I don't think Furlong "gets it".

Reflecting multicultural diversity isn't about presenting stereotypes to the world or having "token heads of state" - It's about how we as generations of so-called "visible minorities" live our lives and make ourselves included in the mainstream.

My God... even bagpipes weren't includ...ed somewhere in the opening ceremonies, and our first Canadian Prime Minister, first BC Premier and first Vancouver mayor were born in Scotland. We have more bagpipers in Canada than there are in Scotland. And the Chinese immigrants played major roles in BC history including the railway, the head tax and chinese food restaurants.

Furlong assures closing ceremony will reflect everyone

 

Visible-minority groups, francophone leaders complained of opening ceremony snub

 

By Randy Shore , with files from Lindsay Kines, Vancouver Sun; with files from Canwest News ServiceFebruary 18, 2010

Vancouver Olympic CEO John Furlong will not make changes to the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games despite complaints from leaders of the city's ethnic groups about the content of the opening ceremony.

High-profile members of some ethnic communities -- including Sukhi Sandhu and S.U.C.C.E. S.S. chairman Peter Kwok -- had complained that the opening ceremony omitted a crucial aspect of Canadian life, the culture mosaic and the role of immigrants in Canadian society.

Sandhu, an anti-racism activist and community volunteer who lives in Surrey , wrote to Furlong seeking a meeting with the Vancouver Organizing Committee to air their concerns, but four days later Sandhu has no reply.

Sandhu and others had hoped that visible minorities could be better showcased in the closing ceremony.

Furlong stressed Wednesday that the closing ceremony is already planned and that it will leave little doubt about "who we are and who is here."

He said telling the story of a country made up of people from all over the world is a complex task, but the opening ceremony did a good job of reflecting Canada .

"We feel like having a good cry," said Sandhu. "We are surprised that it takes this much energy to bring some common sense to people."

"I'm not going to call any more, I'm not going to beg," Sandhu said.

The opening ceremony included strong first nations participation both in the show and the dignitaries box. Four local first nations chiefs sat as heads of state to welcome the world along with Canada 's Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean and Premier Gordon Campbell.

But the show contained little to represent the country's other major ethnic groups, critics said.

Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Minister James Moore, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and Quebec Premier Jean Charest complained that the ceremony didn't include enough French language content.

Canada's Commissioner of Official Languages Graham Fraser will be investigating the complaints, but because his mandate only allows him to probe federal institutions, he will confine his investigation to Moore 's heritage ministry, according to an e-mail sent to Canwest News Service by Fraser's office.

Fraser will release a preliminary report on the level of bilingualism at the Games following their conclusion.

The complaints hinge on the $20 million in funding that Heritage Canada gave to the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the opening ceremony, the most-watched televised event in Canadian history.

"There is an agreement between the federal government ... and Vanoc that came with a certain amount of funding," said Robin Cantin, a spokesman for the language commissioner's office. "And that agreement came with some language provisions."

Langara College sociologist Indira Prahst will watch the closing ceremony carefully for signs of respect to Canada 's visible minorities, but she is not satisfied with Vanoc's response to complaints.

"I want to be blunt: This should have been addressed at the very outset," she said. "We should have showcased our diversity. Is this just a quick response meant to pacify the community?"

"That's really not enough," she said. "I told Sukhi and the others that they were unrealistic to expect major changes [to the ceremony] because there is so much work, planning and technology that goes into it."

"But they could have a person from a visible minority speak."

rshore@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

 

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Furlong+assures+closing+ceremony+will+reflect+everyone/2579637/story.html

 

More visible minorities at closing, VANOC hints

Last Updated: Thursday, February 18, 2010 | 9:26 AM PT Comments14Recommend22

CBC News

VANOC CEO John Furlong is hinting Canada 's racial diversity may be better represented in the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics after criticism that ethnic minorities were mostly missing from the opening.

With its large South Asian and Chinese communities, Metro Vancouver is one of Canada 's most diverse regions. Forty-one per cent of residents are part of visible minorities. But none of that diversity appeared in the big show that opened the 2010 Winter Games on Feb 12, critics say.

