Imagine if schools across Canada, all held their Terry Fox Run at the exact same time across Canada. 10am in BC, 11am in Alberta, 12noon in Winnipeg, 1pm in Ottawa, 2pm in Halifax, 2:30pm in NewFoundland.... ~~~~ This year I was invited to speak at Tomsett Elementary School in Richmond. I always speak at Elementary Schools for Terry Fox Run, as a Terry's Team member - cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has helped to make a difference.   more »

Following a year that saw CBC TV's "The Greatest Canadian" and CBC Radio's "BC Almanac's Greatest British Columbians" - there is a book titled:



Hmmm... definitely a great list of thinkers.  Whom have I met?  Joy Kogawa is now a friend.  I have met writers George Elliott Clarke and George Bowering a few times.  I saw Roch Carrier just on Sunday at the Word on the Street Festival, I can add Audrey McLaughlin to my list...  I would love to meet Charlotte Grey!

Of CBC's top ten Greatest Canadians - David Suzuki lives in Vancouver
Of BC Almanac's top ten Greatest BC'ers - David Suzuki and Nancy Greene are still alive
Of "What Is A Canadian" contributers - several live near Vancouver: George Bowering "Canada's first poet-laureate", Joy Kogawa, Valerie Haig-Brown is the daughter of eco-pioneer Roderick Haig-Brown and lives on Vancouver Island.

Maybe I can propose an essay collection for "What is Chinese-Canadian?" or "What is Asian-Canadian?"  Would Kristin Kreuk be availalble or Jon-Kimura Parker? 

'Chinese Canadians,' or 'Canadian Chinese' (with or without the hyphen)

It's almost as interesting as the question: "What is a Canadian?"  But, truly... What is a "Chinese-Canadian?"

I used to think it was like being a French-Canadian, but instead of my ancestors being from France, they came from China.  Presto!  I am a Chinese-Canadian.

But then I discovered that French-Canadians have different historical and parliamentary differences.  In 1985 I spent 2 weeks in Montreal and Quebec City, trying to speak French exclusively.  I learned that  being "Quebecois" is different from being a "Quebecker."  A Chinese-Canadian friend went to Montreal, and phoned me saying "Guess what? I'm not Chinese-Canadian anymore, now I'm an Anglophone!"

So... what is a Chinese-Canadian, or a Chinese (un-hyphenated) Canadian?

Susanna Ng asks the question on her weblog "Chinese in Vancouver." She cites a study by Julianne Rock titled "We are Chinese Canadian: The Response of Vancouver's Chinese Community to Hong Kong Immigrants, 1980-1997."

Susanna finds it interesting to discover that the "established" Chinese Canadian community (pre-1967) felt threatened by the new immigrant waves from Hong Kong during the 1980's, because of different values and cultures.  As one of the Hong Kong immigrants, she "didn't realize the Hong Kong Chinese were seen so much as an outsider by established Chinese Canadians then."  She goes on to "comtemplate about the recent wave of immigrants from China and how we - the Hong Kong Chinese now the established Chinese Canadians - responded. We see big differences in culture/habits/behaviours between 'us' and 'them.'"

I find Ms. Ng's article interesting and I look forward to meeting with her. After growing up in Canada amongst Chinese-Canadian pioneer descendants, then making friends with each of the subsequent Chinese immigration waves in the 70's, 80's and 90's - it is clear to me that each immigrant wave brings different cultures and regionalities of location and time.  This is similar to each of the different ethnic immigration waves that came to Vancouver's Strathcona neighborhood: Jewish; Russian; Chinese; Hong Kong; and Vietnamese.

The Vancouver / Canadian "Chinese-Canadian" community is itself very diverse and multicultural. Fact: China is many times larger than Europe, and filled with many "types" of Chinese ethnic groups. So it makes sense that there should be as many "types" of Chinese people, as there are European peoples.

I have made this point many times, especially when organizations try to label "somebody" a "representative" of the Chinese community. It's like asking somebody to be representative of the "white community" or the "Canadian community."  I once went to a CBC Radio breakfast meeting of "Chinese community representatives" and was shocked to see so few multi-generational born in Canada pioneer descendants.  Most were Chinese language speaking immigrants.

As a 5th generation Canadian, it's not surprising that Chinese-Canadian pioneer descendants from prior to the 1923 Exclusion Act would feel threatened by the massive immigrant waves from; post-1967 with a new immigration point system; 1980's Hong Kong exodus; recent Taiwanese immigration wave; and recent Mainland China immigration wave. 

Nor is it surprising that ethnic Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong, would find themselves resentful of the new recent immigrants who don't integrate easily.  These complaints are not as harsh as the sentiments of the White Canadian (largely immigrant) population that created both the 1885-1923 Chinese head tax, or the 1923-1947 Exclusion Act, when they said that the Chinese would not integrate into Canadian society stating, "We don't want Chinamen in Canada, This is a white man's country and white men will keep it." or "The people of Canada do not want to make a fundamental alteration to the character of our population."  Hmmm... did anybody ask First Nations if European or Asian immigrants could come to Canada?

It was great when many of the post 1990 immigrants joined the Head Tax redress movement. Gabriel Yiu, Thekla Lit and Bill Chu really represented the immigrant-Chinese community very well.  The BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Family was a very cooperative work group of both Canadian-born pioneer descendants, China-born sons and daughters of pioneers who couldn't come to Canada because of the head tax / exclusion act - but came 1947-1967, and immigrants who arrived post 1967. It was an issue that brought Chinese Canadians together across the country, not dependant upon their regional or historical immigration culture or history.  Yiu, Lit and Chu spoke in many Chinese language debates in the Chinese media, as many pioneer descendants like myself do not speak Chinese (In 1967 - who would have ever thought that so many ethnic-Chinese immigrants would come to Canada, overnumbering Canadian-born pioneer descendants?).  A Georgia Straight article titled Head Tax Unites Activists summarized this alliance very well.

The reality is this: after a few generations everybody gets inter-married, and calls themselves Canadian. In the between-time, new immigrant Chinese will call themselves "Canadian" to distinguish themselves from the homeland they have recently left, than they will call themselves Chinese-Canadian, to distinguish themselves from mainstream white-Canadians, then as families inter-marry, they will call themselves Canadian.  Full circle.

Below is an excerpt from Susanna Ng's article.

We are 'Chinese Canadians'

When speaking about nationality, older Chinese Canadians who were either born in Canada or who immigrated in the post war years are adamant about their identity as Canadian first and foremost.

Bing Thom, a Vancouver architect with ties to the Chinese Cultural Centre, called himself a "true-blooded, third generation Canadian" and admitted that he is "getting the uncomfortable feeling now that, because [he] is of Chinese heritage, [he] is looked upon as an immigrant again.

Fred Wah is new Writer-in-Residence for SFU 2006-2007

Congratulations to Fred Wah.  He is being welcomed as the new Writer-in-residence 
for Simon Fraser University.  Fred is an amazing poet, and former English professor
at University of Calgary, now living in Vancouver.

Fred has been a featured poet for the 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns 
Chinese New Year Dinner, as well as the 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry
Night reading at the Vancouver Public Library.  

Fred loved the concept of "Gung Haggis Fat Choy" as he is multicultural inside and out, 
celebrating his Swedish, Irish, Scottish and Chinese heritage.

The following came to me from SFU English professor Roy Miki:

Roy Miki wins SFU's Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of CONTROVERSY

l-r: Rev. Tim Nakayama, Roy Miki, Joy Kogawa and Todd Wong 
- at the inaugural One Book One Vancouver event for Obsasan May 2005.

Congratulations to Roy Miki, English professor at Simon Fraser University,
and noted advocate for Japanese Canadian Redress.  This has been quite
the year for Roy, as he was awarded the Order of Canada earlier this year.

Roy Miki, truly is an amazing person.  His book of poetry "Surrender" recieved
the Governor General's Award for Poetry in 2005.  I first met him in 1994, when
I interviewed him for an article about Asian Canadian arts and culture in the
SFU student newspaper The Peak.  

Last year our paths crossed several times, at the opening event for One Book One 
Vancouver when Joy Kogawa's book Obasan was presented. Roy has been an advisor 
for the Kogawa House Committee, and read at events for the Save Kogawa House 
campaign, such as the Joy Kogawa Emily Kato book launch, and the Chapters 
event titled Joy Kogawa & Friends.  

