picture of Todd Wong aka "Toddish McWong" with the caption:


I have to be flattered that my picture has appeared in the news media. 

But while the original story never mentioned "Toddish McWong" or "Gung Haggis Fat Choy," a picture of Wong is used mainly to capture the reader's attention and draw them to the article. 

But I am a bit confused as to what the picture is meant to represent?

Is it because:

1  "Being Canadian means being everything to everyone who comes to our shores?"

2 - "People want to define Canada by how many politically correct contations this country can do to accomodate others?"

3 - "New Canadians have a duty to integrate," says Kenney. "We don't need the state to promote diversity.  It is a natural part of our ciivl society."

The article, by Naomi Lakritz of the Calgary Herald, goes on to share Kenney's views that: "the government has sensibly ceased funding programs such as heritage language classes [other than english or french]." 

"I think it's really neat that a fifth generation Ukrainian Canadian can speak Ukrainian... but pay for it yourself," Kenney says.  Kenney's right... it is neat.  If you can speak your family's mother tongue, your life is just that much more enriched.  But such immersion in heritage shouldn't come at the expense of you identifying yourself as a Canadian first... and it certainly shouldn't come at Canadian taxpayer's expense."

The article also goes on to give an example of how Kenney says that a grant for language training to the Canadian Arab Federation will not be renewed: "The government should support moderate mainstream voices, not people on the fringe." 

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy events that I have created since 1998 have never received any federal grant money. 

I am a fifth generation Chinese Canadian that speaks better French than Chinese. 

I am a descendant of Chinese head tax payers.

I have travelled to Oak Bay in Nova Scotia, walked the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, stood on Point Pelee in Ontario, skiied in Banff Alberta, visited totem poles in Haida Gwaii, and even stood on the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg during windchilled Winter. 

I have been the guest speaker at a Terry Fox Run in Beijing, China.

By creating Gung Haggis Fat Choy events, my aim is to recognize both the pioneer histories of Chinese Canadians and Scottish Canadians, as well as the future of Canadians born with these shared ancestries.

I believe that culture evolves, and is not stagnant.

I believe that all Canadians should read "How to Be a Canadian" by Will Ferguson and his brother Ian Ferguson.

If it is a Canadian value to laugh, make fun of ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously, then maybe this book should also be mandatory reading when all new immigrants apply to become Canadian citizens, along with learning English or French.

And that's what Gung Haggis Fat Choy also encourages us to do... laugh and make fun of ourselves, by flipping stereotypes of Scottish and Chinese tradional customs into juxtapositions of cultural fusion.

It's not everyday, you meet an important Canadian parliamentary leader in a pub on St. Patrick's Day...

- but Jack Layton was in Vancouver for Celticfest and the St. Patrick's Day Parade

We had spent 3 hours in the cold preparing and walking in the parade with the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe & Drums, and Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, carrying a parade dragon, lion head masks and dragon boat paddles.  We were cold, and in need of warm food and carbohydrate replenishment.  Jack Layton, federal NDP leader had been in the parade too.  He often comes in August for Vancouver's Pride Parade. Jack said he was also in Vancouver to attend an event for Don Davies, MP for Vancouver Kensington. 

I've known Don for a few years, when he first introduced himself to me at one of Meena Wong's dim sum luncheons (coincidence: Meena had been an assistant for Jack Layton's wife Olivia Chow in Toronto). Jack's wife is Chinese-Canadian MP, Olivia Chow, and they are also friends of Canadian author Joy Kogawa. Wow... Jack and Olivia are a real inter-cultural couple on a national scale!  Very Gung Haggis!  I had dim sum with Olivia in 2007, at one of Meena Wong's dim sum socials with Chinese head tax activists, see: Dim Sum with Olivia Chow in Vancouver

I asked Jack, if he had Scottish ancestry, which he affirmed. It was on Robbie Burns Day, January 25th 2003, he became federal leader of the NDP (New Democratic Party"). If Robbie Burns was the ploughman's poet, then Jack Layton must be the workers' parliamentarian.

