"CHINESE VANCOUVER THEN AND NOW: 1972-2010"

Tuesday, March 9, 2010
7-9 pm
Alice MacKay Room, Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch
OPERA SPEAKS @ VPL -


Admission is free.

An eminent panel explores the history of Chinese in Vancouver, with
emphasis on the Chinese communities' emergence and development since
1972, the year of Nixon's momentous trip to China. Discover how our
city has been shaped and transformed by Chinese culture over the past
38 years. This will be a fascinating evening. Speakers include eminent
architect Bing Thom, UBC historian Henry Yu, and filmmaker and writer Colleen Leung.

Presented in partnership with the Vancouver Public Library.
Opera Speaks @ VPL is sponsored by Omni BC Diversity Television. http://www.vancouveropera.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=255&Itemid=15

It looks like a Tiger of a year... with the Olympics in town, and lions running everywhere at Vancouver's Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade

Lions were everywhere in Vancouver Chinatown, celebrating the Year of the Tiger.

All the celebrities, politicians and VIP's walk at the beginning of the parade. 

Next come the Chinese Canadian veterans of Pacific Unit 280 (minus my uncle Dan, who passed away less than a month ago).  But the veterans all wore red Olympic mittens!

Here's a Chinese parade dragon.  How to tell a dragon from a lion?  You wear the lion costume over your body, while the dragon is always held up on poles!

The Kitchen God always marches in the parade.  The trick is to put honey on the Kitchen God's lips before he makes his report to heaven about your kitchen, so he can only say sweet things with honey on his lips.

Here I am with my friend Georgia, who paddles with us on the Gung Haggis dragon boat team.

The Carnival band all tried to dress up as Tigers....

City Councilor Kerry Jang hands out lucky red envelopes called "li-see" for good luck!

Here I am dressed in my kilt and red Chinese dragon vest.  I met this fellow in his black utility kilt outside the skytrain stop at The Bay.  Kilters greet each other, and I invited him to join us for the next kilts night.  Since it was Chinese New Year we took a picture of him waring my Chinese jacket.  Very cool.

Todd will be on Canada AM on CTV, Sunday morning

- must be there at 5am so Toronto people can see a brief interview between 8 and 9am.. I will do the interview at Robson Square, which is part of the the BC Canada Pavillion.

Then will do an interview and filming at Chinese New Year parade with ZDF tv from Germany.  We will meet at 8:30am, as the parade starts at 9:30am in Vancouver Chinatown.

Now....Must get ready to attend the Women's hockey Canada vs Slovakia today at 5pm

Gung Haggis dragon boat team paddles False Creek and takes in pre-Olympic sight-seeing.


We have a dragon boat team of keeners.... who wanted to paddle in February.  It was our first paddling practice since early November, when we had a few practices after paddling in the Ft. Langley Cranberry Festival Canoe Regatta.  Fifteen people jumped into the dragon boat for 11am practice on Sunday Feb 7th,

And... I think... I really needed to paddle to get myself warmed up for paddling in the dragon boat flotilla that will accompany the Olympic Torch Relay on Feb 12th, for when Gold medalist Olympian Hugh Fisher will pass off the Olympic Torch from a dragon boat to Olympian Kamini Jain in a voyageur canoe.

I only paddled for half the practice. if that... I also coached some of the paddlers a bit for some 1-on-1 coaching  for only half the time.   I steered for the remaining half, after switching with Stephen Wong, who started off steering for the team.

The team met at the parking lot for False Creek Yacht Club for 11am, then had a quick warm-up, then headed to the boat for 11:15am, headed over to Alder Bay to pick up Debbie, then back to FC Yacht Club to pick up a paddler named Tony who arrived late after his morning meeting.  Next we paddled towards and past the Burrard St. Bridge to show paddlers where the lights are for the from the nightly spectacular light show.

I pointed out where the boat launch for the Burrard Marina is, where dragon boat paddlers for the flotilla that will accompany the Olympic Torch Relay will organize.

Next we paddled Eastward to Granville Island to identify the Ferry dock at West Side of Granville Island, where the torch will be handed to torchbearer Olympian Hugh Fisher.  We looked over at the bright yellow building, formerly known as Bridges Restaurant, that is now being transformed into the Swiss Pavillion.  At the North end of the Granville St. Bridge is a floating hotel lodge that has been towed down from Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) that is normally lodged at Langara Island.