'We can't force ourselves on VANOC if they don't welcome us.' — Charan Gill, CEO of Progressive Intercultural Community Services

Canadian-born Sukhi Sandhu wrote a letter to Furlong, saying Olympic organizers missed an opportunity during the final torch-lighting ceremony "to represent our nation's diversity."

Sandhu said he and his family are proud Canadians and excited to attend events at the Games, but he was disappointed visible minorities were excluded from key roles during the opening ceremony.

"If I look at the eight individuals who carried the Olympic flag and the final torchbearers, who are all rightfully outstanding Canadians — no one is disputing that — however, out of 13 people there isn't one outstanding visible minority that you could think of — David Suzuki, Donovan Bailey, Jerome Iginla or Daniel Igali," Sandu said.

Closing ceremony could offer more

It is not the first time the opening ceremony has been criticized for its lack of diversity. Federal Heritage Minister James Moore said earlier this week that "there should have been more French."

On Wednesday, Furlong defended the opening ceremony but hinted the closing on Feb. 28 will be different.

"We did a very good job of showing Canada and we had a goal to tell a story, and at the closing ceremony … we will have a very certain kind of celebration, and I don't think you'll have any doubt when the ceremonies are over who we are and who's here."

Sandhu said he doesn't want to just see bhangra dancers or hear drumbeats. He wants to see accomplished visible minorities represented in the closing ceremony.

"Our nation is a cultural mosaic, and our diversity is our strength and frankly I am surprised in 2010 we need to continue educating our leaders on this Canadian value," he wrote. "There is no shame or justifiable reason to not showcase this significant part of our nation’s identity."

His concerns are echoed by Peter Kwok, the chairman of the immigrant services organization SUCCESS, which provides services for new Chinese Canadians.

"You know we have Chinese New Year, just a few days ago and when attending all those New Year's celebrations I have been chatting with people and I've heard from quite a few people that they, too, feel that it was a spectacular show," Kwok said. "And they only wish that they had a bit more portrayal of the multiculturalism in Canada ."

Charan Gill, the CEO of the Progressive Intercultural Community Services, an immigrant organization based in Surrey , B.C., said he tried to reach out to VANOC to encourage more visible minorities to get involved and volunteer for the Games but got no response.

"We can't force ourselves on VANOC if they don't welcome us," he said.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/02/18/bc-visible-minorities-olympic-ceremonies.html#ixzz0fuevX1Y4

  http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/02/18/bc-visible-minorities-olympic-ceremonies.html

   

Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremonies: What's wrong with this picture?

by Todd on Sat 13 Feb 2010 11:27 PM PST 

I watched the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and something didn't sit right with me.  Vancouver is always being touted as a multicultural city.  It is the "most Asian" city in North America .  It is the city with the most mixed-race relationships.

It was very nice to see a welcome from the Four Host Nations of Lil'Wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh nations.  Four totem poles were raised, and each host nation welcomed the world in their own language, followed by English and French.  And then other First Nations groups from across Canada , were also recognized: from the North; the East; and the Prairies.  It was a wonderful way to acknowledge and infuse First Nations culture into the Opening Ceremonies.

I also enjoyed how the many regions of Canada were represented during the Opening ceremonies.  The prairies of W.O. Mitchell's "Who Has Seen The Wind"... the snow of the north... the fiddling of the Maritimes, Quebec and the East.  The killer whales were my favorite part.  Projected images of light, moving across the floor, punctuated by actual puffs of water, to simulate the exhaling of the whales.  But during after the fiddling was over, I asked myself - "Where are the Chinese fiddles or erhus that are part of Vancouver 's multicultural music scene, and it's cultural history of 150 years of immigration.  Where is the erhu from Madeleine Thein's children's book "The Chinese violin"

It was an exciting moment to recognize and identify each of the flag carriers, as the Olympic flag was brought in.  Donald Sutherland, Betty Fox, Barbara Ann Scott, Gilles Villaneuve, Bobby Orr, Julie Payette, Anne Murray and Gen. Romeo Dallaire.  I was especially excited to see Betty Fox, because I have personally met her many times, as I have been a member of Terry's Team since 1993 - cancer survivors who speak at Terry Fox Runs and at schools.