In 2005, Roy was the featured speaker for the UBC/Laurier Institution lecture on 
Multiculturalism, which I reviewed.  During the last federal election, I read his book
Redress: Inside the Japanese Canadian redress movement.  It's an incredible read,
and I found it very pertinent to my advocacy role for Chinese Canadian head tax redress.

The following message is from Simon Fraser University:

It was a fun day, at Word On the Street

I always check out Word on the Street Book and Magazine fair, held annually at Library Square on the third Sunday of September.

I arrived to find Ian Hannomansing of CBC TV's Canada Now, introducing the national librarian of Canada - Mr. Roch Carrier, author of the classic children's book (and NFB animated short), "The Hockey Sweater." 

My girlfriend Deb spent some time volunteering at the Kogawa House display, organized by The Land Conservancy of BC.  It was only a year ago, that Joy Kogawa's childhood home was threatened with demolition, the same weekend that WOTS occured last year, and we presented Joy with a Community Builder Award, from the Asian Canadian Writers's Workshop at the Ricepaper magazine 10th Anniversary Dinner.  What a difference a year makes.

We couldn't stay long because we had to pop off to a dragon boat practice, but returned immediately after practice.

We arrived back at the mainstage with a few dragon boat paddlers in tow, just in time to watch the IMPROvisors on the mainstage in the south plaza of Library Square.  What a surprise to see Diana Bang performing!  I first met Diana while she was performing with her "other" sketch comedy group - Assaulted Fish (a salted fish - get it?)

I dropped by the tent for Ricepaper magazine and Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop at the Magazine Mews.  It was great to see friends Don Montgomery and the Ricepaper gang.  A big surprise to see my cousin/author Janice Wong signing copies of her book CHOW: From China to Canada - memories of food and family. So sorry I missed seeing Evelyn Lau who had been at the tent from 1-2pm.

Up the street at the Harbour Publishing tent, I got a nice hug from my friend Marisa Alps.  I first met her when I interviewed her for a 1995 article I wrote about Asian Canadian writing and the Go For Broke Revue (the precursor to explorAsian's Asian Heritage Month Festival in Vancouver).  I bought several "hurt" copies of The BC Almanac Book of Greatest British Columbians. It's a great book, and I can remember showing Joy Kogawa her listing under the chapter Top 10 Authors.

Then just a few feet away from me at the Tradewind Books tent, I spot my friend Elizabeth Sheffrin - usually known as a textile artist.  She created the wonderful Middle East Peace Quilt.  It turns out that Elizabeth is now a book illustrator for Abby's Birds, written by Ellen Schwartz. The book isn't out in stores yet - but Tradewind did have copies at the tent.

And Trevor Lai always has his booth set up, where he draws pictures of Ralphy the Rhino.  Trevor has self-published a series of children's books following Ralphy's adventures.  Trevor is an amazingly talented artist, who can whip up large sketches and tell a story as kids listen and follow intently.

Just before I left, I bumped into Ron Mah, who was carrying petition for the Chinese Head Tax Redress.  It's important that a true redress honours each head tax certificate -not just the surviving head tax payers and spouses who are still alive.

And I even saw an accordion performed today.  Poet Rowan Lipkovits did a reading at the Poetry Tent, accompanied with a small accordion.  At the end of the day, we bumped into each other and shared some accordion talk.  He e-mailed me later... with an idea to perform together for Co-Op Radio... something about an accordion program.  Sounds interesting!

Wow!  What a day!

On Sunday afternoon - we had a great paddle.

Keng, Gerard, Teresa, Stephen M., Tzhe, Barbara, Steven W., Rita, Joe and myself showed up to paddle, Deb steered.  We went all the way to Cambie St. Bridge - with a short rest to simulate Ernest jumping out of the boat on the beach to grab a traffic cone, then jump back in the boat - then we paddled back to Dragon Zone - all to do a dry run for UBC Day of the Long Boat - about 1500m. 

Coming back to the dock, we found Pirates paddlers Ian and Cory - who had just finished attending "Body Worlds 3" at Science World - stepping onto an Aquabus.  They asked us for a ride to Granville Island (of course we made them paddle), and Dan joined us too!

Again - we paddled all the way to Cambie St. Bridge, paused for a short rest to simulate Ernest hopping out to grab a traffic cone.  Then we paddled all the way to Granville Island.  We made good time with only 13 paddlers.  We are doing a longer stroke with a "kick" before the exit.  Excellent for creating a glide.  These paddlers are going to take it up to the next level for a strong foundation for next year's team!

And then Deb and I hopped back over the The Word on The Street - to check out the displays, say hi to friends, and buy some great books!

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team had a season wrap up dinner last night. 

Guess what?  We cooked Haggis Won Ton!!!

many hands make haggis won ton	the boiled version	close up
The haggis has been thawed and mixed with chopped celery. Steven, Ernest, Queenie, Angie & Jane...	presentation is everything. Ernest displays the goods.

Check out photos at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53803790@N00/

A BIG BIG thank you to paddler Dan for hosting the team bbq.  Dan is a 2nd year paddler who has really blossomed as a paddler.  He loves the sport so much now, that last year in his rookie season he joined a team going to San Francisco.  This year, in addition to paddling 7 events with Gung Haggis, he also paddled in Calgary and Kelowna with Acme Dragons, and will soon be going to Philadelphia to paddle dragon boats.  We love Dan, and we are happy to share him.  He has a real big heart!

And that's what we want on our team - good hearted people with big hearts!

It was great that we had 30 people there, with so many absentees sending good wishes.  This year we built up a large roster of paddlers for the team.  We did not have to go outside our roster for races at Lotus Barnet, ADBF Regatta, Alcan, Vancouver Taiwanese, or Vernon races.  We joined up with Tacoma for the False Creek Women's regatta and with the Pirates for Victoria.  In Kent we brought a full crew with paddlers from 4 other teams, but only at the Cultus Lake Women's regatta did we have to "borrow" paddlers for our races.

Deb and I constantly this year, had said - "this is the best Gung Haggis team ever!"  

Unfortunately - no medals for the team this year - but really good friends, great times, overnight road trips (Kent, Vernon, Victoria), lots of paddle events (9).   WOW!

This was the first time we ever cooked haggis at a team event.  Usually we do a wrap up at a Chinese restaurant - but we never ever brought out a haggis other than the BIG Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner.

Special thanks to Deb and Ernest for bringing the haggis and the won-ton wrappings, for everybody pitching in to wrap, and for Jane cooking the won tons, boiled, deep-fried, + boiled haggis (pictures to come).

Special thanks to Julie, for teaching Polynesian Dancing, and to Marian for playing Nova Scotian tunes on my accordion.  We will have to do something for the next kilts night at Doolin's on Oct 5th.  Maybe at 8pm - we can do our singalongs.

Special thanks to Rita for creating the photo montage.  It's a wonderful collection of memories from our paddling summer.  Hopefully we can create a 8 1/2 X 11 photo for everybody.  Deb and I are very thankful to the team for the this gift and the many others, for our efforts in coaching and managing this wonderfully fun dragon boat team.

It was great hearing everybody singing together for "When Asian Eyes Are Smiling" and "My Haggis Lies Over the Ocean", + Loch Lomand (You Take the High Road).  And... wonderful to hear Ernest singing  Auld Lang Syne in mandarin Chinese.

Many many more thanks to everybody for attending, contributing and being a part of our special team spirit.

Peace & Blessings, Todd

Word On The Street - Book and Magazine fair at Library Square!

It's the annual Word on the Street Book and Magazine fair.  Come to Library Square on Sunday Sept 24th.
There's lots of activities, performers, readers, book sellers, displays. check out the program: http://www.thewordonthestreet.ca/van_events.php

One of my favorite annual events is Haiku Night in Canada.  It's kind of a slam poetry event, where performers/writers "face-off" against each other, go through elimination rounds, and end up a winner.

My friend Fiona Tinwei Lam will be there reading.  She is the author of a poetry collection titled "Intimate Distances." 

Ricepaper magazine and Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop will have display at the Magazine Mews.

The wrap-up event for One Book One Vancouver, for the Vancouver Public Library, will take place.  Last year, it was highly emotionally charged because we had just discovered that Joy Kogawa's childhood home was threatened with demolition.  And Joy's book Obasan, was the 2005 OBOV choice.

