Take
150 years of BC history, search through the historical, cultural,
athletic and social events to find 150 of the most interesting people…



Who would you invite to the Royal BC Museum for a party?

– photo Deb Martin (original photo by Richard Montagna)

Todd Wong aka “Toddish McWong” is now an “artifact” in the Royal BC Museum display for “The Party.”


How did this happen?

– photo Todd Wong

Every year, the Royal BC Museum has an interactive display that
visiting tourists can have their picture taken with.  Last year it was
for their Titanic display.  This is a great place for tourists.  It
sits kitty corner to Victoria's Inner Harbour, and is on south side of
The Empress Hotel, and the East side of the BC Legislature buildings.

This year, you can stand next to some of BC's most interesting people.  All of these figures are featured in the exhibit “The Party.” 
In this picture above are some of my cultural heroes including Rick
Hansen, Chief Dan George, Emily Carr and my friend Joy Kogawa.  My
girlfrend Deb Martin is standing right behind Joy (in red).  We first
learned about “The Party” exhibit last summer, when Joy needed a full
length picture of her to give to the Royal BC Museum.  We took this
picture for Joy, and were glad she was happy.

It's part of the “Free Spirit”
exhibition to celebrate the 150th birthday of British Columbia, founded
as a colony in 1858, and joined Canada in 1871 for the promise of a
coast to coast railway. 

Joy Kogawa in “The Party” – photo by Todd Wong

Deb and I first visited the exhibit on April 23rd, earlier this year.
It was with great excitement that we went to the Royal BC Museum, and
up the escalator, searching for the picture of our friend Joy Kogawa. 
We visited with writer friend Gary Geddes and David Kogawa, Joy's good
friend and ex-husband.  Read our account of our visit here:
Todd's adventure in Victoria: Traveling to “The Party” at BC Royal
Museum
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/4/25/3659001.html

But this time we had a different reason to visit.  This time, there was
a life-size picture of me, Todd Wong aka “Toddish McWong.”

At the exhibit, they had also asked visitors for nominations to fill
the remaining spots.  I was voted in to “The Party” along with Trevor Linden, Dal Richards, Red Robinson, Ida Chong and Jennie
Butchart.

Deb and I arrived in Victoria after a late start on the 2pm ferry sailing from Tsawwassen. 
We checked into The Empress Hotel, because we were also attending an
evening event there to celebrate “150 Years in Golden Mountain”, an
awards and dinner gala to celebrate 150 years of Chinese Canadian
history and achievement in Canada, BC and Victoria.  See my account of
the evening here:
Victoria celebrates 150 years of Chinese Canadian History with a grand dinner and awards.

We walked over to the Royal BC Museum, enjoying the lovely sea breeze and the sunshine.  The Empress Hotel, now known as the “Fairmont Empress” was designed 100 years ago by BC architect Frances Rattenbury, who also designed the BC Legislature buildings.

Todd stands in front of a modest Kim Campbell – the first female
Canadian Prime Minister and slightly behind Chee-ah-thluc, Chief of the
Songhess people from the 1840's to 1864, aka “King Freezy” (because of
his frizzled hair). – photo Deb Martin


There are video stations containing silouettes of each figure in the
display.  You click on one of the figures, and a short biography pops
up on screen.  This is the display for Todd Wong:

– photo Deb Martin

This is the video display of the “Todd Wong bio.” The original photograph was taken by my friend Richard Montagna.  Richard specializes in fine art, commercial,  portrait, action, and landscape photography.

It reads: 

Voted in by the visiting public, this person is seen as an important figure in BC history!

Todd Wong (1980- )
Passionate
about intercultural adventures, “Toddish McWong” founded Gung Haggis
Fat Choy, a Robert Burns / Chinese New Year event that has been
celebrating with an annual dinner since 1997.

Corrections:
No – Todd wasn't born in
1980.  That would have made him only 13 years old when he first invited
the phrase “Gung Haggis Fat Choy” while wearing his first kilt for a
Robbie Burns celebration at Simon Fraser University.  Sometimes museums
make typo mistakes too.

My girlfriend's favorite character in the display (besides me) is the Vancouver Island Marmot – photo Deb Martin