Then anticipation for the final torch bearer.  A silouette of a man in a wheel chair! Yay! It is Rick Hansen - my favorite choice to be the lighter of the cauldron.  Rick passes the flame to Catriona Le May Doan, who passes the flame to Wayne Gretzky, who passes the flame to Nancy Greene Raine.  All four stand, as the caudron rises from the floor.  All four light the cauldron together.  Whoops, only 3 light the cauldron, because one pillar didn't rise out of the floor.  Was this a sign?  Was it a symbol?

But, I also saw a lack of diversity in the flag carriers and final torch bearers.  While recognize and admirer each of the chosen flag carriers and final torch bearers for their individual accomplishments and contributions to Canadian society.

But.... if all the flag carriers, and final torch bearers had been male, we would hear women complaining.  If all the flag carriers and final torch bearers had been Anglophone, then the Francophones would be complaining.  And if all the flag carriers and final torch bearers were blonde, would brunettes, red heads and black haired people be complaining?  Yes!

Part of the selling point for winning the Olympic bid, is that Vancouver is a multicultural city, and Canada 's "Gateway to the Pacific." Politicians and VANOC have been proudly telling the world that every athlete from every competing nation will find somebody in Vancouver that speaks their language, cooks their food and could welcome them to their home.

And yes, David Suzuki, is a wonderful choice. He was the top living "Greatest Canadian" in the CBC show and #5 overall.  Tommy Douglas was #1 (whose son-in-law was flag carrier Donald Sutherland) and Terry Fox was #2 (whose mother was Betty Fox, another flag carrier).  Wayne Gretzky was #10.  Romeo Dallaire was #16, Bobby Orr #19 and Rick Hansen #30. Chief Dan George was #80, Donovan Bailey #89, and Anne Murray #94.

There are many past gold medalists that could have been included.  Lori Fung (gold LA 1984 Rhythmic Gymnastics).  Alwyn Morris (Gold & Bronze LA 1984 Kayak-pairs) who had held up an eagle feather on the podium, Donovan Bailey (Goldx2 Atlanta 1996 100m + 4X100 Relay), Daniel Igali (Gold Sydney 2000 Wrestling), Carol Huynh (Gold Beijing 2008 Wrestling), and Jerome Iginla (Gold Salt Lake City 2002 Hockey).  Just the inclusion of one of these medalists, or all of them, passing the flame onto the final four would have been a tremendous inclusive moment.

Remember that Sydney 2000 chose Cathy Freeman, an aboriginal to light the cauldron.  Atlanta 96 had Muhammad Ali.

VANOC opening ceremonies missed a chance to showcase the diversity of both Vancouver and Canada , and that we are just as proud of ALL our Canadians too!

Maybe many people would have said "Who?" if Alwyn Morris had been holding an eagle feather in one hand, and a torch in the other, if he had walked into BC Place with the Olympic Flame - but it would have been both an educational and a proud moment for all Canadians.  Morris is the first and only Canadian aboriginal to win an Olympic gold medal.

It could have been a proper bookend to the inclusion of First Nations people - in how we have overcome Canada's racist history of residential schools and apartheid reservations, head tax and exclusion acts, internment camps and property confiscation - not how we still portray First Nations peoples as stereotypes in traditional costume, dancing and beating drums.

http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2010/2/14/4455481.html

 

 

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

Olympic Torch carried on Dragon Boat and Voyageur Canoe on Final Day

Olympian Hugh Fisher carried the Olympic Torch on a dragon boat on part of the final leg of the Olympic Torch Relay that has traveled from sea to sea to sea and all across Canada.  He passed it on to Olympian kayaker Kamini Jain in the middle of False Creek, as she stood on a voyageur canoe.

I was part of the 6 dragon boat and 6 outrigger canoe accompanying flotilla, that followed the torch bearing boats.  We all stood for a photo op with torch bearers Hugh and Kamini, after it was over.

Pictures and more stories coming later 

Todd stands with Kamini Jain, Olympic torch bearer for 2010, Olympic kayak racer in Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000.

Alwyn Morris won gold and bronze partnered with Hugh Fisher in the Mens K-2 events in LA 1984.  Alwyn is the first and only gold medalist Aboriginal Canadian, and he held up an eagle feather when he ascended the podium in 1984.

