Wow!  The BC Community Achievement Award is a big thing. 

Ming Pao contacted me last week for a short interview as well as the North Shore News.  Last week I talked with Dr. Kerry Jang who received the award last year.  Kerry thinks I should wear my kilt to the ceremony at Government House, when I go to meet the Premier and the Lt. Governor. 

My colleagues and friends from Canadian Club Vancouver, Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, Joy Kogawa House Committee and Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC are all very happy for me, and sent congratulations… as did many friends on Facebook.

Three
North Shore residents are among 45 British Columbians who have been
recognized by the province with B.C. Community Achievement Awards for
making outstanding contributions to their communities.

Premier
Gordon Campbell and Keith Mitchell, chairman of the British Columbia
Achievement Foundation, announced the winners last week. They included
North Vancouver residents Todd Wong and Gordon Barrett and West
Vancouver's Jack Farley.

Wong, named for his commitment to
intercultural events like the annual Scottish-Chinese hybrid dinner
Gung Haggis Fat Choy, said he loves seeing people of all different
ethnicities taking part in the dinner and accompanying games.”We've created an event to draw together everybody, to make it multicultural, to mix it up and have some fun.”

Wong
has also spoken at many of the Terry Fox runs and is founder of the Joy
Kogawa House Society, which campaigned to save the well-known author's
home from demolition and turn it into an historical landmark in
Vancouver.

He said he admires the other award winners and is proud to be amongst them.

“It's kinda cool,” said Wong. “I mean these are incredible people. I'm just honoured and glad to be recognized with them.”

Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.canada.com/northshorenews/news/story.html?id=45cbeea8-4443-46a0-9d30-ec8e80f580ff

We put a Taiwanese Dragon Boat in the St. Patrick's Day Parade  for the first three years, of Celtic Fest

I tried to put a dragon boat with the name FRASER Valley dragon boat club, but they are having problems with the trailer…. so we are going to present something else for the parade.  Maybe we will have dragon puppets, or Chinese Lion- headed kilted paddlers. 

Come out this Sunday at 2pm – for a dragon boat paddle!
meet at Dragon Zone, Creekside Park
just south of Science World.


Dragon boat practice moved to 2pm
to allow for parade involvement.

Also join us for the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
(wear something green – we will carry dragon boat paddles)
Meet at 10am (see information below)

This
is a great event for our bid for the ADBF special awards such as the
Community spirit, or the David Lam Multicultural Awards

Please arrive for 10am.  Parade starts at 11am.
Look for our entry #29
On Drake St  or Granville St.
as we will be positioned with Motorized vehicles.

We may have a dragon boat or not.
We will have LOTS of Funs
We will have other DRAGONS + Lion head masks
Please bring your team shirts….  or wear something green!
Bring umbrellas…. in case it rains.

This is a multicultural parade, and the organizers REALLY REALLY want a GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY entry…

We are also featuring the WINNER of the Battle of the Bards competition – Robbie Burns!!!!!

Cheers, Todd
c: 778-846-7090

The Battle of the Bards was the birth of a new Celtic Fest tradition.

Slam poetry face-off with Robert Burns, Dylan Thomas and William Butler Yeats!

Three actors playing W.B. Yeats, Dylan Thomas and Robert Burns traveled from Irish pub to Irish pub reading poetry, in a Poetry Slam styled contest.  It was the Battle of the Bards literary pub crawl on Thursday March 13th.  Four Irish pubs. Three Celtic poets.  One winner.

Robert Burns was played by Todd Wong aka Toddish McWong, known for hosting Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year events.


William Butler Yeats was played by actor/musician Mark Downey.


Dylan Thomas was played by actor Damon Calderwood, who has actually played the Welsh poet in a one person play titled “Dylan.”

The event was hosted by Ravishing Rhonda and produced by Steve Duncan.

Robert Burns/Todd Wong took an early lead at Doolin's

but fell into 3rd and last place at The Atlantic Trap and Gill, where Yeats took the lead.

At Johnny Fox's Irish Snug…  the score was Yeats 76.5

with Dylan Thomas and Robert Burns tied at 75.5




For the Finale at Ceili's Irish Bar, we pulled out the stops as we were accompanied by a DJ and a celtic fiddler

Dylan Thomas went first – but the DJ and fiddler didn't seem to know what to do with “the barking poet.” They finally found their way, as Thomas recanted quotes to the audience and read Thomas' most famous poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

WB Yeats went second and sang a song about the The Fiddler of Dooney, and closed with a poem about the fairies of Ireland: The Man Who Dreamed of Faeryland

I opened with chatting about waking up this morning, and finding myself
in the body of a Chinese….  but quickly learned that I was blessed as
Toddish McWong organizes one of the largest Burns Suppers in North
America… in my honour!