We took a little stretch, then switched sides.  I took a turn at steering, and let veteran paddlers Stephen Wong take his turn for paddling.  Just East of Granville Island is the Spruce Harbour Marina, where nearby, is the area where Hugh will pass the torch to Kamini Jain in the middle of False Creek.    Hugh will be in the dragon boat, and pass the torch to Kamini in the voyageur canoe.  There are great viewing areas from both the North and South sides of False Creek, so it is perfect for cameras and television crews to set up for a unique photo opportunity.

We spotted the big black pontoon floats that are being used for security to block off the boat traffic in the East Bay, that are positioned along Cambie St. Bridge.  We paddled along beside it and waved to the officers in the Police Boat, guarding the perimeter, that includes the Olympic Village.

Next we paddled near the Yaletown ferry dock, where Kamini will hand the torch to a runner, after she climbs out of the voyageur canoe.   The torch will then proceed up the streets towards Georgia Street, where it will arrive at the First Nations Aboriginal Pavillion where there will be a blessing ceremony.  This will be one of the final stops of the Olympic Torch before it travels to the Opening Ceremonies about 2 blocks down the street to BC Place Stadium, later in the evening.

It was a good paddle, and our paddlers were happy and pleased that I would be a part of the dragon boat flotilla accompanying the Olympic Torch Relay.  But most of all, the paddlers were all happy to be paddling again, and in friendly company.  Many times I heard somebody say, "I'm just here for the social aspects" as we paddled back to FC Yacht Club.... by about 12:30pm.

The next plan was to have lunch.  I promised that I would treat everybody to dim sum lunch, if they came paddling.

We were at Floata Restaurant for dim sum, at 1pm, at least my car was.  Other people got re-routed by traffic diversions.  By the time they arrived, there were lots of dim sum selections on the table.  Haw-gow shrimp dumplings, Siu-mai pork dumplings, Lo-bak-goh pan-fried turnip cake.  We also tried a special appetizer plate that included jelly fish,  crispy pork skin and bbq pork.  There was also shanghai style dumpling with shrimp meat and green vegetable, steamed pork bun, sliced-almond covered shrimp balls, fish cakes, and more!  I also ordered house special chow mein with crispy noodles, and Geurng-chow-ngor-hah flat rice noodles with sliced beef.

This was Katie's first time having dim sum in Vancouver.  She's originally from Ontario, and only been in Vancouver almost a year.... and somehow never found her way to dim sum yet.

Georgia pronounced that the meal was "heaven"

GREAT LUNCH!!!  and we finished off with Chinese egg tarts for dessert.

Ron Samworth, Lan Tung and Nealamjit Dhillon make up the cultural fusion trio of Birds of Paradox . Lan Tung is a fantastic virtuoso erhu player who has recently toured across Europe and was just in Halifax with Symphony Nova Scotia for a January 7th concert of new music. + PICTURES + MORE   more »

Daniel Lee 1920 - January 26, 2010 

With sorrow... we share the news that Grand-Uncle Daniel Lee passed away this morning of January 26th, 2010.  He had been in the Burnaby Hospital since Wednesday.  His daughter Grace,  she said it was quite sudden - his going into the hospital.  I had been receiving reports from my mother Betty, as her mother Mabel (Dan's oldest sister at 99 years old) was visiting the hospital each day.

Uncle Dan was born the 11th child of 14, the 5th son of seven to jeweler Ernest Lee, and Kate Chan Lee - the 2nd child, and 1st daughter of Rev. Chan Yu Tan.  As a young child he spent some time living in Nanaimo with his grandparents Rev. and Mrs. Chan Yu Tan, after the early death of his father.

When Dan was 20 years old he tried to enlist in the Canadian Army, but was turned away because at that time they did not allow any Chinese Canadians.  Instead, he went to aircraft mechanics school in Toronto and graduated two years later.  By 1942, Chinese were allowed into the Army due to pressure from Great Britain.  Dan Lee was one of the the first Chinese-Canadians accepted into the Canadian Air Force.  Soon, he was joined in England, by his brothers Howard and Leonard, plus cousin Victor Wong, who were enroute to the Pacific Theatre to serve with the Army special forces.

