It's an interesting race start. All the teams are sitting in the boats at the water's edge, held straight by volunteers in wet suits standing in the water. The steersperson of each team, is not in the boat. They are sitting in a chair, located high on the beach. The start is sounded, and the steerspeople leap out of the chair, racing for the boat. They jump into their boat, and the team takes off. All the boats head toward a single huge yellow triangular float, where they have to turn right. All the boats bump and jostle each other, trying to get their first, or to get the better position.   more »

During the past year, this locally based Asian Canadian arts and culture magazine went from the standard 8.5-by-11-inch magazine size to a literary-journal format of 6.5 by 9 inches. It also received an arty make-over to better suit its content. Now that it's easier to pop into your trendy bag or laptop case, it'll be easier to flaunt as a highbrow fashion accessory. See Ricepaper Magazine online at http://www.ricepapermagazine.ca/   more »

Kogawa House cherry tree at Vancouver city hall is given a plaque on the 20th anniversary of the Japanese-Canadian redress.

"Friendship Tree" plaque at Vancouver City Hall for the "Kogawa House cherry tree" graft - photo Ann-Marie Metten.

Sixty-six years ago, in 1942, Japanese-Canadians were "evacuated" from Canada's Pacific coast and sent to internment camps for the duration of WW2.

in 1981, Joy Kogawa wrote her first novel Obasan, the first novel to address the issue of the Japanese-Canadian internment.  Joy Kogawa would receive the Order of Canada in 1986 for her literary acheivement, what Roy Miki called "a novel that I believe is the most important literary work of the past 30 years for understanding Canadian history."

2005 was a busy year for Joy Kogawa.  Obasan was the "One Book One Vancouver" selection for the Vancouver Public Library.  "Naomi's Road", a mini-opera based on her children's novel debuted by the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble.   And the childhood home of Joy Kogawa, which she had always hoped her family could return to after the war, was threatened with demolition.

And on November 1st,at Vancouver City Hall, there was the Joy Kogawa Cherry Tree Planting".
Then city councilor Jim Green accompanied Joy Kogawa in turning the sod.  Jim had helped Joy take the original grafts from the tree a year before.  They were accompanied by Vancouver chief librarian Paul Whitney, and Vancouver Opera managing director James Wright.

On November 3rd, a presentation was made to Vancouver City Council to do whatever they could to stop or delay the proposed demolition of Joy Kogawa's childhood home.  An unprecedented motion was passed to delay the processing of the demolition permit by 3 months.  read Kogawa House: Vancouver Council votes unaminously to create 120 day delay to demolition application

Now there is a plaque to officially recognize and commemorate the significance of this young cherry tree.  It is grafted from the original cherry tree from Joy Kogawa's childhood home.


Joy Kogawa with City Librarian Paul Whitney, Opera Managing Director James Wright, and City Councillor Jim Green - photo Deb Martin

On November 3rd, a presentation was made to Vancouver City Council to do whatever they could to stop or delay the proposed demolition of Joy Kogawa's childhood home.  An unprecedented motion was passed to delay the processing of the demolition permit by 3 months.  read Kogawa House: Vancouver Council votes unaminously to create 120 day delay to demolition application.

In May of 2006, The Land Conservancy of BC purchased the house at 1450 West 64th Ave, to help preserve the childhood home of author Joy Kogawa.

In April 2008, Joy released a children's picture book titled Naomi's Tree.  It encompasses the stories of the WW2 internment, and also the saving of her childhood home, while reflecting on the friendship of a young child and cherry try as they both age and meet again.  This book tells the story of the "Friendship Tree,"  Joy Kogawa reads "Naomi's Tree" at Vancouver Kidsbooks for the Vancouver book launch.

It seems very fitting that a plaque at Vancouver City Hall be placed at the baby cherry tree on the 20th anniversary of the Japanese-Canadian redress settlement.

Louie, Chow, Jang and Dhaliwal are nominated by Vision Vancouver to run for
a diverse Vancouver City Council.

Campaign sign for the joint slate of Kashmir Dhaliwal, Kerry Jang and Andrea Reimer at the voting site at Sir Charles Tupper School - photo courtesy of Patrick Tam - Flunging Pictures

It was a very happy party for the Vision Vancouver nominations results party last night at Science World. It was great to see so many faces that help make Vancouver such as vital and creative city.  People like Naomi Singer - creator of Winter Solstice festival and Paul Wong - video artist, as well as Paul Faoro- president of CUPE 15, and Alex Youngberg - president of CUPE 391 Vancouver Library Workers.  And I happily made a new friend with Jennifer Sweeney, who is Director and Co-Chair of the Campaign School for Canadian women Voters Congress.