Layton's views of social democracy, probably best represent Robert Burns's similar views - more than the other federal leaders. Burns was such a progressive thinker of the Scottish enlightenment, that many of his views were not published until after his death - they would have been considered "that radical".  Remember that during Burns' time, happening around him was the American Revolution, and the French Revolution, as Modern Democracy emerged.  But 250 years later they fit very much into a social democratic world.   Layton's great-granduncle, William Steeves, was a Father of Confederation. Layton's own grandfather Gilbert Layton was a cabinet minister in the Quebec provincial government, and his father Robert Layton was a Member of Parliament and cabinet minister. 

Just as Jack Layton was preparing to leave the pub, our bagpipers started playing some songs.  Jack took out his cell phone and started videoing them, then recorded a Happy St. Patrick's Day message.  Maybe this will appear on his web page.  I used my camera to record the action. 

Check it this video:

Gung Haggis Fat Choy is always a wonderful event for photographs.  Special thanks to our incredible photographers Patrick Tam, Lydia Nagai and VFK.

If you like their photos, please contact them and purchase them.  We have asked them to put "water marks" on their photos, so that we will advertise and promote them.

They help us with our event, because they believe in the community work and social consiousness raising that we do.

Patrick Tam - Flunging Pictures 
www.flunging pictures.com

661 – 20090125 – Robbie Burns’... - Patrick Tam photo set.

Lydia Nagai - Lydia Nagai Photography
www.lydianagai.com

Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2009 - Linda Nagai photo set.

VFK Photography

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24064901@N00/sets/72157613036584552/

Silk Road Music performing in front of life-size photos of Nellie McClung, Mungo Martin, Emily Carr and Todd Wong - courtesy of Royal BC Museum.- photo VFK

The 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's 250th Robbie Burns Birthday Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner was a big success - worth 2 ceremonial haggis.

I didn't expect to be in the same Georgia Straight Headline as Obama... but maybe because it's because I am a person of colour?

re: Why Canada will never have an Obama, except maybe Todd Wong

http://www.straight.com/article-197382/why-canada-will-never-have-obama-except-maybe-todd-wong

I told the Georgia Straight's Pieta Woolley - that it was author Terry Glavin who first told me about bi-racial Gov. James Douglas's vision for a British Columbia that could welcome people from every corner of the world... that it was Douglas who invited Black Americans from San Francisco when he heard that were being discriminated against...

BC's history is not the two solitudes of English and French - but it is the 3 pioneer cultures of First Nations, Scottish, and Chinese.  But we have had to go through the Potlatch Law, the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, the Komagata Maru, the Internment of Japanese Canadians - before we could understand ourselves and our future.

It has taken 150 years for us to finally understand the multicultural/ intercultural vision that Douglas wanted for BC, instead of BC as a "White Man's Province" in the years that followed Douglas.

The Obama presidency in the United States is historic.  He has a vision to bring people together, to move beyond racial divides, perceived stereotypes and the cultures of blame and "otherness."

My own life views have been shaped by growing up as a multi-generational racial minority in Canada.  I have learned about the discrimination and hatred faced and overcome by my ancestors, since the time my maternal great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan arrived in 1896, as a Methodist lay preacher for the Chinese Methodist Church of Canada.  Similarly, my paternal grandfather also faced many challenges arriving in Canada in 1882 at the young age of 16.

But I have also learned about the importance of communities working together.  My life path has involved me with many community organizations such as Canadian University Press, Hope Cancer Health Centre, Terry Fox Run Organization, Canadian Mental Health Association, Chinese Cultural Centre, Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens, Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, and many many more.

In the past few years, I have learned much about Robert Burns' views on social justice, equality, political change, speaking up for others, love of life.  These are as important today as there were 250 years ago in Burns' time, or 150 years ago in Douglas' time.  Maybe it's actually more important today, because we have the choice to embrace our responsibilities or to take them for granted.  We have the choice today, to choose to be selfish or community minded.  We have the choice today -  not tomorrow - not yesterday, but the choice is today -  to make a difference or not.