In the years after WW2, Dan Lee and his fellow Canadian born veterans would continue to face racial discrimination and prejudice.  The were not allowed to join any of the existing Canadian Legions for veteran soldiers.  They turned to the oldest veteran organization, the Army, Navy, Air Force Vets of Canada and were accepted to form their own unit - Pacific Unit 280.  After WW2, he and his fellow veterans and good friend Roy Mah, petitioned the Canadian Government to gain voting rights for Chinese Canadians, and also to repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act.  This was accomplished in 1947.

 

But the challenges weren't over yet.  Every year Uncle Dan would write a letter to Ottawa asking for an apology for the Chinese head tax and exclusion act.  The Chinese head tax redress movement took on a larger significance after MP Margaret Mitchell brought the issue up in Parliament in 1984, and also when Prime Minister Mulroney apologized to Japanese Canadians in 1988 for the the government's interning of them during WW2.

In the 1980's, Dan Lee would continue to work head tax apology issue.  With Douglas Jung, a former veteran, lawyer, Member of Parliament, and the Chinese Benevolent Association, they proposed that a national organization be formed to deal with the Head Tax issue.  Dan Lee became one of the founders of the National Congress of Chinese Canadians(NCCC) and a national conference was held.  After many years, an apology was finally made in Canadian Parliament by Prime Minister Harper in 2006.

In 1998, the Chinese Canadian Military Museum was founded.  Dan Lee's air force uniform was one of the first displays.

In 1999, we held the first Rev. Chan Legacy Family Reunion.  Uncle Dan was a consultant for the committee.  At the reunion, it was Dan Lee who gave the Elder Address, as he talked about his grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan. 

In 2002, the Rev. Chan Yu Tan family was featured in the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum exhibit "Three Canadian Chinese Pioneer Families"  - pictures of Uncle Dan and the contributions of himself and his brothers and cousin were included.  

In 2007, Dan Lee is one of the lead stories in the film documentary Heroes Remember, produced by the Chinese Canadian Military Museum.

Dan Lee's dedication to community service is exemplary.  In 2004, Dan Lee received the Award of  Merit from Dominion Command.  It is one of the highest honours a veteran can receive.  Uncle Dan told me that to receive an Award of Merit, you must first receive the Medal for Appreciation, which he received in 1987.  In 1999 he next received the Award for Service.

And through all these years, Uncle Dan would sell poppies in downtown Vancouver for Remembrance Day, and help organize the Poppy Drive every November.  He was one of the best sellers.  He was also one of the organizers of the Victory Square Cenotaph Remembrance Day ceremonies.  In 2004, Remembrance Day ceremonies began at the Canadian Chinese Pioneer Monument in Chinatown.  The veterans of Unit 280 would attend both Victory Square and Chinatown ceremonies, even if it was raining and cold.

The contributions that Dan Lee made, will last and be remembered, while he will be missed.

We offer support and love to Uncle Dan, his wife Irene, and their children Vincent and Grace.

Peace & Blessings to all, Todd Wong - Vancouver

As part of his commitment to community, Dan annually organized the poppy campaign in Vancouver. It's not surprising he was a top-seller. For his community efforts Dan has received many veteran honours, such as the Award of Appreciation, and Award for Service - but none higher than the Award of Merit from Dominion Command in 2004. It's a fitting tribute to the grandson who evidently learned his values and strong faith in community from his Methodist Church pioneer, Grandfather Chan Yu Tan.

See VIDEO of Daniel Lee from the Chinese Canadian Military Museum

Every year I do media interviews. On Robbie Burns Day, I was woken up at 7am by a request from BBC Radio Scotland. Yesterday, I did an interview for French CBC television. Monday was Epoch Times. Last week the Georgia Straight did a food feature article. Somewhere in Scotland there is an interview in the Sunday Post. Even SFU, Seattle and North Shore News have stories about Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner this year. Check out the links:   more »

There are some changes for the dinner menu for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner. We try to vary the dinner items from year to year, add some new surprises, take out items we are bored with. This is a draft menu - subject to change. See if you can spot the new additions - not repeated from last year. 1. Floata Appetizer Platter a. Haggis Pork dumpling (Shiu Mai) b. turnip cake (Lo-bak-goh) c. Honey BBQ Pork d. Jelly Fish 2. Deep fried haggis won ton + PICTURES + MORE   more »

