National Association of Japanese Canadians calls for community support for Kogawa House

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

CALL FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR KOGAWA HOUSE

Winnipeg, MB  March  27, 2006: 

Joy Kogawa in one of her visits to Vancouver, recently `found’ her childhood home, which out of memory had been recorded in some detail in her books.  She had forgotten the address, but discovered it to be at 1450 West 64th Avenue, in the Marpole district of Vancouver.  Not only the house, but the cherry tree which she used to climb and hug as a child was still there, symbolically surviving the harsh wear and tear of life and times.  

This is the place Joy Kogawa had spent the first six years of her life when, in 1942, she, together with her family, and all Japanese Canadians in the West Coast of British Columbia, were relocated to internment sites in the interior of British Columbia. Like other homes owned by Japanese Canadians, the Government of Canada confiscated it and auctioned it off in their absence.  This is the place she returned to in her imagination and memories to write the book, Obasan, to record the events.
 
Today the Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC), in response to Joy’s plea to save the house, is spearheading a campaign to raise funds to buy it and to convert the heritage property into a writers-in-residence retreat.  There have been various public awareness and fundraising events held to date, and a sum close to $200,000 has been raised.  The total purchase price is $700,000.

Canada’s leading writers’ organizations are appealing to the federal government for an emergency grant of $350,000 (matching funds) to save the historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver.  Letters of support have been received from MPs from both the Liberal party and the NDP.  Ujjahl Dosanjh, PC, QC, MP, Vancouver South, has written to the Hon. Bev Oda, PC, MP, Department of Canadian Heritage, to support this request.

There is now great urgency to the fundraising and to achieving its goal. We believe the NAJC membership and Japanese Canadian communities, in particular, should be made aware of this important project so that they may have the opportunity to join with others to bring this project to a successful conclusion.  

Japanese Canadian community members have been very proud of the author, Joy Kogawa, and benefited largely from the book, Obasan, which poignantly relates `our’ story, studied by students internationally.  We are now celebrating with her the release by Penguin of her new book, Emily Kato, a re-writing of Itsuka.  Joy decided that Itsuka was not quite good enough, to be placed alongside Obasan, and chose to re-write it.  The Joy Kogawa House will be a place where such writings and re-writings by young and renowned writers may occur, and may be celebrated.   

We urge you to send in your donation, large or small.  Donations may be made online on the TLC's website http://www.conservancy.bc.ca/content.asp?sectionid=179
or by sending a cheque, payable to "The Land Conservancy",
to The Land Conservancy, 5655 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5E 2T2
or by telephoning 604-733 2313.  Charitable receipts will be issued.

Thank you for your support.  .For further information, you may contact any of the following list of supporters.  

Save Joy Kogawa House Committee
www.kogawahouse.com  
Anton Wagner, Secretary; (416) 863-1209; fax: 416-863-9973
201 Sherbourne St., Suite 2306, Toronto, ON M5A 3X2
Ann-Marie Metten, 604-263-6586
Todd Wong, 604-987-7124

The Land Conservancy of BC
http://www.conservancy.bc.ca
Bill Turner, Executive Director; 250-479 8053; fax: 250-744 2251
Heather Skydt (604) 733-2313; fax: 604-299 5054
5655 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5E 2T2

National Association of Japanese Canadians
www.najc.ca
Claudia Earl, National Administrator

The Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival
www.writersfest.bc.ca
Hal Wake, Artistic Director

The Writers Union of Canada
www.writersunion.ca
Brian Brett, Chair
Deborah Windsor, Executive Director

The Federation of BC Writers
www.bcwriters.com
Brian Busby, President
Fernanda Viveiros, Executive Director

The Playwrights Guild of Canada
www.playwrightsguild.com/pgc
Amela Simic, Executive Director

The League of Canadian Poets
www.poets.ca
Mary Ellen Csamer, President; maryellen.
Joanna Poblocka, Executive Director;

PEN Canada
www.pencanada.ca
Constance Rooke, President
Isobel Harry, Executive Director

The Writers’ Trust of Canada
www.writerstrust.com
Don Oravec, Executive Director

The Canadian Authors Association
www.canauthors.org
Joan Eyolfson Cadham, National President
www.canauthorsvancouver.org
Bernice Lever, BC Regional Vice-President