I went down to check out the action at Tupper at 6:30pm, and saw many candidates and supporters all greeting the incoming voters with flyers.  It was like a Chinese night market as people called out "vote for (fill in blank), hawking their preferred vote.  I was greeted by Kerry Jang, Raymond Louie and Andrea Reimer - 3 of the councilor candidates that I gave personal endorsements to.  Then a nice enthusiastic hug from Constance Barnes who is running for Parks board.  I know Constance from her job as manager at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens.  She is a warm friendly person whom whenever I talk with, I know I want to get to know her better.

After voting from 10am to 7pm at Charles Tupper, the candidates and their support teams all headed to Science World expecting results announcements for 10pm - just in time for the late evening news.  I arrived after 9:30pm, to a very festive atmosphere.  People were dancing beside and on the stage.  Lots of greetings as new people constantly arrived. Warm hugs from Aaron Jasper, Parks candidate and his wife Arminder - they both were volunteers at the 2008 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner this year.  I got to know Aaron during the Vancouver Civic Strike last year when he would bring water to our Library Square strike line.  

It was great to see my old friend Sarah Millin and Imtiaz Popat from my Canadian University Press Days.   I met the newly nominated Vancouver Fairview MLA candidate Jenn McGuinn, and discovered we knew many people in common.  There were also people from the Green and COPE parties attending.  My friend Stuart Mackinnon, the newly nominated Green parksboard candidate, introduced me to Ben West, Green Party chair.  And I bumped into Green organizer Tom Cornwall who used to paddle on Gung Haggis dragon boat team many years ago.  Another former Gung Haggis paddler was Meena Wong, who is seeking the councilor nomination for COPE.  COPE school board nomination candidate Jane Bouey was also there.

COPE nomination candidates: Meena Wong for Council, Jane Bouey and Imtiaz Popat for School Board - Patrick Tam - Flunging Pictures

This event was also very family friendly.  Children and adults were all playing with the different Science World displays.  Andrea Reimer's young daughter was on stage dancing with Andrea.  Kerry Jang's daughter was running and playing with other children.  Raymond Louie's daughter was walking around with her mom.

But there were delays as they counted votes cast by a record number 4,500 people.  And then there was a recount, as results for the last spots for council and school board were separated by only 17 and 8 votes respectively. 

Mike Magee came to the stage just before 12 midnight to announce the results.  Incumbent councilor Raymond Louie topped the votes, as all incumbent Vision councilors Heather Deal, Tim Stevenson and George Chow were easily nominated. Andrea Reimer led the polls for new council candidates followed by Geoff Meggws, Dr. Kerry Jang and Kashmir Dhaliwal. Geoff Meggs and his family were standing behind me when the announcement was made, and they were all very happy.  Heather Deal was standing in front of me and soon handshakes and hugs were congratulating all the winners. 

I am happy to say that 7 of the 8 winning nominated people for Vision's council slate have very happily attended Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner events in past years. Raymond and Heather were also very instrumental in helping to create the Tartan Day proclamation for City Hall this year.  Heather has Scottish heritage, and she made it into a Vancouver Sun photo with us to help promote Tartan Day, when she joined us for a Kilts Night event.  George, Heather and Tim also attended a photo recognizing Tartan Day proclamation at City Hall - even if Tim did hold the kilt up backwards, with the pleats in the front, "commenting that he can't do anything straight." 

Todd Wong congratulating George Chow - photo Patrick Tam - Flunging Pictures

Raymond Louie and Geoff Meggs, happy at the results - photo Patrick Tam - Flunging Pictures

Vision Vancouver mayor candidate addressed the crowd after the results, then invited everybody up for a well-deserved applause for a successful nomination campaign - photo Patrick Tam - Flunging Pictures

I was pleased to see that Parks Board candidates Sarah Blyth, Constance Barnes, Aaron Jasper and Raj Hundal won their nominations.  I met Sarah this summer at the Taiwanese Cultural Festival, as I had been encouraging the skate board enthuiast to try out dragon boat paddling.  I almost had Aaron and his wife Arminder in the dragon boat, after they volunteered for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner back in January.  I am sure that Constance and I will be planning a joint event at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens in some form.