Geo, Lisa and Todd hold the Olympic flame with torch bearer and gold medalist Olympian Hugh Fisher (LA 1984).

Todd Wong recounts using complimentary/alternative medicine to battle cancer to Georgia Straight writer Charlie Smith.

It was 21 years ago, when I found himself in emergency at Lion's Gate Hospital.  The first time he heard the word cancer was when he asked the attending specialist what the word "oncology" meant that was stitched on the doctor's white jacket.  5 months of chemotherapy is a long time.  It was certainly made easier by the Reiki and Therapeutic Touch energy work that my mother did on me, and the many visualization exercises that I did each day.  I was way to weak to play accordion - but I did when I was finally strong enough months later.  When I returned to Simon Fraser University, I took as many courses with health and illness themes as possible including: Health and Illness in Sociology, Health Psychology, Women's Health and Health Issues, Psychopathology, and even directed studies courses. 

It was much better than the alternative.

Without treatment, the doctors told me that I might have lasted 2 weeks.  My lungs were half-full of fluid, the tumor was half the width of my chest cavity and pushing on my vital organs.  There was bruising on my chest from internal pressure.

We do what we can, and I am glad to be alive and making my contributions to Society.

Traditional Chinese medicine enters the mainstream

Traditional Chinese medicine enters the mainstream

Vancouver library worker Todd Wong knows better than most that life occasionally delivers a rude surprise. In 1989, Wong came back from a trip to New York feeling rundown. At first, his doctor diagnosed a recurrent viral flu. Only after visiting an oncologist did Wong, then 29 years old, learn that he had a germ-cell tumour related to testicular cancer. It required emergency chemotherapy to deal with a growth in his chest the size of a large grapefruit.

“The first night I’m in the hospital, the doctor tells my parents, ‘There is a 60-percent chance your son will survive because we only discovered this very, very late,’ ” Wong told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview. “I was 29 years old, really active, and the doctors never suspected anything.”

Wong, a fifth-generation Chinese Canadian, was visited regularly by his mother, who wanted to give her son therapeutic touching to help him heal. She asked about doing energy work known as Reiki, because this is what she had practised at home. “The doctor told her, ‘If you want to do that, you can take your son out of the hospital,’ ” Wong recalled.

His mother kept coming to the hospital every night to surreptitiously practise Reiki on her son, and Wong’s grandmother brought affirmations from a book by Louise Hay called You Can Heal Your Life. Later, he called a psychology instructor at Capilano College (now Capilano University) to learn how to practise visualization. When he was well enough to attend Simon Fraser University, every course he took had a focus on illness and health. “I did directed studies on the relationship between stress and illness,” Wong said. “I learned that psychoneuroimmunology [study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems] was only coined as a term in 1980.”

Two decades after Wong’s recovery, he sees much greater cooperation taking place between allopathic and complementary health practitioners. The B.C. Cancer Agency is backing a complementary medicine education and outcomes program, which is examining how to safely combine complementary approaches with traditional cancer treatments. The team, led by principal researcher and UBC nursing professor Lynda Balneaves, is exploring the most effective ways to support cancer patients in making decisions in this area. In addition, the researchers hope to enhance health professionals’ understanding of this area.

Meanwhile, the U.S.–based National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, has been conducting scientific research on complementary and alternative healing practices for 10 years. It also trains researchers in this area and disseminates information to allopathic practitioners. For example, it has noted that acupuncture has demonstrable therapeutic benefits for low back pain, and that tai chi may benefit older adults with osteoarthritis in the knee.

During his recovery, Wong visited naturopath and acupuncturist Larry Chan, one of the founders of Integrative Healing Arts on Vancouver’s West Side, who helped him think “outside the box” about the origins of illness. Wong is convinced that health is about finding balance and looking at the body system in a holistic framework rather than focusing exclusively on germs or viruses. Integrative is one of several facilities—including the Broadway Wellness Centre, Cross Roads Clinics, and Finlandia Natural Pharmacy and Health Centre—that offer an interdisciplinary and complementary approach to health care.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.straight.com/article-284396/vancouver/tcm-enters-mainstream

Dragon boat to carry the Olympic Torch!