Hmmm... what do I see tonight?
Margaret Cho or Sheryl Crow?

Both are performing in Vancouver Tonight.  Cho is a headliner for the Vancouver Comedy Festival, at the Orpheum Theatre.

Sheryl Crow is on tour with John Mayer, playing at the Pacific Coliseum.

Margaret Cho is that fabulous comedian, and star of that former American sitcom tv show All America Girl, which tried to portray a Korean-American family.  The misguided producers actually hired a consultant to help Cho became more "Asian." 

Cho went through depression, after the show was cancelled, and rebuilt herself into a stunning comedienne with hit shows such as "I'm the One that I Want," and "Revolution"  - filled with her biting satire, wit and commentary on race issues in America.

Sheryl Crow is the rocker, who is also known as Lance Armstrong's latest ex, as well as the singer/songwriter of such hits as All I Want to Do, Strong Enough, and Soak Up the Sun.  I really like Crow's rootsy approach to music, with feet in folk, rock and country.  She even produced Dixie Chicks' version of Landslide, originally written by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame.

So this Friday night, Margaret Cho or Sheryl Crow?
Asian American social issues or good rockin' music with a rootsy feel?

Well... John Mayer is opening for Sheryl.  A good pop musician who can really play the blues with Eric Clapton or BB King.

Ticket bought... going to see Sheryl.   And she's even a breast cancer survivor too!  Gotta love a gal who can play the accordion!

Chinese Canadian history is alive and well in Vancouver and really beginning a renaissance.  The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC (I am a member) is active.  The Vancouver Public Library has been doing great stuff with their Chinese Canadian genealogy website.  The Chinatown Revitalization Committee is active.  And the BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Familes are active.

Check this nice article by Charlie Cho in the Georgia Straight.  Charlie interviews leading Vancouver Chinatown historians such as Dr. Henry Yu of UBC, and Jim Wong-Chu.

They talk about the historic Anti-Asian riots in 1907 by the Anti-Asiatic League of Vancouver.  It was a scary night in Vancouver. A while back, I talked with tailor Bill Wong of Modernize Tailors, and he referred to it as Vancouver's own "Crystal Night" because so many store windows were broken.

Analysis

Asian-history anniversaries begin to coalesce

By charlie cho

On September 7 of that year, the Asiatic Exclusion League led a parade to City Hall at Main and Hastings streets, calling for an end to Asian immigration to British Columbia. More than 8,000 people, including local politicians, labour leaders, and members of fraternal organizations, rallied with banners reading Stand for a White Canada.

Only 2,000 could fit in City Hall, so crowds drifted to Chinatown, a block away. A rock thrown through a store window touched off a rampage of smashed signs and glass, and looting that continued into neighbouring Japantown, where the crowd faced some resistance before police showed up to quell the violence.

In the following days, Chinese and Japanese armed themselves with guns, preparing for another siege. They held a general strike, refusing to go to their jobs in homes, restaurants, and mills.

William Lyon Mackenzie King, then federal deputy minister of labour, held hearings on the riot. Almost a year later, damages were awarded: $26,000 to the Chinese, $9,000 to the Japanese.

Henry Yu, an associate professor of history at UBC, sees 2007 not just as the 100th anniversary of the 1907 riots but marking three other key years in the history of Asian immigration to Pacific Canada: 1947, 1967, and 1997.

Janice Chow - my wonderful artist/family historian / cook book cousin sends me this great news!

---

Open House event at Joy Kogawa House, September 17th.

photographs posted on Flickr.com  -  click on the photograph for a larger picture

 
Kogawa House Time Line from 1915, to 1942 internment, to 2003 sale, to 2005 demolition threat, to 2006 Preservation! - photo Deb Martin


Joy smiles at the special musical performance while she sits at the book signing table- photo Deb Martin

	Guest with opera singer Jessica Cheung - photo Deb Martin
	Tamsin Baker and Catherine of the TLC - photo Deb Martin
	and the best news is!! - photo Deb Martin

	The rain can't hold us back! Todd Wong on accordion, Jessica Cheung vocals, Masako Watanabe on Guitar, Harry Aoki on double bass - photo Deb Martin
	Todd Wong and Jessica Cheung performing "the Farewell Song" from Naomi's Road Opera- photo Deb Martin

Some of the guests watch the performance as it is filmed for a CBC Generations film documentary - photo Deb Martin

Joy talks to the cherry tree and gives it some loving manure fertilizer - photo Deb Martin

Here are some pictures that were taken at the Richmond Terry Fox Run on Sept 17, 2006. Terry Fox, bagpipes, face painting, + lots of participants! Click on the blue titles for larger viewing. PICTURES!   more »

Here's a news release about my animator friend Jeff Chiba Stearns.
Jeff is cool.  Check him out, and his short animated film 
"What Are You Anyways?"  I have featured the film at the Vancouver Public 
Library for the Joy Kogawa book launch for Emily Kato, and also at the
2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year
Dinner.



Above is a picture of two stills from "What Are You Anyways?"
For more stories about Jeff on www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com  click on:
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog?cmd=search&keywords=jeff+chiba+stearns



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2006

KELOWNA ANIMATOR WINS BEST ANIMATED SHORT AT NATIONAL ANIMATION AWARDS SHOW

Animation filmmaker and Kelowna resident, Jeff Chiba Stearns, took home the 
award for Best Animated Short Subject for his film, “What Are You Anyways?” 
at the first annual Canadian Awards for Electronic and Animated Arts 
(CAEAA).  The awards show, described as the Oscars of the Canadian video 
game and animation industry, was hosted by actor William Shatner of Star 
Trek fame on Thursday night, September 14th, at the world class River Rock 
Show Theatre in Richmond, BC.   Awards were presented in 37 categories in 
three sectors of the Electronic and Animated Arts industry: talent 
development (New Media and Animation Art Schools), animation, and video game 
development.  Each winner was presented with an Elan – a statuette similar 
to an Oscar but constructed of a majestic man and a woman resembling Greek 
gods holding up the world.

The evening was complete with red carpet, limousines, and Hollywood 
treatment.  The Gala event, with over 700 guests, was similar to the Golden 
Globe Awards with an Oscar-like glitzy reception and black-tie dinner at one 
of the best new theatres in North America with industry sponsors 
participating in the development of the show and celebrity guest presenters. 

It is expected that the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts 
will become the standard by which Canada and the rest of the World recognizes 
the amazing talent and product that this country is delivering to 
an enormous and ever-growing market.

Chiba Stearns attended the event with faculty from the Centre for Arts and 
Technology Kelowna where he instructs classical hand drawn animation 
courses.  His classically animated short film, “What Are You Anyways?” is an 
autobiographical recollection of Chiba Stearns’ life experiences growing up 
in Kelowna being a Hapa – a world-wide term used to describe someone of 
mixed Asian decent.  In Chiba Stearns’ case, he is half-Japanese and 
half-Caucasian. The film, released in 2005, has experienced incredible 
international praise winning over 7 awards and screening at over 35 
international film festivals to date.  Chiba Stearns has since become an 
international spokesman for Hapa advocacy by writing articles and lecturing 
at conferences, universities, and workshops about mixed-race identity and 
issues.

“I am extremely honored and excited to receive an Elan for Best Animated 
Short Subject at the 2006 CAEAA Awards.  It means a great deal to be 
recognized by my peers in the Canadian animation industry for the work I am 
doing in independent classical animation.  So many people from around the 
world respond to how much they relate to my film and in turn share their own 
stories with me.  I can only hope for continued success with all my future 
projects and that my work will continue to touch the lives of people around 
the world.”  - Jeff Chiba Stearns

Currently, Chiba Stearns is in pre-development of two short animated films 
and a documentary on Hapa children.  Look for new work by Chiba Stearns to 
be released in 2007.  Check out www.myspace.com/jeffchibastearns for current 
updates.  DVD copies of “What Are You Anyways?” can be purchased in Kelowna 
at Komatsu Japanese Market and in Burnaby at the Nikkei Centre Museum gift 
shop.  Educational sales and private sales are available through the NFB at 
www.nfb.ca

CONTACT:

Jeff Chiba Stearns
website: www.meditatingbunny.com

Today - I just feel so proud to be a Canadian.  