Meena Wong, Aaron Jasper, Todd Wong and Carol Reardon - photo Arminder

Winning School Board nominations were Sharon Gregson, Mike Lombardi, Patti Bacchus and Ken Clement.  Clement hopes to be the first aboriginal trustee on the Vancouver School Board, helping to bring more diversity and recognition for First Nations issues.

There will be a recount as there were only 13 votes separating the 8th and 9th spots for Council candidate nominations. Only 8 names will be put forward.  Top 9 Councilor Voting results are:

3746 Raymond Louie

3704 Heather Deal

3271 Tim Stevenson

3248 George Chow

2988 Andrea Reimer

2951 Geoff Meggs

2387 Kerry Jang

2240 Kashmir Dhaliwal

2213 David Eby

Total votes and results can be viewed on Frances Bula's blog:
http://www.francesbula.com/?p=363

Gung Haggis dragon boaters climb Grouse Grind in less than an hour.

Team members from the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team have been regularly doing the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver this year.  We started as a team event two years ago on Canada Day, and repeated last year.  This year, team members have been making regular treks up the Grind to improve their times and their fitness.

Redress for the WW2 internment of Japanese Canadians is one of Canada's most significant actions to address Canada's past racist history.

This weekend there is a conference to acknowledge the 20th Anniversary of the Japanese Canadian Redress.  http://redressanniversary.najc.ca/redress

Highlights include panel discussions on related topics, plus music and performances by dancer Jay Hirabayashi, and poets/authors Roy Miki and Hiromi Goto.

Conference Schedule

Day 1: Friday, September 19

Host Venue: Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall, Vancouver, B.C.

Theme: Reflecting the past in the present

View Friday's Schedule

Day 2: Saturday, September 20

Venue: Nikkei Place and Alan Emmott Centre, Burnaby

Theme: In the present, imagining the future

View Saturday's Schedule

Day 2: Sunday, September 21

Venue: Nikkei Place and Alan Emmott Centre, Burnaby

View Sunday's Schedule

It was the 6 year old Canadian-born Generation Joy Kogawa that was put on a train in 1942 and sent with her 10 year old brother, Anglican priest father and mother, to the internment camps in the Kootenays.  This was done in the wake of Japan's bombing of the US naval base Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, and fears of a Japanese invasion of Canada's Pacific coast.  But no similar action was done against German ancestry descendants.   All Japanese-Canadians on the coast were sent to internment camps, and while there they suffered the indignity of having their houses and properties confiscated and auctioned off, supposedly to help pay for their internment.  The anti-Japanese racism extended years beyond WW2, as Canadian parliament enacted a dispersal policy, to restrict Japanese-Canadians from returning to the West Coast, sending them instead to work on beet farms across Canada, or to be "re-patriated" to Japan - even if they were born in Canada!

In 1988, Prime Minister Mulroney signed a redress settlement with Art Miki, and made an apology in Parliament.  This redress process also set in motion a redress movement for the Chinese Head Tax, when NDP MP Margaret Mitchell brought the issue to Parliament in 1984.  In 2006, Prime Minister Harper officially apologized for the Chinese Head Tax (initiated in 1885) and Chinese Exclusion Act (1923-1945), but failed to give a redress payment for all head tax certificates, whereas all Japanese-Canadians born up to 1947 were eligible for redress settlement.

I have been privileged to be involved in the struggle to save the childhood home of Joy Kogawa from demolition.  Kogawa's novel Obasan brought the Japanese-Canadian internment and struggle for redress to Canadians through literature.  NDP leader Ed Broadbent read a passage from Obasan in the House of Commons during the 1988 Parliamentary redress.

The UBC Day of the Longboat is the largest voyageur canoe race in North America.  Take over 100 teams of university students, staff and community teams, give them one canoe orientation clinic, then put them on the water in heats of ten for a bumper car style race start.  It's crazy!


10 voyageur canoes race towards a single buoy to turn right, The Gung Haggis team is in the foreground. Todd is steering.  Kristine is lead stroke. photo Dave Samis.