The last day of the Olympic Torch Relay Feb 12th will feature Dragon Boats and Canoes as Olympic gold medalist Hugh Fisher, from a dragonboat, will hand off the torch to Kamini Jain, in a voyageur canoe, in the middle of False Creek.   This event will take place on February 12th in Vancouver BC.  Details and exact times will be released soon.


Fisher won Olympic Gold and Bronze with Kayak partner Alwyn Morris at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.  Kamini Jain competed in K-1 single kayak events in 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games.  Fisher is one of the founders of the False Creek Racing Canoe Club which has helped to shape dragon boat racing in Canada and also influence it's development in North America. 

Kamini is the current head coach of the FCRCC, and took the Mixed team to gold and silver in Sydney Australia for the 2007 IDBF World Championships.  FCRCC-cored Premier Mixed: 2nd at 500m (by 0.51 secs!), 4th at 200, 1st at 2K

It's going to be exciting as 6 dragon boats (20 paddlers) and 6 outrigger canoes (6 paddlers) make up the escort flotilla, that will accompany the torch bearing boats.  It will bring back memories of the torch first arriving in Canada after landing at the airfield, and then arriving to BC's Provincial Legislature Building in Victoria, carried by First Nations cedar canoes.

And I will be one of the paddlers in the flotilla!  Yippee! 


Here's the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team at the 2009 Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.  One of these BuK boats will probably be used to transport the Olympic Torch in the final legs of the relay to the Opening Ceremonies at BC Place Stadium.

The six dragon boats and outrigger canoes will be paddled by False Creek Racing Canoe Club, and some other clubs.  I think I will be on a boat where paddlers from different teams have been invited to participate.  I am very excited at being invited. 

Back in the summer, I did a video audition to be a torch bearer for the City of Vancouver, as two library workers would be included amongst the selected workers from police, firemen, city workers and parks workers.  Sadly, I wasn't chosen - but I know our library workers are deserving and wonderful people, especially my friend Judy Caldwell, who is a librarian, and dragon boater.  Judy is one of the founders of the Abreast in a Boat dragon boat team of breast cancer survivors, and we were both awarded the 2008 BC Community Achievement Award.

I've been involved with dragon boats in Vancouver for many years.  I attended the first dragon boat races on False Creek in 1986 during Expo 86.  I joined my first team in 1993.  Soon I was coaching other teams, and competed in Victoria races in 1997 and San Francisco in 1999.  I was invited to join the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival Race Committee in 2000.  In 2003 I helped to found the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race, as board member of the CCC Dragon Boat Association.  The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team has been active since 2002, and dedicated to promoting multiculturalism through dragon boat paddling.  We have put Taiwanese dragon boats into the St. Patrick's Day parade in 2004 and 2005.  The team has been filmed for tv documentaries for French, German and Canadian television, and also for an upcoming documentary movie.



This is one of my favorite pictures of the Gung Haggis team, at the 2007 Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat race!  Imagine holdin the Olympic Torch from the head of the dragon - but these Taiwanese boats won't be used for the Olympic Torch Relay.


Here is information about viewing the Olympic Torch on False Creek from the False Creek Racing Canoe Club Website:


For more information on the Torch Relay and other Olympic events visit vancouver2010.com

http://www.fcrcc.com/events/olympic-torch-relay

http://www.canadianoutrigger.com/messsubj.cfm?pid=2721

http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/olympic-torch-relay/olympic-torch-relay-interactive-map/

http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/olympic-torch-relay/stories-from-the-road/day-106---alternative-modes-of-transportation-in-vancouver_236610kB.html

In 1759, a wee bairn of a boy named Robert was born in a cottage in the village of Alloway, in Ayrshire Scotlandm, on January 25th in the last days of the Chinese Lunar Year of the Tiger. Four days later on January 29th, Chinese New Year of the Rabbit occurred + pictures + more    more »

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinners always emphasize BC's cultural and historical past and present. While we acknowledge the Scottish and Chinese pioneers that helped to shape this province of British Columbia, we also look to see where we are going and what kind of cultural fusion is happening. This year's program is amazing..... pictures + descriptions   more »

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 »