Why Canada will never have an Obama, except maybe Todd Wong

I am always amazed by the talents, dedication and accomplishments of the people that I know and see in our communities.   While 2008 was a year for me blessed with personal recognition from the Province of BC, and the Royal BC Museum, I am inspired by the people that I know.


2008 BC Community Achievement Award recipients: 45 of BC's most dedicated citizens stand with Premier Gordon Campbell and Lt. Gov. Stephen Point, and BC Achievement Foundation Chair Keith Mitchell, following the ceremonies. I can be spotted wearing my cream jacket directly behind Premier Campbell.  I am standing between my Vancouver arts community friends Naomi Singer on my left, and Savannah Walling on my right,Terry Hunter is immediately behind Savannah.  Also on my left is fellow kilt wearer Gordon Barrett in his Irish Pipes and Drums uniform - too bad you can't see our kilts.  http://www.bcachievement.com/community/2008/


2008 raised the first real possibility of Vancouver's first Chinese-Canadian mayor with Raymond Louie running for the mayoral nomination of the Vision Vancouver party.  Former SFU wrestler Carol Huynh won Canada's first gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.  Octogenarian Bill Wong, was the subject of a CBC documentary film "Tailor Made."

In August, I attended the 150 Years in Golden Mountain Gala in Victoria, where my grand-uncles Daniel Lee and Victor Wong received the awards on behalf of Chinese Canadian veterans.  I also stood with them as descendants of Rev. Chan Yu Tan (my great-great-grandfather and their grandfather) who received a community achievement award for this work as a pioneer missionary for Chinese communities in BC.

Last year I wrote: Chinese-Canadians that inspired me in 2007

Here is a list of the Chinese-Canadians that I found inspiring in 2008:

The Royal BC Museum created an exhibit to celebrate 150 years of BC History and BC people, called "Free Spirit".  They also created a life-size photo collage display called "The Party"to which they invited 150 of BC's most interesting people.  The first 132 people were selected by the museum, then in August six invitees were "voted in" including myself.  More people were voted in for November.

Check out "The Party" display at the Royal BC Museum
http://www.freespiritbc.ca/virtualexhibition/theparty.aspx

Cindy Lee (T&T)
Hon. David Lam
James Cheng (architect)
Peter Joe  (Sunrise Tofu)
Tong Louie
Todd Wong
Ida Chong MLA
Carol Huyhn Olympic Gold Medalist

Adrienne Wong is an actor.  In 2008 she starred in the one woman play "My Name is Rachel Corrie" for Neworld Theatre.  It opened in Montreal than played in Vancouver to packed houses for an extended run.  
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/1/18/3473659.html

Rhonda Larrabee is my mother's cousin. Rhonda single-handedly re-established the Qayqayt "New Westminster" First Nations Band.  Unfortunately she wasn't included in the CBC documentatry Generations: The Chan Legacy, because the executive producer thought that Rhonda's story really deserved her own documentary.  Surprise!  CTV made a documentary on Rhonda titled "One Women Tribe"
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/3/14/3580742.html

Bill Wong Modernize Tailors - Bill is the octogenarian former UBC Engineering grad who couldn't get hired in post-war Canada because of racism, so he put his energies into his father's tailor shop.  Tailor Made is the CBC documentary about Chinatown's Modernize Tailors featuring brothers Bill and Jack Wong and their family story.
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/9/3514584.html

Tailor Made: CBC TV documentary highlights Modernize Tailors' 80 year history in Vancouver Chinatown
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/12/3520713.html

Grace Chin is a writer/actor.  She wrote and performed in "The Quickie" is very Vancouver play about diversity and expectations in relationships.  Last year was her first written theatre play with partner Charlie Cho.  "The Quickie" is written solo by Grace.  Wow... now if only I could get my own writing projects off the back burner!
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/10/3515872.html