The community team event is on Sunday Sept 28th, so this weekend we will do an orientation in the voyageur canoes.  The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat paddlers first entered this race supplementing the Tacoma DBA team in 2004.

read our past adventures at the longboat race:
2007: Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team braved the white cap waves of Sunday's UBC Day of the Long Boats

2006: UBC Day of the Longboat - I paddle the distance equivalent of 16 dragon boat races in one day

2005: UBC Day of the Longboat - Full contact voyageur canoe bumper car race mayhem

2004: Day of the Longboat: voyageur canoe race

Check out the race description from the website:
http://www.rec.ubc.ca/events/page.cfm?filename=race&ActID=27&path=longboat&term=0

Race Route Description

All team members will begin in their boat, except for their runner, who will start in a chair on the beach. Once the starting horn is sounded, the runner will run to and enter their boat, at which point teams will begin to paddle. Teams will head straight for approximately 50m until they reach the first buoy. At the first buoy, teams will make a 90 degree right turn, then race around a rocky point and toward the Baton Pick-up location on the shore. Once the boat reaches the shore, one team member must exit the boat and pick-up one baton from the beach. After that team member has re-entered the boat with the baton, the team will head back out towards the second buoy, where they will make a 90 degree left turn. From there, teams will head to the third and final buoy where they will make their final 90 degree left turn towards the finish line. Upon reaching the shore, the team member wearing the team's race number will jump out of the boat, carrying their baton and run up the beach to hit the gong.

Route Map

Sunday 1:30 Gung Haggis dragon boat practice.
I think we will go back to Sunday afternoons because:
more people had challenges meeting the 10am morning time.
Weather is getting colder too.

UBC Day of the Long boat - CLINIC ORIENTATION
4pm  - same as last year.

We have more men than women wanting to do long boat this year.
I have switched the entry from MIXED to MENS.   Last year we raced 8 men with 2 women, Sarah and Kristine - I am sure that Gayle and Pash will be up to the task.

Last year our Men's team was right behind TD Lightning, and they were surprised when they learned we had 2 women on the boat.  We will certainly surprise them with Gayle and Pash!

UBC Day of the Long Boat is a challenging but fun race.  2 km in a 10 person voyageur canoe, while English Bay waves bounce you up and down.
2 Races - 1st race around 9am, and 2nd race around 2pm (schedule to be confirmed).  There is waiting around between races... and lots of UBC students as there are over 100 teams.

Here is our team roster:

Todd W.
Tzhe L.
Stephen M.
Tony L.
Dan S.
Richard M.
Joe E.

MAYBE LIST
Ernest W.
Jim B.
Hillary W.
Jonas N.

Diversity lives in Vancouver!  But can ethnic actors act? Or is the real question: "Can Studios accept that actors don't have to be white..."

For generations, Asian Canadian actors have been relegated to ethnic roles, and supporting characters.  Think of Robert Ito (Japanese-Canadian) in Quincy, George Takei in Star Trek, The Hop Sing character in Bonanza.

But recently, ethnicity is the new "hotness."  Think Kristen Kreuk in Smallville (okay, she's playing a caucasian character), think the new 90210 with a Afro-American lead, think Cheech and Chong revival tour... think... hmmm not much else, unless you are Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Stephanie Song or Lucy Liu...

Here's a Casting Call for Actors of Colour - forwarded to me from Joyce Lam of Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre.

Storytelling + Theatre + Human Rights = something compelling?

No One Is Illegal and neworldtheatre present...

Storytelling Our Lives:
Stories of Migration and Displacement

It was neworldtheatre that presented last year's fabulous My Name is Rachel Corrie, and the political satire The Adventures of Ali and Ali and the Axes of Evil.  Check out their latest collaboration with No One is Illegal. Community activist Harsha Walia sent me the following:

‘Storytelling Our Lives’ is an exciting new theatre production that
involves 5 young people of colour sharing their personal stories of
immigration and displacement in a series of deeply moving and courageous
testimonies.

Sunday, September 14, 2008
Doors at 2 PM
2:30pm - 3:30pm sharp
Chapel Arts
304 Dunlevy Avenue (corner East Cordova, 2 blocks East of Main)

Sunday, September 21, 2008
Doors at 2 PM
2:30pm - 3:30pm sharp
Chapel Arts
304 Dunlevy Avenue (corner East Cordova, 2 blocks East of Main)

Monday, September 29, 2008
Doors at 7:30
8 - 9 pm sharp
Room 1800, SFU Harbour Centre
515 W Hastings
[ These are all free events.  Donations will be thankfully accepted ]