Terry Fox, Simon Fraser University, Joy Kogawa, Obasan, Naomi's Road, CBC, Tommy Douglas, Medicare, Burrowing Owl, Ecology Conservation, Order of Canada - were the themes of the Day.

Terry Fox Run - in Richmond BC

This morning I spoke at the Terry Fox Run Richmond BC run site.  It was at Garry Point Park.  352 people showed up amidst the rainy drizzle, but the mood was happy and cheerful.  I invited teenage runners Amber and Irene, to help me set up some tents for the run site.  John Young is the event organizer, and he introduced me to some of the other platform party members that included Richmond city councillor Sue Halsy Brant, and singer Jack McIntosh.  We are piped to the staging area by bagpiper Noel.

As a cancer survivor and member of Terry's Team, I serve as a living example that cancer research has made a difference.  I shared that when I was diagnosed with a cancer tumor in 1989, the doctors only gave me a 60% chance to survive.  Because my condition was so serious, they told me that without treatment I might last two weeks.

Glyn Davies is the media/communications coordinator for the Richmond run site.  And I shared a story about meeting his father Lorne Davies while Lorne was still athletic director at Simon Fraser University.  In 1993, Terry's younger brother Darrell asked me to help start a Terry Fox Run at Simon Fraser University - he told me "Remember what Terry said, 'It just takes one person.' " I went to see then Athletic Director Lorne Davies who had known Terry Fox, at SFU, and tells a memorable story about going to visit Terry at the hospital the night before his leg amputation.  I was wonderful to meet Mr. Lorne Davies, and to ask him to help set up a Terry Fox Run for SFU.

I had to go back to Darrell, and say "Sorry - but there won't be a Terry Fox Run this year (due to logistics).  But next year there will be... and there will be a Terry Fox Day!"  In 1994, there was indeed a Terry Fox Run.  And there was a trophy case that included Terry's favorite SFU t-shirt from the 1000 Mile Club.  And there was a presentation of the 1994 Terry Fox Gold Medal recipient.  The first Terry Fox Day at SFU was attended by the Fox family.  Then SFU basketball coach Jay Triano, one of Terry's SFU friends, was also there.

I reminded the audience that this is an example of what one person can do.  Terry said "One person can make a difference." On my Terry Fox Gold Medal plaque, it quotes Terry saying, "Dreams are made if people try."  I enjoyed sharing this story

It was a great day filled with a wonderful community feeling.  I gave "High Fives" as I passed Terry Fox Run participants, and met many wonderful people and we took many pictures.  I will write about these experiences and stories in the next day or so, such as meeting Eric and Matt - two young teens with the faces painted for Terry Fox Day.

Kogawa House

The open house event at Joy Kogawa House went very well.  Many many people came to see the house, and to meet Joy Kogawa, buy copies of her books and have Joy sign them.  The Land Conservancy of BC did a wonderful job setting up displays about the history of the house, and the time line events about the Save Kogawa House campaign.

It has been great for the Kogawa House committee to work with Heather Skydt and Tamsin Baker of TLC. Members of our Kogawa House committee also attended to help host and volunteer: Ann-Marie Metten, David Kogawa, Richard Hopkins, Jenni Kato, Joan Young, Sabine Harper and myself.

As people walked up to the house, the first thing they saw was that the white picket fence was decorated with pictures and events highlighting the timeline to save the house from demolition, starting from when the house was built in 1942, and when Joy's family moved into the house.

A tent was set up in the front yard, attended by TLC volunteers Jon and Janet, who gave people an information sheet about the house, and recieved donations for the restoration of the house.  TLC also had another display with newsclippins and pictures from events during the Save Kogawa House campaign. 

Volunteers greeted people as they entered the house, and other volunteers stood throughout the house to help explain stories of different rooms, as well as historic family items such as toy cars belonging to Joy's brother Timothy, a calligraphy set used by Joy's father, and wooden crates used by the family as they moved from the internment camp in Slocan, BC, to Coaldale, Alberta. 

And everybody wanted to say hello to Joy Kogawa.

There was a man who used to play with Joy as a child, before she moved away - Ralph told me that his older brother was in one of the pictures on display that featured Joy and her brother Timothy as children in 1940.

There was a woman who brought pictures of the house, during the 1940's when her grandparents lived there, after her family moved away.  Both Joy and this woman were very moved by this meeting.

There was a woman Daisy Kong, who had taken pictures of Joy at the Order of BC ceremony earlier this year in June, because Daisy's brother Dr. Wallace Chung also recieved the Order of BC along with Joy, in Victoria.  Daisy was amazed when I told her that Dr. Wallace's wife Dr. Madeline Chung was the doctor who delivered me as a baby.

Garry Geddes, current writer in residence at Vancouver Public Library, arrived to give Joy a hug.

Attending the event was also Jen Kato, on our Kogawa House committee, and Jeff Chiba Stearns, who just won the Best Animated Short for the Canadian Awards for Electronic Arts and Animation.

People bought Joy's books and asked her to sign them.  My friend Gail Thomson helped manage the booksales.  Gail is a librarian at Fraserview Branch in Vancouver, where Joy came to speak during the One Book One Vancouver program.

We surprised Joy with a special musical performance:  Jessica Cheung (who played the role of Naomi in the Naomi's Road Opera) sang "The Farewell Song" from the Opera, I accompanied on accordion, Harry Aoki on double bass, and Harry's friend Misako Watanabe on accoustic guitar.  Joy was moved to tears.

After the event, we had birthday cake to celebrate David Kogawa's birthday.  David is one of our wonderful Kogawa House committee members, and Joy's ex-husband and friend.

CBC Generations

A CBC documentary film crew followed me around today, because I am one of the subjects for a Generations program - which will feature 120 years of the Rev. Chan Yu Tan family and descendants in Canada.

This evening, CBC producer Halya Kuchmij met with a few Rev. Chan descendants, and we watched a 10 minute segment that she produced/directed for A People's History of Canada.  And then we watched a 45 minute show Generations: 100 Years in Saskatchewan - which featured the Hjertaas family.

Halya says the Generations project with the Rev. Chan family is going to be awesome.  There are great people and topics for the show.  Rev. Chan, WW2 veterans who fought for Canada, then for the vote for Chinese Canadians and head tax redress; Rhonda Larrabee - a First Nations Indian Chief - who is a great grand daughter of Rev. Chan Yu Tan; Janice Wong - an artist painter who wrote a book about food and family; me; and 14 year old Tracy Hinder - the 1st BC CanSpell champion who went to Washington DC for the Scripps Spelling Bee, and the CanSpell national bee in Ottawa.  Wow!

John Rutherford is an astrologer and a friend of mine. Here's his astrological forecast for this coming week. ~~~~ Last Week: The Giant Planet T-square will leave effects for weeks to months. Last Wednesday, there was also a T-square of the Moon aspecting the Venus-Uranus opposition, but its effects only last days. Besides, it’s not a true T-square, as any Lunar configuration must be treated as a special situation (more at another time). And, throwing the Mercury-Mars alignment into the mix made it all so complex, didn’t it? This week: Ah, some relief. Venus aspects Jupiter Tuesday to make this early Fall ever so loverly. The Moon is apogee Thursday, slow and distant, out of touch, triggering little. The New Moon is also a Solar Eclipse, but annular, and only seen from the South Atlantic. Ho hum. Chill, dudes and dudettes.   more »

I survived Jenny Kwan's fundraiser: Scotch tasting party.

It's a small house party of a fundraiser.  There are many different bottles of Scotch for you to try, along with some wonderful appetizer and snack foods.  Jenny's husband Dan has a wonderful way with food, and he sent me home with some incredibly delicious chocolate pate.

My accordion and I provided some musical entertainment.  Jenny said I was a hit.  Her husband Dan booked me for a return engagement for next year.

What did I do?  Simply lead singalongs of "When Asian Eyes Are Smiling," and "My Haggis Lies Over the Ocean."  It fit perfectly with Jenny's Chinese heritage and her husband Dan's Scottish heritage.  We also sang "Loch Lomand (You Take the High Road)" with Vancouver city councillor Heather Deal leading one of the verses, while everybody joined in for the chorus.

I also performed the Address to the Haggis, while former Vancouver city councillor Jim Green cut up the haggis.  Okay... it wasn't a traditional reading.  It was my very untraditional Haggis Rap.  Dan and Jenny said that in the 5 years they have been hosting their Scotch tasting party, it was the best reading of the Burns immortal poem, they had witnessed.