The Professional Writers Association of Canada
www.pwac.ca
Gordon Graham, President

The Greater Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture
www.allianceforarts.com
Heather Redfern, Executive Director

The Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers
www.canscaip.org
Gillian Chan, President
Lena Coakley, CANSCAIP National Office

Asian Canadian Writers Workshop
www.asiancanadianwritersworkshop.com
Don Montgomery, President
Jim Wong-Chu, Executive Director

Ujjal Dosanjh asks Heritage Minister Bev Oda to support saving Joy Kogawa House

Ujjal Dosanjh is the Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, the federal riding containing the historic neighborhood of Marpole, home to the childhood home of Joy Kogawa.  Kogawa House at 1450 West 64th Avenue, was the first on its block in 1915.  It saw many owners before Joy's family moved into it in 1936.  They were forcibly removed due to the internment of Japanese Canadians in 1942, even though they were "naturalized citizens" and both Joy and her brother Tim were born in Canada. 

Who knew then, that the 6 year old little girl named Joy Nozomi Nakayama, on June 6th in Vancouver,  would become a future member of the Order of Canada in 1986?

Who knew then, that Joy Kogawa would write the 1981 novel Obasan, which would become the 11th most important book in Canada according to Quill & Quire (2nd live living author after Alice Munro), and be listed by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the 100 most important Canadian books ever written?
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2005/12/20/1461779.html

The Save Kogawa House committee initially met with Ujjal Dosanjh on December 19th, 2005, during the federal election campaign. He pledged support at that time, but was unable to commit to specifics because of the election call, and uncertainty whether the Liberals would be returned to power, or if he would again be a cabinet minister.

Below is the article by Robyn Stubbs in 24 HOURS

followed by the press release by Ujjal Dosanjh containing

Vancouver South MP Ujjal Dosanjh is breathing new life into efforts to save a heritage home in his riding.

The Kogawa House in Marpole is the childhood home of Canadian author Joy Kogawa, who penned the award-winning novel Obasan chronicling her experience as a Japanese-Canadian in Vancouver during the Second World War.

In a letter to federal Heritage Minister Beverly Oda, Dosanjh asked the ministry work with the Land Conservancy and the Save the Kogawa House Committee to preserve the historic house.

The house is scheduled for demolition unless the TLC and SJKC can come up with $1.25 million to purchase the house, restore it and use it to host a permanent writers-in-residence program.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Immediate Release

March 28, 2006

UJJAL DOSANJH CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO SAVE JOY KOGAWA HOUSE

OTTAWA - The Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, today called on federal Heritage Minister Beverly Oda to work with the Land Conservancy of B.C. and the Save Joy Kogawa House Committee to preserve Joy Kogawa House.

"Joy Kogawa House is a historical landmark, and its existence reminds us not to forget a past wrong," Dosanjh said.  "I urge Minister Oda to meet with both the Land Conservancy of B.C. and the Save Joy Kogawa House Committee, and to work toward a viable solution to preserve this reminder of a shameful episode in Canadian history. I am advised that as of yet, Minister Oda has not met with either organization, despite their requests."

Joy Kogawa House, located on West 64th Avenue in Mr. Dosanjh's riding of Vancouver South, is the home from which renowned Canadian author Joy Kogawa and her family were removed as part of the internment of Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War. The house is featured in Ms. Kogawa's award-winning novel, Obasan.

Time runs out for Joy Kogawa House on April 30, 2006.  Heritage Canada denied an emergency funding request by the organizations involved for $350 000, a portion of the amount required to purchase the house (thus preventing its demolition) and maintain it in the future.   

Mr. Dosanjh has written to Minister Oda regarding this issue and today raised it with the federal B.C. Liberal Caucus; its members fully support the call to save Joy Kogawa House.

"My colleagues and I feel that Kogawa House is an important part of British Columbia's history," said Mr. Dosanjh.  "Moreover, the innovative writers-in-residence program proposed by the Land Conservancy would have significant cultural value."

For more information:

Office of the Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh

(613) 868-3846

  
Join a dragon boat team that specializes in multicultural and community activities:
Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team

Hope you can join us for a wonderful season of dragon boat paddling.  2005 was an incredible year for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, and the 2006 season is twice as much fun!