Internet Radio blog link to Cultural Connects - Very interesting interview with Todd Wong, creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, by Gary Jarvis.Listen to Gary's interview of Todd Wong, creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, as he explains the Scottish and Chinese and BC roots of his brain child - a cultural fusion Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.vie...w&friendId=400868504&blogId=526013921   more »

But I had left my music stand behind. So on January 2nd, Deb and I returned to the house and found ourselves at another music night - but without my accordion. Carol offered me her red electric guitar without even asking if I could play guitar - even before offering me the keyboard in the corner + pictures   more »

Rest in Peace - June 1993 - January 6, 2010. Psyche was a great cat and had a grand life for 16.6 years, looking after me and my parents. Obituary/ Celebration of Life for Todd Wong's cat Psyche.... + Pictures   more »

2009 featured photos in exhibits at Royal BC Museum and Scottish Parliament. Other highlights included the inaugural writer in residence program at Historic Joy Kogawa House, and Todd Wong's first visit to Scotland for the finale weekend of Homecoming Year. And there was the 250th anniversary of poet Robert Burns.    more »

Why do we sing Auld Lang Syne at New Year's Eve?

Todd Wong be heard today on CBC Radion One 690 AM - ON THE COAST. 3-6pm

They asked me about the origins of singing "Auld Lang Syne" - the Robert Burns lyrics connection and the proper way of holding hands while singing. Of course I threw in similarities between Scottish Hogmannay and Chinese New Year - such as making lots of noise and paying off your debts.

They asked if I will be with friends ringing in the New Year. I said I am at Silver Star in Vernon, with good friends... including Craig Brown who was at my 1st Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, when the only "kilts" we had were Canadian Mackinkaw lumberjack shirts tied around our waists...

Origins of singing Auld Lang Syne in North America are traced back to a Scottish tradition that spread through Scottish and British emmigration.

Wikipedia writes:

Singing the song on Hogmanay or New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. As Scots (and other Britons) emigrated around the world, they took the song with them.

Canadian band leader Guy Lombardo is often credited with popularising the use of the song at New Year’s celebrations in America, through his annual broadcasts on radio and television, beginning in 1929. The song became his trademark. In addition to his live broadcasts, Lombardo recorded the song more than once. His first recording was in 1939. A later recording on September 29, 1947 was issued as a single by Decca Records as catalog #24260

Wikipedia's entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne
also compares the 1711 version of Old Long Syne by James Watson to the 1788 version of Scots verse by Robert Burns.

Quatchi, Miga and Sumi go to Scotland with Toddish McWong and Quatchi brings back a kilt 2009 was Homecoming Year for Scotland. It was an invitation to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the birth of poet Robert Burns on January 25th, and went all through the year until November 30th St. Andrew's Day. The year started with Visit Scotland CEO Philip Riddell bringing a special bottle of 37 year old Famous Grouse whisky to auction off at the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner. By November, there was a photo exhibit at Scottish Parliament titled This Is Who We Are: Scots in Canada. It featured many Canadians of Scottish ancestry including Todd Wong aka Toddish McWong, who is not Scottish, but hosts the largest Burns Supper in Vancouver. Exhibit creator Harry McGrath invited Todd to come attend the Homecoming Scotland finale weekend events and attend the Closing Reception for the exhibition. Todd decided in the last days to attend the event, and quickly invited his friends Quatchi, Miga and Sumi to visit Scotland with him. They arrived in Scotland, late on Saturday night, November 29th in Glasgow. They traveled to Edinburgh and visited many Robert Burns displays in the museums - but had lots of fun at the Scottish Parliament reception on St. Andrew's Day. After the reception finished, they retired to a pub called Jenny Ha's - but Todd had to return to do a radio interview back to Vancouver BC on CBC Radio. These pictures are their adventures exploring Scotland from Nov 29th to Dec 5th., 2009. http://www.flickr.com/photos/53803790@N00/sets/72157623081283070/   more »

It's been a busy few days in Scotland. I first arrived late on Saturday night, after a 9 hour layover in Amsterdam's Schipol airport. I took the train to central station and went for a walk through the touristy bits - where I also discovered both Chinatown and the Red Light District. + pictures of Scotland and Amsterdam   more »

A photographCultural Connect logoy exhibition exploring the connections between Canada and Scotland through people and places has opened at Holyrood. The exhibition, entitled This Is Who We Are, was created by Graeme Murdoch and Harry McGrath of Cultural Connect Scotland. The two men travelled across Canada visiting communities which derive their names from Scottish sources and helping people they met tell the stories of their connection to Scotland through images and text.    more »

Bagpipe Noel Chalmers, Dr. Andrew Wang and Terry's Team member Todd Wong

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie walks with the crowd to the start line.