It was a great party.... I will definitely return for next year.

Terry Fox is a light: a speech by a parent-teacher representative.



Why am I here today, that’s a very good question! When I was asked back in June to take on the job as coordinator of the Terry Fox Run, my first response was, aarrgh!!!  Julia!!! All I wanted to do in Sept. once my children were back in school was to set up a studio and paint, but how could I say no to the Terry Fox Run???

To be honest, it is truly an honor to be here today. So I would like to thank Julia for thinking of me, and Sandra Pascuzzi our new VP, for making it so easy for me. With all the help of the teachers, the students who collected pledges, and the numerous parent volunteers, there wasn’t much for me to do, except this one thing.

A week later, the reason I wound up in this position became very clear to me as I was sitting in Mosquito creek. It’s amazing what comes to you when you are daydreaming!  I WAS meant to paint a picture, but not an acrylic on canvas, a picture I perceived of Terry Fox. So that’s why I am here today, to share with you this picture, which comes from a very peaceful place and my inspiration is Terry Fox.

Terry was a young man whose simple objective, through the Marathon of Hope, was to inform Canadians of the importance of finding a cure for cancer. I believe that Terry had the greatest cure in him all along.

Let’s call it a light for now! A light in Terry that shone so brightly, even in such a dark place as cancer, it rekindled a light in everyone he passed and therefore grew stronger and stronger. One on-looker Terry passed in Toronto commented, “He makes you believe in the human race again.” What is this light, which not only restores our faith in the human race, but can restore the human race itself? If you are with me, just find a word and hold it for a few seconds. If you are daydreaming, stay with it, something great will come eventually!!!

I’m going to use the word, COMPASSION!
Compassion comes from the latin words ‘com’ which means together and ‘passia’ which means a suffering, together in suffering. By definition, it means a deep sympathy or sorrow followed by an urge to help. According to just a few of the many beautiful examples you wrote about, it can mean helping someone who is ill by keeping them company, doing things they enjoy, phoning them so they don’t feel alone, laughing with them, gathering friends, or giving them hope. I think one of the greatest and simplest forms of compassion is just to listen. Often we don’t have the words of wisdom to help someone who is sad or ill, but if you are present to allow whatever expression is needed at the time then that is a great gift in itself. Sometimes, there just are no words.

Compassion, I believe, has the greatest healing power of all and Terry shared his life to help us realize the power we have in all of us to help others heal. Medicine can cure a disease, but only we can heal a whole person. We bless each other!

The driver of Terry’s van while running across Canada, also his best friend Doug Alward, has been quoted “I remember Terry saying it is almost like this has been planned for a greater purpose”. At that point, I think he got the picture.

There have been many men and woman who have walked this earth for such a great purpose, Nelson Mandella, Ghandi, Mother Theresa,  the architect Buckminster Fuller, Rick Hansen, Simon Jackson, head of the spirit bear coalition, and the list goes on.
However, only one young man, running so passionately with one leg could touch the young people so brilliantly. Terry’s purpose was to raise money for cancer research and stop the suffering, but inadvertently, he also raised an awareness in all of us of one the greatest cures of all, COMPASSION.

Today, let’s run TOGETHER with open hearts in support of Terry’s dream and follow everyday in his footsteps with that brilliant light of compassion to help those who are SUFFERING.

Life is sacred, let’s have a great RUN at it.

THANK YOU!!!

Terry Fox Coin, Todd with Doug Alward and Terry Fleming (Terry Fox's best friend, and high school basketball coach), at 2005 Hometown Run in Coquitlam, BC.

Terry Fox Run at Cleveland Elementary School - I am guest speaker

Each year I speak at one or more elementary schools as a Terry's Team member.  I explain that we are cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has made a difference.  And that is what Terry Fox wanted to do - make a difference.

Cleveland Elementary is in North Vancouver, located just off Capilano Road, just North of the Capilano Suspension Bridge - but on the East side of Capilano Road.  It's not too far away from my home in North Vancouver, so it was easy to get to.  On September 29th, the National School Run Day, I will speak at Tomsett Elementary in Richmond, BC.

The entire school turned out for the Terry Fox assembly.  As children from Kindergarten to Grade 6 filed into the gymnasium, a slide show of images of Terry Fox, and a map of where he ran in Canada played on the video screen.

We sang O Canada in first french, then English.  Capilano is a bi-lingual school.  This was fun, as I think it was the first time I had sung O Canada in French.

Vice-Principal Sandra Pascuzzi introduced me after welcoming all the students, and saying a brief introduction about Terry Fox.  I explained to the students what it meant to be a Terry's Team member and a cancer survivor, then introduced a tape from last year's Terry Fox National Run Day that aired on CBC, produced by my friend Moyra Rodger.  It showed a brief history of Terry, then showed school children in Ottawa, Brampton Ontario, and Victoria BC.  I asked how many participated in last year's National Run, and explained that while they were participating, that particular Terry Fox video was airing live across the country, and that there were over 5000 schools across Canada and over one million students participating.

I explained when I was 29 years old, I was diagnosed with cancer.  It was a scary moment.  But I remembered that Terry Fox had initially survied his cancer diagnosis, and the doctors told me that I could too.  I had chemotherapy treatment for 5 months.

In 1993, Simon Fraser University gave me the Terry Fox Gold medal for courage in adversity and dedication to society.  I held up the plaque with the picture of Terry Fox, and read the words, "Canadians are inspired by Terry's challenge:... 'dreams are made if people try.'"  I emphasized to the students that is important to always try - otherwise dreams may never happen.  That's what I had to do to beat my cancer.  I had to try, and not give up.

I explained to the students that every year, I speak and run at a different Terry Fox run site.  I have been a Terry's Team member for Vancouver Stanley Park, Burnaby, SFU, North Delta, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Kelowna BC, and even in Beijing China.  I asked the students how many countries now participated in Terry Fox Runs around the world.  One boy answered "A lot." 
"That's right," I replied, "A lot - too many for me to remember.  There are now run sites in Africa, Europe, Australia, Asia, North and South America.  I told the students that I would be speaking this year at the Richmond run site, but that I have spoken at both the North and West Vancouver run sites before.  I then asked who had attended or was going to them, then asked them to identify the sites. After numerous "I don't know" answers, I informed them that the West Vancouver run was at Ambleside Beach, and the North Vancouver Run was at Inter-River Park.

I closed up my talk by telling the children that with any event, you must do your preparation.  Before running across the Canada, Terry ran the equivalent in practice.  That way he knew he could do it.  I related this to doing your homework.  If you want to do well in school, you must be prepared.

Following my talk, the beginning excerpt of the Terry Fox video "I Have a Dream" was played.  Judy, a parent teacher representative, then gave a lovely talk about Terry being a bright light in the world.  She said that Terry already had the answer to finding a cure for many of our problems, and that the answer was inside of us.  She asked the children what they thought the answer was.  "Stenghth", "friendship" and "courage," were some of the replies.  Judy said her answer was "Compassion - which means caring for others."  For her that was what Terry Fox embodied and how he gave hope to Canadians and to people around the world.

The event wrapped up with an exercise warm-up, and then everybody went down to the lower field and did a run, along the neighborhood streets.  It was fun running with the students.  I ended up talking with a mother who came to the school to run with her daughter.  We had a great chat about Terry Fox and what he means to people.  Some students asked me if I really had cancer.  Others simply smiled and waved to me.

After I finished the run, I walked back towards the school.  A parent named Darrell commented that the kids had more enthusiasm than most of the people who attend the main run sites.  I shared with him that each run site really has its own personality.  He asked me if I was a parent.  When I explained that I had been the guest speaker, and a cancer survivor, he shared that in 1991, he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  It was scary for him, because he had had a cousin that had died from Hodgkin's in 1980.  But now many people survive because cancer treatments have improved.

We were both cancer survivors.  And that is the legacy of Terry Fox.  Attending a Terry Fox Run is a real honest to goodness, feel good event.  People are happy.  People are inspired.  It is always a joy to attend and to thank people for donating them time and their money.  I know that if it wasn't for Terry Fox, and the advances in cancer research - that I might not be alive today.