In 2005, we were featured on CBC NewsWorld, we won the David Lam Multicultural Award at Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, we raced in the medal finals at ADBF and at Harrison Lake, then we finally  won our medals at Vancouver Taiwanese d-boat races.

Check out our 2006 activities so far with reports on:

 www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/GungHaggisdragonboatteaminformation


1)  March 26th - taking beginners out for public paddling at Dragon Zone.
2) "Gung Haggis" lion headed drummer at St. Patrick's Day parade.
3)  The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat float crosses Davie St. in St. Patrick's Day parade.
4)  Da Ming and Aefa take turns drumming during St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team practices 

Sundays 1pm - 3pm  (Recreation team)
Tuesdays at 6:00 sharp to 7:15 pm (Recreation team)
Wednesday at 7:00pm  (Beginner's + technique practice)

All practices are from Dragon Zone, at Creekside Park
Southeast corner of False Creek
look for Green trailer building
South of Science World - just above aqua bus ferries.

Parking - park on the street. Try Quebec or 2nd Ave.
pay parking available at Science World - no parking on city lot anymore.

Price for Spring paddling is $160 each, and will cover boat rental, coaching, and registration in Alcan Dragon Boat Festival races June 17 & 18.  Other races cost additional.

Price for Summer paddling is $100 each, and will cover boat rental, coaching, plus registration for one summer race.  Additional summer races are aproximately $30 each.

Other possible races are:
May 20       Lotus Sports Club "Bill Alley Memorial Dragon Boat Regatta" (Burnaby)
July 15th    Kent-Seattle Dragon Boat Races (Lake Meridien, Kent WA),
July 22/23 GreaterVernon Dragon Boat Festival (Kalamalka Lake, Vernon BC)
July 22       Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Festival (Harrison Lake, BC)
Sept 2/3    Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race (Vancouver)

other races may be considered, depending on interest



1)  Paddling at Alcan Dragon Boat Festival
2)  Winning medals at the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race
3)  Group shoulder massage at Sea Vancouver regatta
4)  Naoko is our flag grabber  on top a Taiwanese dragon boat

Will we have 1 or 2 teams?
One team is now confirmed for the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival - but if enough new people come on board, we can expand to two teams - Recreation and Beginner.

We have a lot of people returning.  There are some former paddlers who have also expressed interest in re-joining, and we have lots of interest from wanna-be paddlers.

Please invite friends to come out to try dragon boating over the next two weeks.  We may run our practices in coordination with the Dragon Zone public paddling, as we have done so far in April.

contact me by e-mail:    gunghaggis at yahoo dot ca
or cell phone:                  778-846-7090

Cheers, Todd

Pictures from 2005
1) Drummer Todd with Flag Grabber Ed on The Eh? Team at Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race
2) Todd with Dave Samis, at Sea Vancouver Festival for dragon head carving tent
3) Todd with then Vancouver City Councillor Ellen Woodsworth and friend

Joy Kogawa story in Lethbridge Herald as Naomi's Road opera premieres in Alberta

Joy Kogawa is in Lethbridge Alberta, for the opening of Naomi's Road opera.  She attended a reception afterwards, and also spoke to the audience.

The following is a story published in the Lethbridge Herald

Dark days of internment come to life
By Al Beeber
Mar 28, 2006, 22:45


In Naomi’s Road, resilience offers hope for a better future in the lives of two young children displaced to internment camps during the Second World War.

That spirit, so vividly detailed in that work and the award-winning Obasan by novelist and poet Joy Kogawa, survived and thrived despite the efforts of Canada’s wartime government to disperse Japanese-Canadian citizens, considered a threat to security after Japan entered the war.

“The government policy was designed to make sure Japanese-Canadians never amalgamated and made a community again,” said Kogawa, in the city Monday to watch the Vancouver Opera presentation of Naomi’s Road at the University of Lethbridge.

The opera is based on the 1986 children’s book by Kogawa, a second-generation Japanese-Canadian who was evacuated to Slocan, B.C. and Coaldale from Vancouver with the rest of her family during the war.
Born Joy Nozomi Nakayama, the author, poet and member of the Order of Canada attended school in Coaldale from grade 5 to high school and later taught elementary school there for a year.

The divorced mother of two was actively involved in the efforts to seek redress from the Canadian government in the 1980s. The internment of her people is one of the darkest stories in Canadian history and the production of Naomi’s Road, which has been been staged numerous times in B.C. schools, is one way to educate Canadians about the injustice, including younger generations of Japanese Canadians whose family may not have talked about the internments.