The Terry Fox Run is the world's largest single day fundraiser for cancer research. All throughout, Metro Vancouver. all of BC, and all across Canada, Terry Fox Runs took place communities large and small. And also around the world. The Richmond BC run site is one of my favorites. It is organized by my friends John and Joan Young. Since 1993, I have been a Terry's team cancer survivor guest speaker in Burnaby, Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, North Delta, Richmond, Kelowna, Beijing, and many elementary schools. Meeting different people, who all have a connection to Terry Fox or a cancer story, is one of the best things I enjoy at a Terry Fox Run. This year at the Richmond run, I met somebody who personally knew Terry, a woman whose sister is dying from cancer, and a young boy who heard me speak on Friday at Chief Maquinna School in Vancouver.   more »

If you attend Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinners, you will recognize Joe McDonald bagpiper. Did you see him on the front page of Wednesday's Globe & Mail right away. .On Wednesday's September 10th edition of the Globe & Mail, Joe was playing his pipes for the June 21st wedding of Corporal Ryan Elrick who had lost his legs 2 years before in Afghanistan, when a roadside bomb exploded the light armoured vehicle Elrick was riding in. Th   more »

2pm Sunday practice for Gung Haggis dragon boat team

This is because of two reasons:

1)  It's Terry Fox Run Day in Canada.... 

     I encourage everybody to take part in a great Canadian tradition!
     We traditionally do not practice in the morning
     As a Terry's Team member, cancer survivor, I speak at Terry Fox Runs,
     and will be attending the Richmond Run at Garry Point Park 10am.
   
     Check my website for more information on runs www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com
     or check www.terryfoxrun.org

2)  Kelowna Dragon Boat Races - Sat/Sun  Sep 13/14
     Tony is racing with Sudden Impact Blac

3)  BC Seniors Games - Sat/Sun Sep 13/14
Steven Wong and Dave Samis are racing in Prince George for Seniors Games

Future practice Dates.

We will next practice every Tuesday 6pm - until Thanksgiving

Sunday Sep 21st is....practice

Usually we will follow with a voyageur canoe practice for the UBC Day of the Longboat

Sep 28th
No Practice because of:
1) UBC Day of the Long Boat
2) Word on the Street Festival

Every year I speak at elementary schools as a Terry's Team member cancer survivor. This year I was invited to speak at Chief Maquinna Elementary by my friend, teacher Bill Hood. It was a very inspiring day. Ms. Wort is a teacher and a cancer survivor. She led a group singing of a song about Terry Fox, written by a former principal.    more »

Who is going to make it past the nominations fight to represent Vision Vancouver, COPE, and Green Party for city council, school board, and parks board?

It's going to be tough. There are 17 Vision candidates and 5 Cope candidates positioning for 8 Vision spots and 2 COPE spots for City Council.  Assuming that the incumbent councilors David Cadman, Raymond Louie, George Chow, Heather Deal and Tim Stevenson all get in, - that leaves 13 Vision candidates for 4 spots and 4 COPE candidates for 1 spot.

Here's the deal as reported in the Globe & Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080909.wvancouver0909/BNStory/National/home
Mayor - 1 Vision
City Council  - 8 Vision 2 COPE = 10 total
School Board - 4 Vision 5 COPE = 9 total
Parks Board - 4 Vision 2 COPE 1 Green = 7 total

Frances Bula has a list of all the candidates for all the parties, including NPA, on her blog site State of Vancouver: Frances Bula on city life and politics

The best surprising story is the Green candidate for Parks board is included in this slate. 

Stuart Mackinnon has run for the Greens in past elections.  He is quoted in the G & M article:

"Personally, I am pleased that we've been recognized as a force in civic politics," said Stuart Mackinnon, the Green Party's park board candidate.

"And Vision is running the greenest mayor we've ever had. Gregor Robertson could be a Green Party member."

While 5 COPE candidates scrap for 2 seats on Parks Board, and 6 Vision candidates battle for the remaining 4 seats, Mackinnon is assured of his spot on the COPE/VISION/GREEN slate.

Stuart Mackinnon with musician Michelle Carlisle of the Halifax Wharf Rats, at Kilts Night event - 1st Thursday of each month at Doolin's Irish Pub - photo Todd Wong

I am proud to say that Stuart Mackinnon is a 2 year member of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  While on the team Stuart has been exposed to all sorts of issues such as cultural diversity, paddling on sewage threatened False Creek, the importance of water front park land for dragon boat festivals, as well as Chinese-Canadian and Scottish-Canadian histories. Much of which was already close to his heart.