If you would like to donate to the Terry Fox Run.  You can donate to my on-line pledge sheet.  Terry's team members offer to run for people who cannot run themselves.  Just click on:
http://www.terryfoxrun.org/ENRunner/default.asp?s=1&RunnerID=42768

Here's a story on CBC about Kogawa House, and the open house event on Sunday.
I will be there with my accordion, and also volunteering.

Repreived Kogawa House opens to public

It's great to know where you family came from, who you are descended from, and what nice people are in your extended family.  I really am blessed to belong to the Rev. Chan Yu Tan family descendants.

The past 2 days, I have been busy introducing CBC producer Halya Kuchmij to members of the family, who will be interviewed or featured in an episode of Generations: The Chan Legacy.  Halya is an multiple award wining veteran producer, working CBC projects such as Man Alive, The Journal, and now the Documentary Film Unit - where she produced Life and Times of Northern Dancer, Who's Lorne Greene, Tom Jackson: The Big Guy, Chernobyl the Legacy, Mandela I & II, and many many more.

Generations is a fantastic CBC television program, that shows this history of Canada, through the experiences of a family's generations.  So far there have been 3 shows: 

Tuesday:  10am.  Halya and I meet at her hotel.  After many e-mails and phone calls. I like her at first smile.  It's the start of a wonderful friendship.  In between the many appointments we will have, small comments and gestures are appreciated.  The story arc that Halya senses is one of community service.  It begins with Rev. Chan Yu Tan arriving in Canada in 1896 as a Methodist lay preacher, serving the Chinese community in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and New Westminster.  It is carried through by many generations of his descendants, as they too, seek to build bridges between their Chinese culture and mainstream White Canadian culture, despite years of racism and adversity.

We go to the Goldstone restaurant in Vancouver Chinatown for some coffee and pastries.  She picks two different coconut pastries, and we share.  A gentleman comes to ask about the picture display of the Rev. Chan family that look at set up on the table beside us.  He has only been in Canada for 5 years, originally leaving Vietnam with the US withdrawal because he worked at the US embassy.

11am We meet Col. Howe Lee at the Chinese Canadian Military Museum.  Howe is the perfect person to give us a tour.  It was his idea to develop the military museum, and he was on the board of the Chinese Cultural Centre when the CCC Museum and Archives was being built (incidently designed by my architect cousin Joe Wai).  Howe gives us an introduction to the "Three Chinese-Canadian Pioneer Families" story boards left over from the 2002-2003 exhibit that had featured the Rev. Chan family, along with the Lee-Bick and H.Y. Louie families.  We are joined by my mother's cousin Gary Lee, who co-chaired the Rev. Chan Legacy Reunions with me for 1999 and 2000.

Upstairs, Howe gives a tour of the Military Museum, explaining the adversity and racism Chinese Canadians faced in joining the Canadian military, and how it was the British Military's need for Chinese soldiers to go behind enemy lines in the Pacific Theatre that finally allowed Chinese in the Canadian military.  Howe emphasizes the special combat units named Force 162, and Operation Oblivion that were sent to India and Burma.  My grand uncle Victor Wong was in Force 136.  My grandmother's brothers Uncles Daniel Lee, and his brothers Howard and Leonard went to England.  We see Uncle Dan's Air Force Uniform on display.  There is a picture with Uncle Leonard, with his buddies during the war.

In particular, Howe explains how the Chinese Canadian veterans were instrumental in helping to gain franchisement and the right to vote for the Chinese community. It is also the veterans that have also helped to lead the fight for redress of the Chinese Head Tax and the Exclusion Act, that finally came to and apology, community funds and indvidual payments on June 22, 2006.

12pm  Halya, Gary and I have lunch at the Ho Ho Restaurant.  It is a restaurant that I grew up with and specializes in old time Cantonese style food.  Gary talks about his father Gordon Lee, who had started up Lee's taxi with his brother Art. We also learn about Gary's entertainment history.  As a child actor, he appeared in an episode of the early television show Rin Tin Tin, with Keye Luke (known for his role in Kung Fu).  Gary was also locally known as "The Chinese Sinatra" as he performed on the local night club scene. Gary has also done a lot of community service work with many years spent as a Lion's Club member, even starting up the Westside Lion's Club.

2pm  Halya and I go back to the CCC Museum, and go through the archival picture displays that I have, and talk more about the family history.  We also go for a walk through the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Park and Garden, as she scouts sites for interviewing and view footage.  Of course I tell her that the Gardens and Park are one of my favorite places designed by architect Joe Wai, and that I bring the dragon boat team for our annual tour and Tai Chi lesson.

Thursday 10:30am  We visit artist/author Janice Wong and her mother Mary (visiting from Saskatoon).  Janice's contribution to the family is recent and enormous.  After growing up in Prince Albert SK, with vitually no contact to her Rev. Chan family in Victoria where her father grew up. Janice's mother shares that when she grew up in Nanaimo, she met Mrs. Chan Yu Tan, and that her mother was friends with her.  Janice authored the book CHOW: From China to Canada: Memories of Food and Family.  She shares the history of Rev. Chan Yu Tan, and how his grandson Dennis moved to Prince Albert to start up a Chinese restaurant.  Chow was published in 2005, and it recieved incredible local and national media attention across Canada.  Halya is surprised to learn that Janice and I have only known each other for a year.  We attribute our wonderful friendship, that seems like decades, to a shared knowingness of family history.

1pm  We meet my mother's cousin Rhonda Larrabee. I first heard of Rhonda many years ago, when I first started doing a family tree in the late 70's as an interest.  It wasn't until 1999, that Rhonda and I really got to know each other during meetings for the Rev. Chan Family Legacy, as we planned the 1999 and 2000 reunions.  Rhonda is the subject of the NFB film "Tribe of One" which recounts how she single handedly rebuilt the Qayqayt First Nations Band, which is her heritage from her mother.  Rhonda's father is Art, my grandmother's second oldest brother.  Rhonda shares that she feels both her Chinese and First Nations cultures really have a deep respect for elders.

3:30 We meet Tracy, daughter of my mother's cousin Gail.  Tracy was the first CanSpell Champion for BC, last year.  She went to Washington DC for the annual Kripp's Spelling Bee, and also to Ottawa for the first national CanSpell contest.  Halya asks Tracy what she knows about Rev. Chan Yu Tan, the WW2 Veterans and about the family reunions.  She answers all the questions easily and with a poise and awareness you don't expect from a 14 year old.  She says she is proud of her family history.  Even though she has both shared English and Chinese ancestry, she calls herself Chinese-Canadian rather than simply as a Canadian. She and her friends had come to Park Royal shopping centre to purchase pinatas to celebrate Mexican Independence Day at their school.  They are first year members of the Multicultural Club.  She figure skates, she plays flute in concert band.  She is exactly what you could wish all children could grow up to be like.  Accomplished, knowledgeable and still humble and a bit shy.  It makes you proud to be part of her family, and it makes Halya and I hopeful for Canada's future.

THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM MY SCRIPTING ALOUD FRIENDS - KATHY AND GRACE - CHECK IT OUT! We're at our new venue, Our Town Cafe at 245 East Broadway (@ Kingsway) in Vancouver. Casting for submitted scripts begins at 6pm and readings start at 6:30pm, followed by scene study as time allows. Kibbitzing follows. If anyone would like to bring their own scenes to read, please do so - we'll try to get them read as well.   more »

Prime Minister Harper Lauds Contribution of Chinese Canadians to National Development
9 September 2006 Toronto, Ontario   Prime Minister Stephen Harper today paid tribute to the nation’s Chinese-Canadian community, thanking them for their efforts in creating today’s modern and prosperous Canada . “Through your dedication to family and community, solid work ethic and commitment to educational achievement, you are helping to secure Canada ’s place in the 21st century,” the Prime Minister stated. “This is something for which the Government of Canada is exceptionally grateful.” The Prime Minister made his remarks at the opening of Phase II facilities at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto. The new facilities, which include a multi-purpose hall and a performing arts theatre, were made possible through a financial contribution from Canada ’s New Government and a variety of corporate and individual donors. Prime Minister Harper noted that the history of the Chinese community in Canada stretches back to the late 19th century, when thousands of Chinese labourers helped construct the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Since that time, Canadians of Chinese descent have made their mark in a wide range of other endeavors and have helped to build a stronger and better nation. “The Canada we know and cherish would not exist without your efforts,” the Prime Minister concluded.

http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=238189

Google Alert for: kogawa house - September 14

in the city UPCOMING EVENTS inthecity@westender.com

Vancouver Westender - BC, Canada
... Homecoming: The Save Kogawa House Committee and the Land Conservancy host a fundraiser and the first public tour of the Joy Kogawa House (1450 W. 64th) on ...