“There was an intense need on the part of parents to protect their children. It’s a very Buddhist way of thinking, to move forward. The morality was to endure suffering in silence.”

“Naomi’s Road is a fantastic tool, not just for education but for healing people,” says the soft-spoken Kogawa who donated much of her family’s possessions from their Vancouver home to the Galt Museum. Many of those household items have been mentioned in Kogawa’s works.

“It’s a story that just won’t help Japanese Canadians but people in general. It teaches people about the follies of racism.”

“One can use art to bring about healing,” says Kogawa whose family home is the centre of an effort by various groups to be converted into a writer’s residence. It is currently slated for demolition.

The loss of the family home and their internship inspired her novel Obasan which was named Canadian authors book of the year in 1981.

Canada’s efforts to compensate Japanese Canadians for the internship were satisfactory to Kogawa who felt the process and dialogue between Japanese Canadians and government was an act of healing.

“As far as I’m concerned, the appropriate process had been followed,” said Kogawa.
For healing to happen, the voice of the interned people needed to be heard and some of those voices were angry.

“When the kids were told, some got angry,” recalled Kogawa. The issei — or first generation Canadian immigrants — chose often not to talk about the internment while the nissei — the second generation — were caught up in the dispersal and didn’t know what it was all about.

“The burden needs to be lifted by all of society. It’s not an easy process,” said Kogawa.

Anne-Marie Metten of the Vancouver committee of Save Kogawa House is with the author in Lethbridge. She was planning to meet officials of the Galt Museum Monday to look at the Kogawa collection so house restorers can authentically reproduce the family’s furnishings if efforts to save the house from the wrecking ball are successful.
“We want to create a sense of the house as it was in 1942.”

© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com
Top of Page

Joy Kogawa and Naomi's Road opera go to Lethbridge Alberta:
Report from Ann-Marie Metten

Ann-Marie Metten is the Vancouver coordinator for the Save Kogawa House committee.  She and Joy Kogawa have  travelled to Lethbridge Alberta to attend the Alberta premiere of the Naomi's Road opera, by the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble.

Ann-Marie is a wonderful person with many literary connections and dedicated to the cause.  She first contacted me in early 2005, after I posted a message suggesting Obasan could be nominated for Vancouver Public Library's One Book One Vancouver program.  She then contacted me in September, when the City of Vancouver recieved an inquiry about a demolition permit for Kogawa House.

The following message is from Ann-Marie:

Just want to report several small donations received at the reception following the performance of Naomi’s Road in Lethbridge yesterday.

The Vancouver Opera troupe ended their evening show to a standing ovation, with many Japanese Canadians in the audience – those interned and their families. Joy spoke strongly about the need for forgiveness within the community and within Canada as a nation, and I got to say a few words at the reception about Kogawa House and invited questions and discussion. Lisa Doolittle of the University of Lethbridge Theatre Department was generous in her publicity of the campaign to rescue Kogawa House, including a summary of the project in the programme for the evening, posting notices of the project around the reception area, speaking about it in her introduction, and displaying pledge forms at the buffet and book sales tables. Lisa also arranged press coverage with the Lethbridge Herald, which ran our story on the cover of today’s edition, along with a photograph of the troupe and a photo of Joy inside on page 2. Global TV was expected to run the story not only at noon today but also on their evening news report.

Many friends and relatives came to support Joy, with 25 Japanese Canadian seniors traveling from Calgary to attend the noon performance and many, many others attending the evening performance. Joy and I also drove out to the communities of Coaldale, the model of Granton in Obasan -- and Vauxhall, where I spent some childhood years – and connected with people there. We visited the Galt Museum, which houses the Kogawa Collection of furnishings and pieces from the Marpole house. What topped everything, though, was our walk through the coulee and the thrill of the prairie after snowmelt, just before spring.

It was a trip well worth the effort. Photos to come this evening . . .

