"Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors" wins prestigious Golden Reel Award for Best Short Film at the 2008 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

My friend JJ Lee sent me this message.  JJ was one of the real life characters in the documentary "Tailor Made."  He is "the apprentice."  The main character is tailor Bill Wong, who is the father of my friend Steven Wong.  Steven paddles on our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  Our families have known each other for generations.



VANCOUVER, BC: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Realize Entertainment is thrilled to announce that their documentary "Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors" has won the prestigious  Golden Reel Award for Best Short Film at the 2008 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.   The award, presented during the Festival's Closing Night program in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, is presented to artists whose work exemplifies  artistic excellence and the potential for future creative activity.
 
Directed by Calgary director Leonard Lee and Vancouver filmmaker Marsha Newbery, "Tailor Made" follows 80-something brothers Bill & Jack Wong for one year as they face the reality that they're getting too old to run the little tailor shop their father opened in 1913…and letting go isn't easy. With tailoring being a dying trade, finding someone to take over the family business has proved impossible, but Bill refuses to give up. From taking on a fashion journalist as an apprentice, to selling the shop to a young hot-shot corporate tailor, Bill becomes especially determined and pulls out all the stops.
 
"Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors" was commissioned for the CBC Newsworld strand, The Lens, and premiered to a sold out audience at the 2007 Whistler Film Festival.  It is also screening as a part of CBC Vancouver's celebration of Asian Heritage Month on May 24th.  Please visit www.cbc.ca/asianheritage for details and to book a seat.   Screenings are also being held by the Vancouver Parks board all through May, please visit www.vancouver.ca/parks for details.

TAILOR MADE is presented by Realize Entertainment and produced in association with CBC Newsworld.  TAILOR MADE was produced in association with  Knowledge Network,  and with the participation of The Canadian Television Fund: License Fee Program and Equity Investment Program, The Rogers Documentary Fund, Canadian Film & Television Tax Credit, British Columbia Film Incentive and developed with the participation of CBC British Columbia, Telefilm, and British Columbia Film.

Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity was in BC, and came to a ceremony at the Shiang Garden Restaurant in Richmond, BC.

Jason Kenney affirmed the announcement below.  In addition, he named Wesley Lowe, to head the advisory panel which will oversee the evaluation of projects and disbursement of funds.  

While this announcement does not give recognition to the 99.3% of head tax certificates where the head tax payers or spouses are pre-deceased.  It allows the community to move forward to create projects that are commemorative and educational, to help all Canadians understand the terrible systemic racism that Canada perpetuated against a single ethnic cultural group that spanned over 62 years, by means of the Chinese head tax (1885-1923), and the Exclusion Act (1923-1947).

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The Government of Canada Promotes Historical Recognition for Chinese-Canadian Community's Immigration Experiences

TORONTO, May 8, 2008 - The Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity), today announced $5 million in grants and contributions funding will be made available to the Chinese-Canadian community for community-based commemorative and educational projects related to immigration restrictions.

"The Head Tax and other immigration restrictions, which affected Chinese-Canadians, are an unfortunate chapter in our history and deserve recognition," said Secretary of State Kenney.

This funding is being provided under the Community Historical Recognition Program, which was first announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in June 2006. The Program will fund community-based projects that will allow communities affected by Canadian wartime measures and immigration restrictions to have their experiences acknowledged in a way that is meaningful to them. Eligible projects could include monuments, commemorative plaques, educational material, and exhibits.

Other components of the Community Historical Recognition Program will be announced in the days to come, as well as details regarding the National Historical Recognition Program, which will fund federal initiatives that educate Canadians about the history of wartime measures and immigration restrictions and the contributions of affected communities to the building of Canada.

Chinese-Canadians received an official apology by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2006 for the Head Tax imposed on Chinese immigrants. The Government also announced that it would make ex-gratia symbolic payments of $20,000 to living Head Tax payers and to persons who had lived in a conjugal relationship with a now-deceased Head Tax payer. To date, more than $12 million in ex-gratia payments have already been made to this community.

The Empress of Asian brought many Chinese to BC.  Wallace  Chung painstakingly rebuilt a model of it.

Vancouver city councilor Raymond Louie asked me to support his bid to be Vancouver Mayor.  Raymond would be a great mayor... I immediately said "Absolutely!"

Raymond stands in front of Historic Joy Kogawa House on April 25th, 2008.  This was his first visit to the house, after supporting motions on city council to help save the house from demolition, and plant a cherry tree graft at Vancouver City Hall in 2005.  Raymond holds some of Joy Kogawa's books to share with his wife and children - photo Todd Wong

Raymond Louie could be Vancouver's first Chinese-Canadian mayor.  He is a multi-generational Vancouverite from the East Side.  He is a second term Vancouver city councilor.