I talked about the Robert Burns Statue in Stanley Park, and how it was
dedicated by the Burns Society for all peoples, race and creed.  and
read a few verses from For A' That and A'That, and that the very words
on the statue are inscribed:

I read a poem about a bottle being a guid friend….

Then I invited the DJ to give me some beats, and the fiddler to play a lovely tune.
then said in rapping rhyme…
“My luv, My luv, I luv my luvly lady luv” (to the tune of the Black Eyed Peas song, My Humps.  The audience “got it” and so, I rapped…

Then I invited some lovely lassies to come and be my back up singers…. Georgia is one of our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat paddlers.  Masifa is a journalism student at Langara, that I had just met at the reading we gave at Jonny Fox's Irish Snug, and we included Ravishing Rhonda.

We rapped “Address to a Haggis” with the crowd participating as I repeated the last word of each verse, twice:

For my finale…

I told them that I was going to read a poem, that I was sure they had
all heard in their lifetimes… as surely as it has survived my
own lifetime.  I would read the verses first, then  and invite them all to
sing the chorus with me.

And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup,
And surely I'll be mine;
And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,

Frae morning sun till dine;

But seas between us braid hae roar'd.

Sin' auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!

And gie's a hand o' thine!

And we'll tak' a right gud-wellie waught,

For auld lang syne.

Then I started to sing… and invited the audience to join in with me.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And when the voting was tallied… the scores were still… ever so close.

Dylan Thomas was third.

W.B. Yeats was second.

And by a single point….

Robert Burns was first.

It was a lovely evening.  All the performers were outstanding.  Mark
Downey as Yeats.  Damon Calderwood as Thomas.  Ravishing Rhonda as our
host.  Michael Louw our DJ and Elise Boer our celtic fiddler.  Special
thanks to Steven Duncan who produced and created this event – The Battle of the Bards. 

A video for Novus television was shot, and it should be up on You Tube shortly…. stay tuned for some photographs from the event.

More pictures taken by Deb Martin can be seen at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53803790@N00/sets/72157604134792780/

Todd Wong named BC Community Achievement Award recipient for 2008

a) Todd Wong in Kitsilano b) 2007 BC Book Prize Soiree with Vancouver Poet Laureate George McWhirter c) 2006 Canadian Club Vancouver “Order of Canada/Flag Day luncheon with Staff Sergeant Constable Bob Underhill and author Joy Kogawa d) CBC Newsworld taping during the Chinese head tax redress campaign.

“It’s a great honour to be chosen,” says fifth generation Vancouverite
Todd Wong. “I hope that my activities can help inspire more people to become
active in their communities, and help make a difference. I love
community service.  It’s a great way to help shape the world we want to
live in.  I am indebted to the many community organizers that have both
helped to mentor and support me.”

“To save the Joy Kogawa
House was something that had to be done, just like righting the racial
injustice of the Chinese head tax.  But along the way, I have been
blessed to meet wonderful people and organizations such as the Terry
Fox Run Foundation, Canadian Club Vancouver, Chinese Canadian
Historical Society of BC, Chinese Canadian National Council and Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop.”

“It’s certainly worthwhile knowing that my contributions touch people,
in helping to make Canada a more racially tolerant place.  It was
amazing to learn about the challenges and racism that my ancestors and elders faced
while we made the CBC documentary Generations: The Chan Legacy.  I know
that it is a tribute to my family ancestors and a legacy to our younger
generations.”

From the March 13th press release from BC Achievement Foundation:

Todd Wong is actively involved in many community endeavors:

Historic Joy Kogawa House Society
– founding President
–
helped spearhead campaign to save author Joy Kogawa’s childhood home
from demolition and turn it into a historical and literary landmark for
Vancouver

Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop
(publishers of Ricepaper magazine)
Co-president  (2nd vice-president 2000-2005)
– helped create ACWW Community Dinners
– promote Asian Canadian arts and culture

Canadian Club Vancouver
– board member
– help plan and organize events

Chinese Canadian Head Tax Redress campaign
– worked with committees and blogged events

Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC
– contributed to short story/recipe anthology Eating Stories: A Chinese-Canadian and Aboriginal Pot Luck

Terry’s Team member since 1993, Terry Fox Run Foundation
– Cancer survivors who speak at Terry Fox Runs
– Todd has spoken at Terry Fox Runs and elementary schools in Metro Vancouver and Kelowna

Alcan Dragon Boat Festival
– served on Race Committee 2001-2003
– helped developed Public Paddle sessions in 2006

Vancouver Taiwanese International Dragon Boat Race
– helped co-found in 2003
– servied on CCC Dragon Boat Association 2003-2004

Simon Fraser University Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival
– helped co-found in 2005
– helped co-found Terry Fox Day in 1994 and Terry Fox Run at SFU.

featured in 2007 CBC Documentary Generations: The Chan Legacy
– Rev. Chan Yu Tan arrived in Canada in 1896,
– Todd was consultant and one of the Chan descendants interviewed.

featured in 2004/2005 CBC Vancouver television performance special Gung Haggis Fat Choy
– based on Todd’s Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner

View Clip

Coach and manage Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team
–
featured in television documentaries for Paris 3, French public
television and ZDF, German public television + CBC documentary
Generations: The Chan Legacy + CBC Newsworld.