Joy of history
Georgia Straight - Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada
... racial discrimination. The open house happens on Sunday afternoon (September 17), with Kogawa herself in attendance to sign books.

Terry Fox Run



Terry Fox is one of Canada's greatest heroes.

Terry Fox has a special place in my heart.

Every year since 1993, I am a Terry's Team member, cancer survivors who serve as living examples that cancer research has helped to make a difference.  This year, I am a guest speaker at the Richmond BC run site.

Being a Terry's Team member is very special.  I am glad to be a cancer survivor, but I would prefer it if there were no more new members.\

Todd with Terry's Best Friend - Doug Alward, and Terry's high school basketball coach - Terry Fleming.  photo Deb Martin

In 1989 - I survived a near fatal cancer tumor behind my breastbone.  Without treatment, the doctors said, I might have lasted two weeks.  Instead, I was on chemotherapy for 5 months from June 21st to November.

I speak at different run sites, and elementary schools each year  throughout Greater Vancouver.  I have spoken at run sites in Burnaby, Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, North Delta, Kelowna BC, and even in Beijing China in 1993.

Wednesday evening I attended the planning committee meeting for the Richmond run site, organized by my friends John and Joan Young, who are avid runners.  They introduced me to the planning team.  It's a good group.  Last year the Richmond run site attracted 500 participants.  The run starts at Garry Point Park on the Southwestern tip of Richmond, right beside the community of Steveston.  We will run North along the dike.  A 10 km run will take you all the way to Westminster Hwy and back.

Please join me.

Sunday Sept 17 10am
Garry Point Park, Richmond
(Southwest of Steveston).

You can make an online donations to the Terry Fox Run Foundation can be made with me as your own special "Terry's Team member" here:
https://www.terryfoxrun.org/

Practically nothing newsworthy for days and days on the national or international level, then both Mercury and the Sun opposed Giant Planet Uranus and surprise, surprise, all kinds of weird, idiosyncratic stories come springing out of the woodwork. Stingrays don’t kill people, but, crikey, Steve Irwin sure got barbed. Suri Cruise was in deep hiding, then comes out with a splash in Vanity Fair looking like a miniature Elvis with that head of hair. Kiko’s baby lets the Nippon traditionalists breathe in relief, the 1st male heir in 40n years. Bold Bull, Michael Ignatieff, came out charging with a platform full of challenges to our constitution, each one a threat of years, if not decades, of debate. Boy, he didn’t go to school just to be head of the debating team, did he? Sun and Mercury opposed big and pushy Jupiter in his Horoscope demands more and more, even if he steps all over rival Liberals.   more »

Todd visits Kogawa House - inside and out

The 1915 house is modest, and now seems out of place beside the new larger homes built on either side of it.  There is a tall cedar tree and a tall pine tree, and rhododendron bushes in the front yard, shielding the house, as if it is hiding it from the street trying not to be noticed.  It is really a wonder that such a small house has survived until now, with all the redevelopment in the Marpole neighborhood.
 
I looked carefully at the house that I have visited many times in the past year, always veiwing from the outside.  The front door was open.  Inside was a planning meeting organized by The Land Conservancy of BC - the new owners of the historic house.  We would be planning the open house event on September 17th as the first public event at Kogawa House.

Attending the meeting were staff and board members of The Land Conservancy of BC.  Heather Skydt and Tamsin have been working with us since December 2nd of last year when the TLC officially stepped in to lead the fundraising to purchase Kogawa House.  Ann-Marie Metten is my colleague and friend on the Kogawa House committee. Fran is the event chair.  Janet is a member.  Rich Kenney is staff. 

We are planning an afternoon that will include:

The house is in pretty good structural shape.  Past owners have renovated the house at different times.  An addition was created.  But it looks like the original wood floor and panels in some areas.  Joy's desk from Toronto and typewriter that she used to write Obasan is now sitting in her former bedroom.  A door from her childhood bedroom was created into what used to be her parents bedroom, next door.  Her older brother Timothy slept downstairs.

It is a modest house, but a house that you could imagine a Canadian family celebrating Christmas in.  The father telling the children that his sister will come look after them, while their mother has to go to Japan to look after her mother.  You can imagine the scenes from the Naomi's Road opera happening in this house. 

It is a house that a six year old would dream about in the years to come, pining that she could return, after being shuffled from temporary house to temporary house, in internment camps, and sugar beet farms where they were forced to live and work because the Canadian government had deemed this "Born in Canada" family "too dangerous" to live on the Pacific Coast.

In the past year, I have written much about the need to save this house on this website, and even started up a new website www.kogawahouse.com.  I wrote up 20 Reasons to Save Kogawa House from Demolition on Oct 19th.

It had been September 22nd, 2005 when Ann-Marie Metten informed me that an architect was inquiring about a demolition permit for 1450 West 64th Ave. Kogawa House.  Anne-Marie and I had spoken earlier in February, 2005 when I first wrote 20 Reasons why Joy Kogawa's Obasan is the perfect nomination choice for One Book One Vancouver 2005 program at VPL.

Later that same day, on Sept. 22nd Ann-Marie and I had sent out the following press release:

Kogawa Homestead threatened by Demolition Permit Application
- same week as Joy Kogawa is celebrated throughout Vancouver

This week, notice was received that an application for demolition was made to Vancouver City Hall by the owner of the Kogawa homestead. It is a house celebrated by the award winning novel "Obasan," and the childhood home of famed writer Joy Kogawa.

Kogawa's reaction has been of shock and dispair, as she knew that efforts were being made to save the beloved cherry tree in the back yard which figures prominently in the novel. COPE mayoral candidate Jim Green is a founding member of the "Save the Kogawa Homestead" committee.

This is a weekend when Joy Kogawa is being celebrated all across Vancouver... at the Vancouver Public Library for One Book One Vancouver, at a Sep 24th dinnner celbebration for the Rice Paper Magazine 10th Anniversary Celebration, on Sunday for the Word on the Street Book and Magazine Fair, and next week for the Vancouver Opera Premiere for "Naomi's Road."

A movement to buy the house, and to apply for heritage designation was aborted 2 years ago because of high costs to buy the house and resistance from the new owner to sell.  The owner at the time said that she liked the house and did not intend to demolish it.

Now more than ever, it is important to preserve this house for the cultural heritage of Vancouver.  There is not another house in Vancouver that is recognized for being confiscated during a dark time in Canada's history.

No other house in Vancouver could be turned into a bright spot on our cultural landscape as a writer's retreat, celebrating the work of a writer which has been called the most influential Canadian novel of the past 20 years. There is no other writer whose work helped fuel the Japanese-Canadian Redress movement, and has also received the Order of Canada.

In May, the Vancouver Public Library selected Obasan as the book chosen for all Vancouverites to read, as part of their award winning "city wide book club." Earlier this summer, during One Book One Vancouver events Joy Kogawa held up a graft of the cherry tree that held such a revered place in the novel Obasan - studied by so many Canadians in high schools and universities across Canada. Both the novel and the homestead have a proven place in Vancouver’s literary history.

By the next day we had a call from Alexandra Gill of the Globe & Mail, who put a small article in that weekend's edition. 

Also on the Friday night, highlights from the upcoming Vancouver Opera production of Naomi's Road were performed by at the 2nd Annual Vancouver Arts Awards.  I bumped into then city councillor Jim Green and mayor Larry Campbell.  They asked me about the state of the house, and I informed them.  Both Green and Campbell announced to the packed audience of Vancouver's cultural movers and shakers that they were distraught to hear that Joy Kogawa's childhood home was threatened, especially when city council had just passed a motion to plant a cherry tree graft from the house at city hall.

On Saturday night, Joy Kogawa was celebrated with a Community Builder's Award by the Asian Canadian Writer's Workshop at the 10th Anniversary Rice Paper dinner.  Joy asked me to speak about the campaign to save the house. 