Stuart loved paddling so much in his first weeks last year, that he was inspired to start up a junior dragon boat team for Killarney Secondary students where he teaches as a special needs teacher.  The team won silver medals in their division in their rookie year at the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival and has matured tremendously and improved in performance in its second year.  Stuart and I are now preparing the 2009 team, with early planning for practices this fall.

It's been an honour to be welcomed into Stuart Mackinnon's life and become his friend.  He is an inspiring figure to his students, and those around him.  Last year, he led a delegation of teachers to China and gave an address about Norman Bethune, the Canadian doctor so revered in China.  Stuart is thoughtful, respectful and diplomatic.  He does his research, and he is passionate about his issues and beliefs.

I have learned a lot from Stuart about city politics over these past two years.  Through Stuart, I have also gotten to know his good friend Andrea Reimer, who is running for a Vision Vancouver nomination for city council.  Andrea was the first elected Green candidate tp a school board when she became a Vancouver School trustee in 2002. 

I have given an endorsement for Andrea Reimer's website, as well as for Raymond Louie, Meena Wong, Ellen Woodsworth, and Kerry Jang

Good luck to all the candidates... but especially to Stuart Mackinnon and the Green Party.

7 first-time paddlers came out on the dragon boats with the Gung Haggis team, and found themselves doing 3 sprint races.


What is the best way to introduce first-time paddlers to dragon boat racing?

Give them a race!

On Tuesday night, we had six students and one teacher from Killarney Secondary join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  For the past two years I have coached the Killarney team, with teacher sponsor Stuart Mackinnon, who is also a paddler on the Gung Haggis team.  I asked Gung Haggis paddlers to be good role models and to help mentor the Killarney paddlers.  We had the newbies sitting in the back, and matched with experienced paddlers.

Each boat had 16 paddlers per boat including coach + steers.  I coached one boat with 3 first time paddler students, 1 first-time teacher, 3 experienced students, + 7 experienced Gung Haggis paddlers.  Gayle coached the other boat with 3 first time student paddlers + 1 experienced student + 11 experienced paddlers.

We each circled The North Side of East Basin, then headed towards Cambie St. Bridge, and caught up at David Lam Park.
We did a mini race piece with Hon's Won Ton team.  They only had 8 paddlers in a 6-16 and were very surprised they stayed even with our lead boat, especially since they are a first year team.  But a lighter weight in a 6-16 against heavily loaded Gemini boat that sit deeper and heavier in the water... is what happens.

We paddled almost to the Granville St. Bridge,then turned around and came beside the house boats on Granville Island where our paddlers switched sides, to help exercise both sides of their bodies.

After the races, I asked some of the experienced students, if we ever had races like that on their first day in the boat.

"Nooooo...." was the answer. 

Did the first-time paddlers enjoy the race?

"Yesssss....." was the answer.  I think they are still shy.

Trying to coach 20 brand new paddlers at the same time, can be a very frustrating experience, as much of the time is spent trying to teach people how to put their paddle in and out of the water at the same time.  But by introducing the first time paddlers onto boats where they were partnered with experienced paddlers, they could watch the paddlers and feel how the boat surged with each stroke of the paddle.  With only 3 paddles going out of time on each boat, the boats really flew much faster than any of the earlier Killarney practices back in the Spring.  Hopefully we have inspired the new paddlers to tell their friends to come join the dragon boat team at Killarney.  And after the students graduate, they can join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  Hmmm... maybe we now have a dragon boat farm team!

After a brief warm-up, we did another race piece... to the Cambie St. Bridge.  The other team won again, by about 3/4 boat length.  same as before.  We picked a paddler off their team... Dan Seto.

Another Race... switch sides... back on the good side for most.
We won by about 4 seats.... VERY CLOSE!!

LOTS of FUN!

NEXT Practice Sunday 2pm (not 1:30pm)
Because lunch at Hillary's + Terry Fox Run Day....

Ethnic issues and the Canadian Federal Election: Why the federal politicians are now paying attention.

As I drove into work this morning, CBC Radio's "The Current" was interviewing a Muslim-Canadian in Quebec and a Chinese-Canadian in Vancouver about the importance of ethnic issues for this upcoming federal election.

The Chinese head tax issue was cited by one of the interviewees as being an issue that caused problems for the Paul Martin and the Liberals.  Without a broad-based consultation of Chinese-Canadians directly affected by the head tax issue, the Liberals went ahead with their ACE program (Acknowledgement, Commemoration and Education) without an apology or a payment settlement plan.  This raised the ire of not only Chinese Canadians