Raymond Louie has been getting some very significant endorsers including:

My statement of endorsement is now featured on Raymond Louie's website:

"Raymond Louie actually lives the culturally diverse Gung Haggis Fat Choy lifestyle that is my creative world. His own family straddles many cultures and many generations, and he actively demonstrates that he understands the many facets that can make our city shine like a diamond. I have seen how Raymond makes things happen as a city councilor, bringing together different groups and perspectives such as arts, economics, heritage and cultures. As a mayor that empowers others to be their best, Raymond will be dynamic and our jewel of a city should shine even brighter."

Todd Wong, arts advocate and creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy

To support Raymond as the Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate, you have to
1) Join Vision as a member - click here!
2) Vote at the Vision Vancouver meeting on June 15th, Croatian Community Centre.

Raymond has recently made some wonderful statements on:

He has also currently "advocating for the creation of a non-profit foundation that will establish a long-term funding source for the chronically underfunded Childcare Endowment Reserve."

I have personally known Raymond since the fall of 2002, when he ran for city council.  Initially, I met his wife Tonya first, because she was on the board of Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, where I had volunteered for, and then was hired as a program coordinator.  I finally met Raymond at the Chinese Cultural Centre when Mike Harcourt endorsed COPE mayoral candidate Larry Campbell. 

After that our paths just seemed to keep crossing, as Raymond was invited to present the Queen's Jubilee Medals to VAHMS board members Jim Wong-Chu and Kuldip Gill. As well, Raymond attended the opening of the "Three Pioneer Canadian Chinese Families" at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and Archives.  My great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan's family was featured, and I was one of the featured stories as a descendant.  Raymond attended because he was distantly related to H.Y. Louie, whose family was also featured along with the family of Lee-Bick.

I have seen Raymond at many events throughout Vancouver over the past 6 years.  He is an effective city councilor and is active in the community.

To see him in action at City Council check out this video:

YouTube - EgoDensity Round 1
Raymond Louie criticizes Mayor Sam Sullivan's Eco-Density program

Here are some of the highlights when Raymond and I have shared together:

Raymond climbed on top of the Taiwanese Dragon Boat head... and reaches out to simulate grabbing a flag before crossing the finish line.  I taught him how to climb onto the dragon head - neglecting to tell him it had never been done in Canada before.  Raymond lost the demonstration race to Olympic medalist Lori Fung. - photo courtesy of Taiwanese Cultural Festival.

August to September 2003, Raymond Louie was instrumental in helping to launch the inaugural Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race.  Raymond helped stickhandle through bureaucratic channels during a Vancouver Port strike, and participated as the flag grabber vs '84 Olympic gold medalist Lori Fung in a demonstration race.

November 3rd, 2005, Raymond supported the Save Kogawa House campaign at Vancouver City Hall, when we appealed to City Council for help.  City council used an unprecedented motion to delay a demolition permit application by 3 months, to give us time to fundraise and purchase the house.  Raymond also said that this project was so important he asked all the city councilors to make a donation that day.

January 2006, Raymond brings his family with wife and 3 kids to Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.  The featured performers are Rick Scott & Harry Wong, and the No Shit Shirleys.

July 2007, Raymond Louie calls for mediation to end the Vancouver civic workers' strike.  Mayor Sam Sullivan and the NPA decline mediation and let the "unnecessary strike" drag on for 3 months, before a mediator is finally called in on Thanksgiving weekend to settle a contract very similar to what other municipalities already settled for 3 months earlier.  Following a July 29th rally at Vancouver City Hall, Raymond Louie comes out to talk with members of Vancouver's civic unions.  I introduce him to my fellow workers of CUPE 391, Vancouver Library Workers - photo Todd Wong.

January 25th, 2008.  Raymond Louie appears on Rock 101's Bro Jake show with "Toddish McWong" to help promote the Gung Haggis Fat Choy event.

January 27th, 2008.  Raymond Louie wears a kilt to Gung Haggis Fat Choy. photo Gung Haggis collection.  A highlight of the evening is Raymond on stage with a group of men wearing kilts as a "Toast to the Lassies" chorus with co-host Catherine Barr - photo VFK.

March 13th, 2008, Vancouver Sun reports Raymond Louie's declaration to run for Vancouver mayor.  Raymond  invites me to be one of his supporters in this photo taken at the Chinese Cultural Centre courtyard.  I am standing on the far left with many key supporters of the Chinatown business and community organizers.  Dr. Kerry Jang is 5th from right - Kerry will run as a candidate for councilor with Vision Vancouver. photo Bill Keay Vancouver Sun.
April 6th, 2008.  Tartan Day is officially proclaimed in Vancouver. Raymond seconded the motion in City Council, moved by Heather Deal, which passed on April 1st.  As deputy mayor, Raymond reads the proclamation prior to a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team practice.  In this photo l-r: Chinese-Scottish-Canadian Michael Brophy holds the Scottish flag, Todd Wong, Raymond Louie holds proclamation, bagpiper Joe McDonald-  photo Todd Wong/Georgia Thorburn