I usually help organize a team social for attending the Winter Solstice events at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens - but this year I must attend AGM and Christmas Party at Joy Kogawa House. Check out my past stories about attending Winter Solstice events here: http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog?cmd=search&keywords=winter+solstice Check out the official Winter Solstice events here: http://www.secretlantern.org/ My friend Devon Cooke is performing "Fire tossing" at the Round House Community Centre. Devon loves being involved in many cultural activities and also paddles on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.   more »

Uncle Daniel Lee is colour guard for Pacific Unit 280 at the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Chinese Canadian Pioneer Monument in Vancouver Chinatown   more »

Last year, Lt. Gov. Steven Point attended the Chinatown ceremonies following the Victory Square ceremonies. http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/11/12/3973947.html This article has a picture of last year's event + lists 2009 events in Vancouver.   more »

The final 3 Enchanted Evenings concerts at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens all feature musicians that have performed at past Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinners.

Last week celtic ensemble Blackthorn performed August 21.  This Friday Aug. 28, Erhu specialist Ji-Rong Huang artistic director of Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble takes stage.  On Sept 4, Silk Road Music performs as a quartet, led by Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault.

Qiu Xia and Andre have performed many times at Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinners since 2004.  Silk Road Music Ensemble was featured in the 2004 CBC television performance special "Gung Haggis Fat Choy".

Blackthorn and Ji-Rong both came to the 2008 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.  Blackthorn has an incredible repertoire of Celtic songs that they kept pulling out of their hats.  Ji-Rong and I performed 2 songs on accordion and erhu - Galloping Horse and Hungarian Dance No. 5 - which he also plays solo.

Summer Concert Series

Tickets $18 for non-members,

$15 for Garden Society Members

 

VANCOUVER CHINESE MUSIC ENSEMBLE- August 28

A rich showcase of traditional Chinese instruments

 

 

SILK ROAD- September 4

World Music with a Chinese flair

 

 

Tickets and info, contact 604.662.3207 ext. 208 or

email assistant@vancouverchinesegarden.com

reservations are recommended

Enchanted Evening Concert Series

Friday, Aug 21 Doors: 7pm, Show: 7:30pm Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens, 578 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC Ticket Prices: $18.00 (non Garden members) and $15.00 for members. Call 604-662-3207 ext 208 for tickets or email assistant@vancouverchinesegarden.com We recommend pre-purchasing your tickets as these popular concerts are often sell-outs! Also available at the door.

Musical Expressions Summer Concert Series

Saturday, Aug 22 6:30pm,  Britannia Heritage Shipyard, 5180 Westwater, Steveston BC Musical Expressions presents this 2009 Concert Season at Britannia features the artistry of prominent local groups in a magnificent setting. Imagine a Fraser River sunset as a backdrop to a concert! Tickets: $20 including appetizers, on sale at the venue, or by calling 604-718-8050.

Here is the Obituary:


See my article
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2009/7/12/4253641.html

Friends, Todd Wong and Jim Wong Chu, standing outside Foo's Ho Ho Restaurant after eating there for the last time.

Foo's Ho Ho Restaurant to close in Vancouver Chinatown: It's the end of an era for Cantonese restaurants

(please note that due to popular demand - Foo's Ho Ho did re-open.  Open Wednesday to Sunday, Closed Monday and Tuesday - 102 East Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6A 1T3 - (604) 609-2889 - editor Todd Wong January 2010)

On Friday, I received notice that Foo's Ho Ho restaurant was going to close on Saturday July 11th.

On July 9th Friday, several friends sent out emails to me about Foo's Ho Ho Restaurant, including Wesley Lowe, Larry Wong, Bob Sung and Jim Wong Chu.  Larry wrote:

"Sam, the cook and proprietor of Foo’s Ho Ho has liver cancer and is currently in VGH pallative care. At most he has 2 months left to live.  His partner, Joanne has been keeping the landmark restaurant open and continuing cooking the delicious dishes you’ve enjoyed and remembered throughout the years.

Going back and forth between the hospital and the restaurant has taken a toil on her and she has reluctantly decided to close Foo’s Ho Ho indefinitely after this coming Saturday. The famous neon sign will dim one last time. So it’s last call for those who wish to have one more lunch or dinner for old times sake and it’s also a way to support Joanne and Sam financially.  An opportunity to re-live a part of old-time Chinatown, round up some friends and book your table. 604.609.2889"

The first Chinese pioneers to Canada were Cantonese speakers, and they brought Cantonese styled Chinese food with them.  As the pioneers spread across North America, so did Chinese restaurants.