Platform party for the 2009 Terry Fox Run in Richmond BC: Terry's Team member Todd Wong, warm-up leader, Mayor Malcolm Brodie, John Yap MLA, Dr. Andrew Wang (Terry Fox Lab), Councilor McNulty, Miss BC Sandra Gin, Noel Chalmers (bagpiper).

Dr. Andrew Wang of the Terry Fox Lab in Vancouver gave a brief but excellent talk about how the monies raised are used at the Terry Fox Lab for cancer research - describing some of the important research that they do.

9 elected TLC board members + 2 non-elected candidates + Bill Turner = a vow to all work together for the best interests of TLC. David Merner, Alistair Craighead, Cheryl Bruce, Carol Pickup, Elspeth McVeigh, Briony Penn, Charley Beresford, Bill Turner (executive director), Frances Pugh, Gary Holman, Todd Wong, Ken Millard.  Unavailable elected board members Barry Glickman, Magnus Bein

TLC officially announced election results at around 11am Saturday morning August 8th

• Briony Penn, Salt Spring Island; Writer/Researcher, SaveTLC
• Kenneth Millard, Galiano Island; Volunteer, SaveTLC
• Francis Pugh, Brentwood Bay; Farmer, SaveTLC
• Carol Pickup, Victoria; Retired, Community Volunteer, SaveTLC
• Elspeth McVeigh, Vancouver; Businessperson, SaveTLC
• Cheryl Bryce, Victoria; Land Management, SaveTLC
• Barry Glickman, Salt Spring Island; Professor of Biology, University of Victoria, SaveTLC
• Alastair Craighead, Victoria; Marine Engineer, DND, SaveTLC
• Magnus Bein, Surrey; Ecological Consultant, SaveTLC
• David Merner, Victoria; Lawyer and Public Servant, SaveTLC
• Todd Wong, North Vancouver; Library Clerk/Assistant with the Vancouver Public Library, SaveTLC

The entire Save TLC slate was elected including Todd Wong, also president of Historic Joy Kogawa House Society, which oversees programming for Historic Joy Kogawa House, owned by TLC

Click here for TLC Website Election Results

It was an intense last 24 hours, as I took the 4pm ferry to Victoria with longtime TLC supporter and board candidate Elspeth McVeigh.  We met other board candidates and Save TLC Committee members including Bill Turner for an 8pm  meeting.

Results had been expected to be announced to candidates at the end of voting at 5pm, but were not announced until after 9pm.

There is overwhelming a sigh of relief from the majority of TLC members, staff and volunteers, as many TLC projects and donations have been on hold since March, when TLC executive director Bill Turner was released from his duties by the TLC Board.

Today at a board meeting, which included an open forum, Bill Turner was re-affirmed as Executive Director.

Alastair Craighead is Chair
Briony Penn is Vice-Chair
Elspeth McVeigh is Treasurer
David Merner is Secretary

I started the day visiting TLC property Ross Bay Villa at 10am, with candidates Elspeth and David.  It's a wonderful heritage house with a lovely garden.  We met with many of the volunteers who do restoration and gardending work.  They were very appreciative that we were board candidates, and that I was with the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society.

We met at Abkhazi Gardens at 11am,  for a tour and an all-candidates photo op.  It's an incredible heritage garden and house created by Prince and Princess Abkhazi, shortly after they settled in Victoria in 1946.

We met at St. Stephens Church and Community Centre in North Saanich for the 12:30pm board meeting, open forum, followed by a reception.  It was a wonderful reception where many TLC members were able to speak with the newly elected members of the TLC board.  Elspeth and I left at 4pm to catch the 5pm ferry home.

I received positive response, whenever I mentioned Kogawa House.