Brandy Lien-Worrall - In 2007 Brandy led 2 writing workshops which produced the book Eating Stories: Chinese and Aboriginal pot luck.  She also bravely battled breast cancer. 
Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC honours Brandy Lien-Worrall
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/3/10/3573332.html

Wayson Choy wrote a new autobiography titled Not Yet: A Memoir of Living and Almost Dying. In 2002, I met Wayson when his novel Jade Peony was the inaugural choice for the One Book One Vancouver program.  I was on the committee, where I learned that Wayson had almost died earlier that year.  We were so fortunate that Wayson's health recovered, and that he has written two more splendid books sinced.  The Governor General Award nominated "All That Matters" and now his memoir "Not Yet."
Wayson Choy gives "spirited" reading for Vancouver Cultural Olympiad
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/3/12/3577512.html

Chinese-Canadians are top Canadians figure skaters! Patrick Chan and Mira Leung
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/3/24/3599475.html
Patrick Chan, the 17 year old teenager who is Canada's current reigning Men's National winner  finished ninth in his World Championships debut.  Chan only last year had won silver at the World Junior Championships, and last November won gold at the Grand Prix in Paris.  Mira Leung finished 14th.
 
Wallace Chung donated his personal collection to UBC.  He is a philanthropist, and recipient of Order of Canada and Order of BC... and he loves Chinese Canadian history.  Check out this Vancouver Sun story about the Wallace Chung Collection at UBC.  $5 million, 25,000 items and UBC = a collection with special meaning http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/5/10/3683632.html

Raymond Louie – ran for the Vision Vancouver's mayor nomination in the spring  – and in the fall he was nominated for a NAAAP award.  I endorsed Raymond for his nomination: Todd Wong supports Raymond Louie's campaign to be Vancouver Mayor. Raymond came second to Gregor Robertson for the mayor nomination, and on November 15th, he was re-elected to Vancouver City Council with the highest number of votes for councilors.


Dr. Kerry Jang ran for City Councilor.  He is a hard-working community builder, who is also on a national committee for Mental Health, and a professor of Psychiatry at the UBC School of Medicine. It was easy to give my endorsement for Kerry.  In 2006 he was named academic of the year.  In 2007, he was named to the BC Community Achievement Award.  In 2008, he was elected a rookie Vancouver city councilor.

Joyce Lam's Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre put on the Neil Simon play "The Odd Couple" with an all Asian + 1 cast.  And she continues producing the annual Asian Comedy Night and  Etch-YOUR-SketchOFF
Odd Couple - Friendship with an Asian style twist on the Neil Simon play
check out www.vact.ca

Victoria celebrates 150 years of Chinese Canadian History with a grand dinner and awards.
It was a grand party at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, organized by the Victoria Chinatown Commerce Association.  My great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan was awarded a Community Achievement Award. and my grand-uncles Daniel Lee and Victor Wong represented the Chinese-Canadian veterans for their special award.
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/8/11/3833528.html

In Memoriam:

Ed Wickberg
Ed Wickberg is known in our community circles as an honourary Chinese Canadian.  He was a professor emeritus for the UBC History department.  He contributed so much to the understanding of Chinese Canadian history and was the founding president for the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC.
http://www.uglychinesecanadian.com/?p=403

Betty Ho
I met Betty during the writing workshops for the Chinese Canadian Historical Society.  Our contributions were published together in the anthology Eating Stories.  She always brought smiles and great positive energy wherever she sent. 
Betty Ho goes to that big kitchen in the sky.

HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY B.C.    
Douglas Day 2008 at Ft. Langley

This is the birthday cake given out at the Ft. Langley Community Library.  I sneaked a peek, while everybody else was having the cupcakes following the opening of Spirit Square. - photo Todd Wong

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BC 150 at Ft. Langley

My friend Tarun Nayar - one of the geniuses behind Delhi 2 Dublin sends me this message about 100 years of South Asian-Canadian BC history:

and hope to see you soon,