On Sunday afternoon, Joy Kogawa read from her novel Obasan, at the closing event for the 2005 One Book One Vancouver program for the Vancouver Public Library, held during the Word on the Street Book and Magazine Fair.

It was a busy weekend - but the word was out - Joy's childhood home was in danger of demolition.  Who people be willing to help save it?

It is now a year later.  So much has happened. 

Here are some of the highlights:

May, 2005 - Obasan named as the One Book One Vancouver 2005 selection by the Vancouver Public Library. Joy also is reunited with her brother Rev. Timothy Nakayama, whom she hasn't seen in 10 years.


September 27th,
Asian Canadian Writer's Workshop / Ricepaper magazine 10th Anniversary dinner honouring Joy Kogawa as a Community Builder


(left photo courtesy of Jessica Cheung - right photo courtesy of Vancouver Opera)

November 1st,
Obasan Cherry Tree Day, declared by Vancouver City Hall.  Event is presided over by then Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell, and attended by Paul Whitney (City Librarian), and James Wright (Vancouver Opera General Director).

November 3rd,
Vancouver City Council votes to delay processing demolition permit for 120 day, effective November 30th.  120 days given to Kogawa House, as demolition timeline extended

November 2005
December 26th,
Joy Kogawa featured on CBC Radio's "Sounds Like Canada"
interview by Kathryn Gretzinger


January 22, 2006
Joy Kogawa is the featured poet/author at 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner.  Kogawa House is included as a recipient from annual fundraising dinner.

February 8th, 2006
Joy Kogawa House named to Heritage Vancouver's 2006 Top Ten list of endangered buildings.


February 11
Joy Kogawa & Friends - Emotionally and Truthful reading at Chapters on Robson, Saturday Feb 11
Joy is joined by Daphne Marlatt, Ellen Crowe-Swords and Roy Miki.


February 15,
Joy Kogawa is keynote speaker for the Canadian Club's annual "Order of Canada / Flag Day" luncheon - welcoming BC's newest recipients of the Order of Canada.  Joy recieved the Order of Canada in 1986.


February 27th,
"Emily Kato" Book launch at Vancouver Public Libary - it is a rewritten version of Itsuka, the sequel to Obasan and focusses on the Japanese Canadian redress process.


March 9th,
Joy Kogawa fundraiser in Toronto, at Church of the Holy Trinity.
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2006/3/11/1816004.html
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2006/3/16/1823641.html


March 26th,
March 30th,
TLC negotiates a 30 day extension for the demolition permit with the owner of the house.


April 25th,
Joy of Canadian Words - fundraiser event in Vancouver, at Christ Church Cathedral.  Special speakers include CBC Radio's Sheryl Mackay, actors Joy Coghill, Doris Chilcott, Hiro Kanagawa, Maiko Bae Yamamoto, Chief Rhonda Larabee.  Hosted by Todd Wong (Save Kogawa House Committee) and Bill Turner (The Land Conservancy).

April 30th,
TLC exercises their option to purchase historic Joy Kogawa House.


May 15th
Naomi's Road at Seattle Public Library - seen by Joy Kogawa's brother Rev. Timothy Nakayama


May 18th,
Joy Kogawa named to Order of BC


May 30th,
TLC officially purchases Kogawa House - mortgage free! 
TLC becomes proud owner of historic Joy Kogawa House

June 22nd
Joy Kogawa goes to Victoria to recieve Order of BC
http://www.protocol.gov.bc.ca/protocol/prgs/obc/2006/2006_JKogawa.htm


June 23
Gung Haggis Fat JOY KOGAWA HOUSE celebration dinner.
Joy returns from Victoria with Order of BC

 

PNE visit on Labour Day

It was lovely summer Labour Day.  I was fatigued after racing dragon boats for two days.  What do do?  Go to the Pacific National Exhibition!

It's very intercultural, as people can have their choice of Chinese food, "Curry in a Hurry," Japanese sushi and other dishes, "Hunky Bill's" perogies, "Belgian Waffles," "Bavarian Sausage," and even "Beaver Tails."

We first walked into the Marketplace, checking out all the vendors selling their wares.  We liked a little miniature toy car display.  We checked out the Hawaiian style shirts. 

In the animal buildings, we went to the petting farm where little Vietnamese pigs, miniature goats, and lambs rubbed against people for attention.  We also saw friend Melissa Issac, who does location management for CTV reporter/ weather person  Tamara Taggert.  Melissa told us to come back for 6:30pm, as Tamarra would be racing pigs.

Also in the Safeway Country Farms, we saw a calf who had just been born, only 90 minutes earlier.  The calf was standing on wobbly legs and tried to suckle for milk.  Mommy cow licked her baby, cleaning the calf of birth residue.  Then we watched a ferrier fashion a horseshoe for a horse.

It was fun to walk past the amusement park rides of Playland.  We didn't go on any rides, but enjoyed watching the people on the Drop Zone, Hell's Gate and others.  You will never catch me on the Revelation ride.  Moving to the ground face first at speeds up to 100kph from a height of 160 feet, does not interest me.
Last month I spent a day at Playland with an autistic boy that I work with.  We rode on Break Dance, Scrambler, Wild Mouse, and lots of rides at the Bumper Cars.

A woman complimented me on my t-shirt.  I was wearing a cotton Gung Haggis Fat Choy t-shirt.  I explained that it was for our dragon boat team, which also hosts a Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner.

"Are you Mr. Gung Haggis?" she asked, standing next to her husband.  "We've heard you on CBC Radio."

I gave her my business card, and invited her to come and try dragon boat racing, as well to come to the dinner next January.  Hmmm... we might have a new paddler.

I had really wanted to watch the Rod Stewart tribute performance.  This was fun.  I have been a Rod Stewart fan since 1975, and even had tickets to his 1977 concert.  I last saw the real Rod Stewart in concert at GM Place back in 2000. And he did play one of my favorite songs - Rhythm of My Heart - but they didn't have an accordion for the introduction of the song.

We finished off the evening watching the Rollin' Thunder Revue show.  It was an exciting performance of fireworks, flash pots and country music.

Here are some PICTURES of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team taken by Lawrence Lu: Barrel Race; High 5's in the line-up; Todd steering teak boat; Todd providing race commentary. ~~~~ For more pictures of other teams at the festival - check out links!   more »

Yaletown String Quartet at Our Town Cafe this Friday,
Sept 08 - CANCELLED!

Sorry - this performance is now canceled

Mark Ferris sends this message:

Dear friends,

My friend Mark Ferris is a wonderfully talented violinist.  Okay... he is also concert master for the Vancouver Opera and Sinfonia.  Mark also has a string quartet that specializes in JAZZ!  Check them out this Friday.  Here's the message from Mark.

Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub - September 7th
- 1st Thursday of every month.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson Street at Granville Street Vancouver BC
September 7th, Thursday
Music starts at 9pm.

This Thursday, we shall wear our kilts and hoist of dram of Scotch to the end of a grand dragon boat summer.  Yes... sadly the dragon boat season has come to an end for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  But kilts night lives on.

We have now passed kilts on to Gerard and Keng, who will wear kilts for the very first time!  Last month, we put the kilts on Stephen Mirowski and his visiting father - who had travelled all the way from Thunder Bay, Ontario.  

And we look forward to seeing Christine wearing her new yellow tartan kilt - without wearing blue jeans underneath them.  She's a bit shy... and the "Good Chinese Girl" side of her sometimes is averse to showing off her legs while wearing a mini-kilt.

We will also welcome Lorna, who will wear her mini-kilt out in public for the first time, and celebrating her combined Scottish and First Nations heritage.

I shall join my friends Bear, Raphael, and members of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  We shall wear our kilts and recieve a FREE pint of Guiness for our fashion choice.

Live music is performed by the Halifax Wharf Rats - a lively band specializing in East Coast maritime tunes plus some great Celtic tinged surprises.

See below for Kilts night related stories on www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com


Todd's mini kilt-night birthday at Doolin's May 11, 2006

Georgia Straight: Beats for Justice
- Head Tax Hip Hop Dance for Redress

The following was written up in the Georgia Straight highlighting the upcoming fundraiser for Chinese head tax redress that will feature the No Luck Club.   My friend videographer Sid Tan is no laying video images to the music track "Our Story - Chinese Head Tax Mash-Up."  Sid is interviewed in the article

Georgia Straight, 31-Aug-2006
http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=20037