This Week: This week is simple: a question needs to be answered and a decision needs to be made. It all focuses around the New Moon Tuesday night. As last week started a lovely round of pleasantness, this one will make you say “Hmmm”. At least it should. It beats the alternative, blocking, denying and avoiding. The simpler we keep it, the better we get along. Clear? The ruler of feelings and emotion, the Moon, also represents personal interacting with others, socialising and one’s involvement with the public. We are thoroughly social animals. We are all involved. We live and die through our interactions with others. Pay careful attention to all aspects to your Moon. Watch how the patterns of your moods and feelings affect all you do. Are you acting, reacting, or acting out for others?   more »

SFU Scottish Studies Centre: Enlightenment & Emigration lecture series April 5/6

A message from  Harry McGrath, coordinator of SFU Scottish Studies, and Ron MacLeod, Scots Chair

The SFU Scottish Studies Centre is delighted to announce the last two 
events in the Enlightenment & Emigration lecture series, arranged as 
part of the  celebration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the 
University. The Centre is very gratified with the enthusiastic response 
to the series so far and we hope to see a good turnout again for the 
final events:

1: "18th and early 19th Century Songs and Pipe Music Celebrating 
Women." This presentation will have the informal atmosphere of a 
ceilidh and will take place at 2.30 pm: Wednesday 5 April: SFU Burnaby: 
Forum Chambers (Student Society room below the Highland Pub).
The program will be introduced by Kirsteen McCue (highly regarded 
singer/noted lecturer in Scottish Literature at Glasgow 
University/popular BBC3 Presenter) & David Hamilton (expert accompanist 
& choral director: Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama). It also 
features skilled piper Brianne Young from the SFU Pipe Band who will 
perform songs & pipe music reflecting the lives of women of 18th & 
early 19th century Scotland.

2: Lecture/Recital entitled "Ae Fond Kiss: Songs by and about Women in 
Enlightened Scotland"  Thursday 6 April 8pm, SFU Harbour Centre, 
Downtown Vancouver.
In this presentation, Dr McCue and Mr Hamilton will call on a range of 
song editions to tell the stories of women in Scottish songs of the 
Enlightenment Era. The stories cover the position of women on hot 
political and social issues of the time, and looks at the kinds of 
women that male editors wanted to shape.
Above all, however, the presentation celebrates the vision Scottish 
women had of love and life during a complex time in their history.

NOTES.
1. To find the Forum Chambers, go to the main university concourse. The 
Forum Chambers is on the opposite side of the concourse from the library. Go 
through the coffee bar and downstairs. The room is just below the Highland Pub 
and we hope that there will be a general movement upstairs after the ceilidh. 
There is no need to sign up for the ceilidh - just show up.

Please note starting time of 2.30pm - not noon as stated in the 
newsletter and on the posters.

2. For the Harbour Centre lecture/recital, the usual procedures apply. 
Please phone 604-291-5100 to register. There will be a reception following the
lecture.

24 Hours:  One step closer to redress and apology

Here;s an article from today's 24 Hours on the continuing saga of Chinese Head Tax redress.

March 27, 2006

One step closer to redress and apology

CHINESE HEAD TAX

By JOHN PIGEON, 24 HOURS

The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) announced Saturday that a meeting with Canadian Heritage Minister, Bev Oda, was a step towards redress payments and an apology from the federal government to Head Tax payers, their spouses and descendants.

"The throne speech on April 4 will include a statement regarding Head Tax redress," said B.C. coalition spokesperson Bill Chu.

Chu attended the meeting in Ottawa, which also saw government officials hinting towards a formal apology on behalf of the Canadian government to be carried out on Canada Day.

The CCNC also emphasized the importance of including Chinese Canadian history in Canadian social studies curriculums across the country.

"I encourage the government to take a serious stance on education, meaning that education is not just about educating our own," he said.

A sentiment echoed by Head Tax descendant Cynthia Lam.

"We have lost at least two or three generations of our community who had to live with that kind of discrimination," she said. "It really touches your heart to see how they live even today."

Most of the surviving Head Tax payers are now nearing the age of 100.

 

BBC Radio Scotland: Interviewed this morning for 'The Radio Cafe'

The first Dragon Zone public paddling / Cherry Blossom regatta went well. About 17 people showed up for Cherry Blossom paddling, and were assisted by experienced paddlers. 5 people from Eh Team, 1 person from GVRD 44 Cheeks, and 9 paddlers from Gung Haggis Fat Choy, all came to share stories about their paddling adventures and friendships. We took 2 boats out... everybody had lots of fun ! + pictures   more »

Head Tax redress looking hopeful - BC Coalition for Head tax payers press conference


Gordy Mark, Bill Chu and Cynthia Lam, speaking about the discussions about head tax redress with the Conservative government - photo Gabriel Yiu

"Look for Chinese head tax redress to make its way into the Harper Conservative throne speech, as well as an apology before or on July 1st," said Bill Chu, spokesperson for the BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants, at a press conference on Saturday morning.

The BC Coalition is feeling very hopeful but cautious, as talks were held in Toronto with Bev Oda, the Minister of Heritage, and Jason Kenney, Harper's point man for the redress talks.  A first meeting at 10am with representatives of Chinese community groups not initially included in the Liberal Party/ National Congress of Chinese Canadians Agreement-in-principle that led to the controversial ACE program, that promised "Acknowledgement, Commemoration and Education" - but not Apology or Compensation.

"You have a very reasonable offer," Oda told the group, reported by Bill Chu, who attended.  He said that it was great to see representatives from BC, Alberta, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, in addition to the Chinese Canadian National Council - many that he had only knew through e-mail contacts.

Chu also said he heard that things did not go as smoothly with the afternoon meeting with Oda and Kenney, for the National Congress of Chinese Canadians.  Some members of the NCCC still wanted the Conservative government to honour the AiP ACE program to which Bev Oda replied, "The ACE program is not worth the paper it is written on...  if we sign it, then that means no apology and no compensation."

"The next time we meet, it will be as one group," Kenney told the NCCC, implying that it will be combined with the CCNC and the Head Tax Coalition groups from across Canada.  Kenney also pointed out despite claims to unity that there was little unity amongst the NCCC which claimed to represent all Chinese Canadians, as they were divided amongst themselves on whether to follow the lead of the CCNC and Coalition groups in asking for the apology, or staying with the ACE program which they worked and long for.

Bill Chu emphasized that an important point made at the meeting was that "The success of the redress will not be gauged by the dollar figure but by how racism and discrimination against Chinese-Canadians are being treated by the government and the community at large. Reconciliation after all is not a transaction where claims against wrongs are simply bought off."

Also at the press conference were Gordon Mark, and ex-Montreal community worker  Cynthia Lam.  Mark, who is 2nd generation Chinese-Canadian on his father's side and 4th generation on his mother's side, explained that the Head Tax and Exclusion Act created a drastic uneven playing field for Chinese immigrants, who were unable to have the same immigration opportunities as non-Chinese, resulting in separated families for generations.  He said that immigration for Chinese was still unfair up to 1967, when the "point" system was created.  Mark told the audience that racial discrimination was systemically wide spread because Canadians born of Chinese ethnicity were not full citizens, as they were kept off the voting lists.  And even if they went to university they couldn't practice as doctors, lawyers or engineers, because they could only join the associations if they were on the voting lists.

"There used to be thousands, now there are only 250.  It is so sad,"said Cynthia Lam, emphasizing how many head tax payers and spouses have died since 1984, when head tax redress first became a major issue.  She said that she agreed with Chiu, that there is hope, but we must still be cautious.  "There have been so many governments that have said no, no, no, over the years.

Below is a newstory from CKNW

Quicker headtax compensation promised
Mar, 25 2006 - 5:30 PM

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - Compensation for headtax payers may not be more than one year away. Bill Chiu from the BC coalition of headtax payers says this is the promise he received from the new Conservative government. Chiu was among a broad group of representatives who met with Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda on Friday to discuss the long-standing issue of redress. He says resolution of this issue affects all Canadians.

"If one was picked upon and discriminated upon for a long time then it's up to the rest of the country to embrace and welcome coming into acknowledgment of this apology towards this darker part of our history. And hopefully that we will become better Canadians because of that."

Chiu says the Tory's plan for redress includes a formal apology and compensation within the next year. A second phase of the plan also involves some form of symbolic consideration for this part of Canadian history.

Cherry Blossom Friendship dragon boat regatta: March 26th at Dragon Zone

The cherry blossoms are out all around Vancouver, and the inaugural Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is happening!

The theme of the festival is friendship.  And I thought - Wouldn't it be fun to have a dragon boat event for the public, where people can come and experience the tremendous frienship and fun that is cultivated through dragon boat paddling?

So...  March 26th.
2pm to 4pm

Come to Dragon Zone, the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival clubhouse at Creekside Park - just south from Science World.  Click here for an aerial photo map of Dragon Zone.

We will have dragon boats to take the public out on, and teach people how to paddle.  We will take experienced paddlers from different teams, and mix them up so that they can paddle with paddlers from other teams.

We provide the personal floatation devices, paddles, boats... and instruction.

This is meant to be a fun event, rather than competitive.
It is way too early in the season to be having serious races or competing with 100% effort.
This is the inaugural event for Dragon Zone's public paddling Sunday sessions.

Wear comfortable but warm clothing.  Ideally I like to wear polypropeline undershirt with running tights and a fleece vest.  Later when the weather warms up, I will wear shorts and t-shirts.



Look for me, Todd Wong, wearing a red fleece jacket, looking like I am organizing things.

Come join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, and celebrate interculturalism in action - twisting Scottish and Chinese stereotypes, having fun, and staying fit!

BBC Radio Scotland calling: Wants to interview Toddish McWong for Tartan week

This week I was e-mailed by a researcher for BBC Radio Scotland's arts and culture programme ('The Radio Café').

I'm contacting you because I'm looking for people who live outside of Scotland but in some way celebrate Scottish culture, and I understand you organise an event called Gung Haggis Fat Choy. I'm very interested in speaking to you about this: what is Gung Haggis Fat Choy; why are you interested in haggis (Scottish cuisine?)… Ideally, I would then arrange to record you to be broadcast as part of a series on non-Scot's celebrating Scottish culture. Currently I have a Scottish folk music enthusiast in Cologne and (hopefully) the Philippines one and only bagpipe player. I do hope this is of interest to you.

I explained to Bronwen that for me, Scots and Chinese culture are the two unofficial founding cultures of the province of British Columbia, compared to Canada's official English and French founding cultures.  And of course there is the First Nations peoples too!

Growing up Chinese-Canadian, I was definitely not Scots.  In fact, the Scots represented a lot of the White-Canadian power and institutional racism of Canada.  The first Prime Ministers were born in Scotland, as well as the "father" of BC - James Douglas.  It was the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. MacDonald, born in Glasgow, under whose government imposed the very first head tax on Chinese immigrants to Canada in 1885.

But I have learned to embrace the Scots as part of Canada's multicultural heritage.  And now.... I have attended the Burns Club of Vancouver annual "Big Night" dinners, and have been asked about joining.

I have put on annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry nights at the Vancouver Public Library, where we read traditional Robbie Burns + celebrate with contemporary Scottish-Canadian and Asian-Canadian poets.

And I shared that I have learned lots about Scottish culture, while reading Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" novel series.

Chinese to get redress?
Apology, compensation could be in throne speech

March 25, 2006 
By IAN ROBERTSON, TORONTO SUN

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's vow to officially apologize for a "head 
tax" and restrictions on former Chinese immigrants took a giant step forward 
here yesterday. 

Applause and smiles were exchanged after Heritage Minister Beverley Oda 
and parliamentary secretary Jason Kenney met privately with delegates from
across Canada at George Brown House. 

Oda said she and Kenney will report "positive progress" to Harper in
negotiating the apology's wording and undisclosed financial compensation to
survivors. 

"We will fulfill the commitments our government made," she said. 

"The Liberals talked for 13 years and did nothing," Kenney said. "We are 
working to redress this issue." Delegates are seeking a July 1 apology for 
the head tax, which raked in $23 million from 1885 to 1923, to coincide with 
the start date of the Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese newcomers from 1923 
until 1947. 

THRONE SPEECH 

Susan Eng, co-chairman of the Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and
Families, said compensation for 200 survivors in their 90s and even 
100s should come soon. Nine of the seniors have died since the fall. 

"We're extremely encouraged," she said. "We hope we have an announcement 
in the throne speech (April 3)." 

Tories, the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have supported the apology and, Eng 
said "we hope the Liberals will join." 

Oda and Kenney promised to continue consulting the Chinese community 
aboutdetails and redress amounts. No figures were quoted yesterday, but Dr.
Joseph Wong said anything paid to the elders must be "significant and
meaningful ... a dignified amount." 

http://torontosun.com/News/Canada/2006/03/25/pf-1505111.html

Canadian Press:
Chinese-Cdns. hail promise for head tax apology