During the 1960's and 1970's, my father would often stop at the Ho Ho Restaurant in Vancouver Chinatown and bring back chow mein or deep-fried won ton, as a late night snack.

I can remember many friday nights, when we would meet our family friends at the Ho Ho restaurant, then either go swimming at Father & Son nights at the YMCA, or shopping at Army & Navy and Woodwards along Hastings St.

During the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's, Chinatown's neon was the place to be, and the place to eat!

Larry also is a local Chinatown historian and he wrote: "Foo’s Ho Ho is the last of the “village-style” Cantonese restaurants from the late 1940s. establishments in Vancouver’s Chinatown that does the original home-style cooking. Many of the older generation remembers it well. Sam who first gain his cooking chops at the WK Restaurant and later at the Famous Marco Polo and others before he resurrected the Ho Ho which had been left vacant for a number of years and renamed it Foo’s Ho Ho."

In recent years, I have attended many dinners at Foo's Ho Ho with the Chinese Canadian Miltary Museum, Pacific Unit 280, and also with Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC, as well as with our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team after Tuesday night practices.

My friend David Wong wrote on his blog:

At one time, the Ho Ho graced one of the city’s most familiar neon landmarks - a stylized bowl of rice with steam rising up 3 1/2 stories.  Within this neon rise, alternated the Chinese characters for “Ho Ho”…and her English words – both in flashing neon glory.

The restaurant once hosted many of Chinatown establishment’s major events – weddings, Clan society dinners, cultural and festival dinners, etc. The enterprise occupied the lower two floors of an old 8 storey brick building that contained a once thriving rooming house / hotel, the “Sun Ah”.

At one time, another old favourite restaurant existed a block away. Foo’s restaurant. When old Foo’s restaurant closed shop, the Ho Ho became “Foo’s Ho Ho”

From serving tourists to locals, there are regular groups of customers who return to enjoy the authentic ciusine that faithfully maintained Chinatown’s history. Each year, the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia hosts its Annual General Meeting dinner at Foo’s Ho Ho in honour of the tradition and history that it represents.

What did we eat for our "Last Night at Foo's Ho Ho"?

Sticky Rice w/chicken - one of my Favorites!

Ox Tail with Black Bean sauce

Curried potato with beef slices - Another Favorite!

Egg Foo Yung - Sam's signature dish.

Who was eating at Foo's Ho Ho on the last night?

Peter Wong, Kwoi Gee, Annie, and Opal.  Peter is the brother of Steven Wong, one of our paddlers on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  Steven tells us that their family often goes to Foo's Ho Ho restaurant.  Their father Bill Wong runs Modernize Tailors, another landmark institution in Vancouver Chinatown.

Our table with (standing) Jim Wong Chu, Marlene, Bev and Ken (visiting from the next table), sitting: Todd, Deb, Dan, Sandy, Al and Stuart Mackinnon. Deb, Dan, Stuart and myself have shared many dinners at Foo's Ho Ho, following dragon boat practices.  Jim and Bev are Chinatown institutions themselves, having grown up in the area, then working hard as board members to develop Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society into a major Vancouver festival.

My mom's cousin Gary Lee, a friend, Tina, Gary's wife Josie, Bev and Ken.  Gary filmed his interview for the CBC documentary Generations: The Chan Legacy, upstairs at the Foo's Ho Ho Restaurant.  Gary's a real Chinatown veteran.  His father Gordie Lee helpd develop Lee's Taxi - Vancouver's first Chinese-Canadian owned taxi service.  Gary also used to sing in local night clubs - he was called "the Chinese Sinatra."

Ron, George, Sid, Fanna, Elwin and Mary, were all active compatriots during the Chinese Head Tax Redress campaign of 05-06.  We are all pioneer Chinese head tax descendents.  Sid has carried the torch for many years, and promises to keep carrying it until all the head tax certificates are recognized - not just the less than 1% of surviving head tax payers and spouses.

Bob Lee and Family had the largest gathering at Foo's Ho Ho Restaurant.  Bob was the first Chinese-Canadian chancellor of UBC, and his daughter Carole recently organized the Chinatown and Beyond conference.

At the end of the meal, Todd and Jim went to say thank you to the chef, Joanne.  By the end of the evening, there was a rumour going around that Joanne was so touched by the turnout for "Last Night at Foo's Ho Ho" that she might keep the restaurant going... or re-open in a month...