Created GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner. 
Served over 400 people in 2008.  Interviewed by international media,
including BBC Radio Scotland and Sunday Post.  Annual dinner event
started in 1998, with 16 people and grown into fundraiser event for Joy
Kogawa House, ACWW and Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.

PAST AWARDS:

Vancouver Heritage Award of Honour:
City of Vancouver, February 25, 2007

Outstanding Alumni Contributor:
Simon Fraser University Recreation Department, April 2005

Terry Fox Gold Medal Award:
Simon Fraser University, June 1993.

President’s Citizenship Award
Capilano College, May 1989.

Raymond Louie has been a Vancouver city councilor for 5 1/2 years.  Elected in 2002.  Re-elected in 2005.  He now wants to be Mayor in 2008.

Raymond Louie and his Chinese-Canadian supporters.  Todd Wong (me) is on the far left.  Dr. Kerry Jang (5th from right) will be running for Vancouver city council .  photo Bill Keay Vancouver Sun click here

Yesterday, I was one of a dozen community leaders invited for a photo with Raymond for the Vancouver Sun. We met at the Chinese Cultural Centre, beneath the large Chinese arch.  This was the exact site where I first met Raymond in 2002, when he joined Larry Campbell, for Mike Harcourt's endorsement of Campbell for Vancouver Mayor.  The rest is history.  Campbell became Mayor.  Louie became city councilor.

When I arrived, I was warmly greeted by Dr. Kerry Jang, who will also be running as a Vision candidate for city council.  Last year, Kerry won the BC Community Achievement Award, for all the community work he has done in the medical and mental health fields.  He will be a strong member of Raymond's team.

The dozen people that came out represent the backbone of the Vancouver Chinatown community.  They are leaders of the clan and business associations such as the Chinese Benevolent Association, the Chinatown Merchants Association, the Chinese Freemasons, and the Chinatown Business Improvement Association,

Also there was James Chu of the Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Association, whom I worked with when we created the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race in 2003.  Raymond was instrumental in helping the TCCA stick handle through the bureaucracy to bring the four Taiwanese dragon boats donated to the City of Vancouver.  Raymond was also a “flag grabber” perched on the head of one of the dragon boats for the first demonstration race, where the boats race towards flags.  Each team must grab their own flag to help determine the winner.

Vancouver Sun reporter asked me what Raymond would do for Vancouver's arts community. 

“I first knew Raymond through his wife Tonya, when she was on the board of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society.  They both understand what arts and culture mean for a multicultural city like Vancouver. This bodes well for our city's future”

Dr. Kerry Jang nodded with me in agreement.  I continued.

“Raymond was a big supporter of the Joy Kogawa House campaign, when we came to City Hall (in 2005), appealing to save it from demolition and turn it into a literary and historical landmark for Vancouver and all of Canada.”

“In my other role as a long-time Vancouver Library worker, Raymond was the only person who stepped forward and called for a mediation two weeks into last year's Vancouver Civic Strike.  The other municipalities had already settled and it was well known that any settlement would be about the same.  After two civic workers' rallies at City Hall, I only saw two councilors come out afterwards to speak to the workers: George Chow and Raymond Louie.  The 3 month civic strike was a tremendous waste of Vancouver intellectual and cultural brain trust, by  closing the libraries.  Small businesses were also affected because they couldn't access the library's databases and other services.”

Raymond Louie is the third candidate to run for the Vision Vancouver mayoralty
nomination.  Last month in February, both Allan De Genova and Gregor
Robertson declared their runs for the Vision candidacy.  De Genova has
been a two-decade long Vancouver Parks Commissioner under the NPA,
until he was kicked from the caucus by Mayor Sam Sullivan. Robertson is
a first time MLA for Vancouver Fairview since 2005.

Raymond is also a multi-generational Canadian of Chinese ancestry like myself.  Soon after he was elected city councilor, we bumped into each other at the Three Pioneer Chinese Canadian Families exhibit at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and Archives.  Raymond is descended from or related to H. Y. Louie, while I am the great-great-grandson of Rev. Chan Yu Tan.  Both early Vancouver pioneers were featured in the photo exhibit along with Lee Bick.

Read the Vancouver Sun article by Frances Bula: