2007 was good year for Chinese Canadians in Vancouver. Here is part 2 of my list of Chinese-Canadians that inspired me in 2007.
Jen Sookfong Lee –
author of End of East. It's an interesting read when the main
character Sammy Chan explores her Chinese head tax paying descendant
roots. Jen got some great reviews nationally for her first book. In May members of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team met Jen Sookfong Lee featured at CBC Radio Studio One Book Club. Jen also appeared at the Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival in the fall. I didn't get to see her there, but I heard her delightful conversation with Shelagh Rogers on CBC Radio's “Sounds Like Canada.”
Margaret Gallagher – CBC radio and television host that is appearing everywhere on CBC! Margaret hosts 690 to Go on
CBC Early Edition, co-hosting Flavour of the Week, and this week is
sitting in for Belle Puri on CBC radio. She has also hosted stories on
Living Vancouver,
on CBC TV Vancouver. Margaret has co-hosted and performed at past Gung
Haggis Fat Choy dinners and been featured in the St. Patrick's Day
Parade on our dragon boat float. We started 2007 by attending the Centre A book launch of the hapa anthology “All Mixed Up” where Margaret did a reading. Margaret also MCed the Canadian Club Vancouver's annual Order of Canada/Flag Day luncheon, which I help organize. She does a great job and we have asked her back for 2008. Gee… and there was Margaret again as a host for the Anniversaries 07 Riot Walk recognizing the 100th anniversary of the anti-Asian riot in Chinatown and Japantown. Margaret does great work for the community.
Karin Lee – film maker, creator of Comrade Dad. Karin was also on the Anniversaries 07 Committee,
and curated regular film showings in Chinatown as part of the
Anniversaries 07 events. I got to know her last in 2006 on the Head
Tax redress campaign. In 2007, I invited her to be a speaker for the
Canadian Club Vancouver Asian Heritage Month luncheon.
Comrade Dad – Karin Lee's movie about her father.
Bill Wong – Modernize Tailors – the subject of two articles in the Vancouver Sun in 2007, and the subject of a CBC documentary Tailor Made
that premiered at Whistler Film Festival to a standing ovation. Bill
Wong runs Vancouver Chinatown's last tailor shop. His son Steven
paddles on our dragon boat team. I have known “Bill Wong the tailor”
for the last few years, but he has known my father “Bill Wong the sign
painter” for even longer.
Vicki Wong
– creator of 2010 mascots. I first met Vicki at the end of 2006 when I
bought her book The Octonauts & the Only Lonely Sea Monster. In
2007 she published her second book The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade. Read my article: You hate the Vanoc mascots now… but after meeting the Vancouver creator Vicky Wong – I think you will learn to love them!
Quatchi, Miga and
Sumi are names of the new Vanoc mascots for the 2010 Olympic Games.
Joseph Wu – origami master – Joseph appeared in the Vancouver Sun twice in 2007, and he did lots of media for the Pacific Coast Origami Conference. Joseph can actually make a living by folding origami as demonstrated by his creations for Stolichnaya Vodka. 
Read my article:
Origami to “bend the mind” found at the Pacific Coast Origami Conference held in Vancouver
Yukiko Tosa and Joseph Wu stand in front of Saturday's Vancouver Sun article about the Pacific Coast Origami Conference.
Tricia Collins – actor – her one woman show Gravity astounds the senses – Tricia Collins takes the audience on a journey into her past and across two oceans.
I've known Tricia since 2002, but this was the year I got to see her do
some meaty roles in both Gravity and The Ecstasy of Rita Joe.
Tricia Collins in her one woman play “Gravity” – photo by Tim Matheson, used by permission of Rebus Creative
Click here:
See Chinese Canadians that inspired me in 2007 part I