In any case, we wish the best for Sam and Joanne.  They've earned a place in Vancouver's culinary and cultural history.


Behind the cashier desk at Foo's Ho Ho, is this picture taken last November following the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Canadian Chinese Pioneer Monument in Keefer Square.  The Hon. Lt. Gov. Steven Point spontaneously decided to attend the ceremonies and gave a very heartfelt speech.  The veterans of Pacific Unit 280 always go to Foo's Ho Ho for lunch afterwards.  After the lunch, Lt. Gov. Steven Point asked to meet the cook, and honoured Joanne with a "Thank You Song" which he and his wife Gwen sang in their First Nations Sto:lo language.  Itw as a wonderful and proud moment for all who attended.

It's the last practice before the race: Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team
Gung Haggis team line up at the Dragon Zone regatta on June 6th - photo Todd Wong

The Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival is the largest in North America. Dragon boat racing began in Vancouver BC, when the Hong Kong pavillion at Expo 86 donated 4 teak boats to the City of Vancouver.  I started attending the festivals for the great entertainment and shows.  It wasn't until 1993 that I first joined a team and started paddling.

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team has been racing at Alcan Dragon Boat Festival since 2002.  Prior to that I coached and paddled on many different teams at the novice, recreation and competitive levels.  The Gung Haggis team emphasizes fun, fitness and multiculturalism.  That's why we wear our kilts while paddling a Chinese dragon boat tradition.

We have been asked to participate in two film documentaries.  One is a feature film titled "In the Same Boat", directed by Alfonso Chin and produced by Jacqueline Liu for Rosetta Entertainment.  Alfonso used to paddle for the CC Riders team, and our paddler/drummer Keng Graal used to be one of his teachers.

Katie, rookie Gung Haggis paddler is interviewed for "In the Same Boat" dragon boat documentary film - photo T.Wong

The second film is a multi-part series called "Chinatown Canada" produced by Kerri Beattie of Image Pacific.  They will be interviewing me about Vancouver Chinatown, and filming our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team in action, as one of the cultural off shoots of Chinatown.

We are having our final pre-race practice tonight  5:45 to 7:30pm at Dragon Zone (50 paces south of Science World - at the Green Trailer Building).

We will be working out our final race strategies, and finalizing seating arrangements.  Some of the paddlers have been away, but have returned just in time.  We have four brand new paddlers who raced their first races ever in May and June.  We have two more brand new paddlers who have yet to experience a full race with 7 or more boats. 

Our core veterans have been with the team for 4 years or more.  We have added some paddlers who have experience with other teams.  This could be the best Gung Haggis team ever.  But our roles at drummer and steers are not settled yet, and we might be rotating people.

Tonight after a debriefing... we are having a team social at "The Clubhouse Restaurant" on West 2nd - across from City TV, and on the same block as Bazzaar Novelty.

There is a dvd machine in the upstairs party room.
I will be showing documentary footage of the team from
France 3 "Thalassa" 2005
CBC Generations: The Chan Legacy 2006
ZDF "From Toronto to Vancouver by Train" 2007
but not from the 2008 Global News "Best of BC"

Eastside Stories is an offshoot of the Heart of the City Festival,
3 community leaders will speak at Carnegie Centre June 21st at 3pm. 
Shirley Chan, Hayne Wai and Larry Wong

Event 3. Standing up for Community with Shirley Chan, Hayne Wai and Larry Wong, Sun June 21, 3pm Carnegie 3rd floor (see below and http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com/news/eastside-stories/

Shirley, Hayne and Larry are contributors to the book EATING STORIES: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck

All three helped to fight against the freeway proposal that would have knocked a swath through Chinatown in the 1960's.

Shirley and her mother helped lead the protests against freeway development in Vancouver Chintown in the 1960's, and were the topic of the documentary film Mary Lee Chan takes on City Hall. Mother Tongue | chinese community

http://www.mothertongue.ca/community.php?id=1093574665

Hayne has been involved with many anti-racism programs, and has served on the boards of Chinese Cultural Centre and Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens, and Saltwater City Vancouver Centennial Exhibition.  He founding member of Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC.  Hayne is also my cousin, role model, and one of my inspirations in creating Gung Haggis Fat Choy

Larry Wong is curator of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum, at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and Archives.  He is also childhood friend of Wayson Choy, and founding member of Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC.