Category Archives: Vancouver Heritage and History

“150 Years in Golden Mountain” – Gala dinner and awards in Victoria on August 8/08

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August 3-10 is Chinese Canadian Heritage Days, in honour of 150 years of Chinese Canadian achievements – throughout many municipalities on Vancouver Island.

http://www.150goldenmountain.ca/EN/main/18.html

Victoria Chinese Commerce Association is hosting two events Friday August 8, and Saturday August 9th to celebrate 150 years of
achievement of Chinese Canadians in Canada.  August 8th is a gala dinner and awards event celebrating the achievements of individuals and organizations.  August 9th is a theatrical “pageant” celebrating 150 years of historical events.

Victoria, British Columbia,
(which the Chinese call 'Dai Fau' or Big Port) is where the early
Chinese created the first Chinatown. Historically, Chinatowns were the
focal points of the early Chinese communities, each being a “haven” and
a base from which new immigrants could begin their new lives.

My grandmother's granfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan arrived in Victoria in 1896, following his elder brother Rev. Chan Sing Kai, who had come to Canada in 1888 at the invitation of the Methodist Church of Canada, to help found the Chinese Methodist Church of Canada.  Many of Canada's pioneer Chinese all came through Victoria, as they traveled to Nanaimo, Vancouver, New Westminster, Barkerville, and throughout Canada to mine the Caribou goldfields, build the railway, or find other work.

The awards nominees represent some of the best, brightest and most creative Chinese Canadians ever.  They are:

ANA vets
Pacific Unit #280, Philip Chan, Chinese Canadian Veterans, Denise
Chong, Wayson Choy, CHMB AM 1320, Hon. Ida Chong, Derek Chow, John
Chew, Adrienne Clarkson, Mel Cooper, Won Alexander Cumyow, Fairchild
Group, Chow Dong Hoy, Shouying (Sue) Jiang, Douglas Jung, Lee Mong Kow
Family, Larry Kwong, Hon. Norman Kwong,
Cynthia Lam, Dr. David Lai,
Dr. David Lam, Dorothy
Lam, Howe Lee, Jack Lee, Dr. Hua Lin, Dr. Victor Ling, Ronald Lou-Poy,
Q.C., Frank Low, Alan Lowe, Alexina Louie, H.Y. Louie Company Limited,
Hok Yat Louie, Tong Louie & Brandt Louie, H.Y. Louie Company Ltd
& London Drugs, Willis Louie, Sgt. Roy Quock Quon Mah,
Tak Wah Mak, Gary Mar, Hon. Inky Mark, Fairway Market, Wayne Ngan, Senator Vivienne Poy, Gordon Quan, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, James Sing,
Rev. Chan Yu Tan, Jack Tang, Victoria
Chinese Presbyterian Church, Victoria Chinese Public School, Milton
Wong, Sheung Wong, Dr. Yuen-Fong Woon, Don Yuen, & Jim Yu.

I am attending as a descendant of Rev. Chan Yu Tan, who was earlier announced as a Community Achievement winner.  My grandmother's brother –  Daniel Lee is representing Army/Navy/Airforce veterans Unit #280.  My grandmother's cousin Victor Wong is representing Chinese Canadian Veterans of Victoria.

Today I talked with Amanda Mills, co-chair for the event.  Amanda said that she is really pleased that everything is unfolding for a grand event that will be very special. 

She told me that some of the “celebrity” Chinese Canadians attending on Saturday include: Hon. Norman Kwong, now the Lt. Gov. of Alberta – the famous “China Clipper” Edmonton Eskimos football player who not only won the Grey Cup, but also the Stanley Cup as an owner of the Calgary Flames.

Sen. Vivienne Poy, the patron senator of Asian Heritage Month in Canada is attending, from her home in Ontario.

MLA Ida Chong will be representing the BC Govermnent.  Ida was also recently invited to “The Party” at the Royal BC Museum.  She is the first Canadian-born BC MLA of Chinese ancestry.

MLA Jenny Kwan is also attending.  Jenny was the first Chinese-Canadian MLA and cabinet minister.  MLA Carole James, leader of the Opposition, is also attending.

It's going to be a star-studded night in Chinese-Canadian history.

Hmmm…. Should I go as Todd Wong, great-great-grandson of Rev. Chan Yu Tan, or as Toddish McWong and wear my kilt?

Amanda says she is looking forward to finally meeting me, after many phone and e-mail conversations.  She is hoping I will wear my kilt.

150 Ways to Love BC from Victoria Times Colonist

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150 Ways to Love BC.  Happy Birthday British Columbia!

150 Years ago a colony was named British Columbia, in 1858.  It wasn't until 1871, that British Columbia joined Canada and became a province.

Ian Haysom writes 150 reasons to love British Columbia

One reason for each of its years to love BC
Times Colonist – Victoria,British Columbia,Canada
… Joy Kogawa

Special notes

13. Great writers: Carol Shields, Joy Kogawa, Susan Musgrave.

14. The Okanagan, our desert. Blisteringly hot.  (I am enjoying the weekend at Kalamalka Lake just south of Vernon)

34. Terry Fox. Would have been 50 this week.

48. Wineries: Okanagan and Island.  (I visited 3 wineries last week – now to visit Summerhill and Sumac Ridge tomorrow)

84. The Royal B.C. Museum. (especially because “The Party” exhibit includes “Toddish McWong”)

117. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens. (first and only music video was shot of The Paperboys for CBC “Gung Haggis Fat Choy” TV performance special)

Royal BC Museum invites 6 new people to “The Party” including Trevor Linden, Dal Richards, Red Robinson, Ida Chong and Todd Wong!

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Trevor Linden, Red Robinson, Dal Richards, Ida Chong and Todd Wong are the newest invitees to the Royal BC Museum's exhibit “The Party” to celebrate BC's 150 year history.

If you could invite 150 of BC's most colourful citizens throughout it's 150 year history to “The Party” who would you invite?

Governor James Douglas or Pamela Anderson?  Architects George Rattenbury, Arthur Eriksen, or James Cheng?  Athletes Joe Sakic, Karen Magnusson, Steve Nash or Nancy Greene?  Artists Emily Carr, Toni Onley, Jack Shadbolt or Robert Davidson? Community Activists Nelly McClung, Rosemary Brown or the Raging Grannies? 

Inspirational icons Terry Fox or Rick Hansen?  Politicians Svend Robinson, Grace McCarthy, Dave Barrett, Kim Campbell or Amor de Cosmos?  Musicians Bryan Adams, Diana Krall, David Foster or Sarah McLachlan? Authors Jane Rule, Douglas Coupland, Dorothy Livesay  or Joy Kogawa? 

Actors Chief Dan George, Yvonne De Carlo, Kim Catrall or Bruno Gerussi?  Environmentalists David Suzuki or Roderick Haig Brown?  Business leaders Tong Louie, Jimmy Pattison or Nat Bailey? And what about “Hanging Judge” Begbie, Expo Ernie or Mr. Peanut?

The Royal BC Museum's website says”


The history of our province is filled with fascinating people. Find out who they
are. Uncover their stories. These are the guests invited to The Party so far.


All of the above are all invited as guests… and now… Gung Haggis Fat Choy founder Todd Wong has joined them along with new invitees Trevor Linden, Ida Chong, Dal Richards, Red Robinson, and Jennie Butchart – the inspiration behind the Butchart Gardens.

Photo Library - 2904 by you.


Todd Wong stands beside BC hockey player Sakic, beneath author & friend Joy Kogawa, activist Betty Krawcyk, and nearby Gov. James Douglas, when he visited the exhibit on April 23rd – photo Deb Martin.

To see the picture of me in the exhibit check out http://www.freespiritbc.ca/virtualexhibition/theparty.aspx
and scroll to the far right.  The picture was taken by my friend
Richard Montagna. So far only six of the most recent invitees are on
website.  The official press release announcement will be on August 6th.

Read Todd's August 8th account of visiting his picture at the Royal BC Museum:

“Toddish McWong” installed at the “Free Spirit” exhibition at Royal BC Museum

The Royal BC Museum website says:

Todd Wong
“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.”


It is indeed an honour to be included with so many illustrious and
creative BCers.  It's amazing to think that Gung Haggis Fat Choy has
created such an impact, inspiring dinners in Seattle, Whistler, Ottawa, Wells BC
and Santa Barbara California (that I know about).  As well there has been the 2004
CBC television performance special “Gung Haggis Fat Choy“, and the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival.

I had visited the exhibit on April 23, when I traveled to accept my BC Community Achievement Award.  We were excited to see the picture of Joy Kogawa, which I had taken.  Joy was one of the original 132 persons chosen for the exhibit, but it was challenging to find a full length picture of her, so I volunteered myself and girlfriend as photographers for her. 

Check out my story about bout finding Joy's picture and visiting the exhibit “The Party”:

CIMG0087 by you.
Todd stans in front of “The Party” in front of his friend Joy Kogawa. – photo Deb Martin

Todd's adventure in Victoria: Traveling to “The Party” at BC Royal
Museum

I guess it is time to write that  “Gung Haggis Fat Choy” book I have wanted to for awhile… or a theatrical play about the mythical Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner called “Gung Haggis Fat Choy.”

I personally really think it is time for post-multiculturalism, when we can embrace a mix of cultures as well as creating our own new cultures and traditions out of that mix. 

150 years ago, James Douglas was BC's first governor.  But a lot of people don't realize that he was born of mixed Scottish and Creole bloodlines in Guyana. He married a Metis woman, Amelia Connolly,
whose father
was an Irish-French fur trader and whose mother was a Cree Chief’s
daughter. Author and friend Terry Glavin told me that Douglas had envisioned a new land where people from all over the world could come and live harmoniously in peace.

Racial and cultural issues have always been part of our province's history, whether it was wars between the Haida and the Kwakiutal, Black American or Chinese miners coming to BC for the gold rush, the Potlatch Law, the Chinese Head Tax, the Komagata Maru incident, the internment of Canadian born Japanese-Canadians during WW2, or even the present day First Nations treaty negotiations, migrant farm workers from Central America, nurses and nannies from the Phillipines, rising immigration from Hong Kong and China.

Here are the write-ups for my fellow newest invitees to The Party.

Ida Chong:
This Victoria native first entered politics in 1993 and three years later became the first Canadian-born  person of Chinese ancestry elected to the British Columbia legislature.

Dal Richards (1918 – )
A member of the Kitsilano Boys Band in his youth, this Vancouver native began his professional musical career 70 years ago, and is now playing more gigs than ever.

Red Robinson (1937- )
At the age of 16, he was one of the first Canadian disc jockeys to play Rock'N' Roll.  He is a member of the Canadian Broadcast hall of fame, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Trevor Linden  (1970 – )
This National Hockey League All-star played 16 of his 19 seasons as a Vancouver Canuck.  A holder of many team records he retired in June 2008.

Jennie Butchart (1866-1950)
Wife of Portland-cement pioneer Robert Butchart.  Her inspired creations of Butchart Gardens in the limestone quarry at Tod Inlet became a world-renowned destination for visitors to British Columbia


http://www.freespiritbc.ca/virtualexhibition/theparty.aspx

Did Chinese discover BC first? Oldest new immigrants? DNA connections? Georgia Straight tackles the question?

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Did the Chinese discover North America 1000 years before Columbus?

“Who were BC's first seafarers?” is the cover feature on this week's Georgia Straight?

Daniel Wood writes a very interesting feature that addresses the Chinese legendary land of Fu Sang, interviews underwater acheologist enthusiast Tom Beasley, and explores the Gavin Menzies book 1421, the Year China Discovered the World.

I have written about connections between First Nations and Chinese people when Storyscapes was exploring the oral history of such meetings:  Vancouver Storyscapes: Where the Chinese met the First Nations peoples

It's not unfathomable that the Chinese discovered North America first.  Afterall, ancient Chinese civilization and science was much further advanced than European civilization circa 500 AD.  According to Menzies, the Chinese had huge boats 5X the size of Columbus' flagship.  A lot of trade and knowledge migrated to Japan from China, and Japanese glass fishing floats have regularly made their way to BC's shores, due to ocean currents.

I have often spoke with BC's First Nations people about Chinese-First Nations connections.  Afterall, my mother's blood cousin is Rhonda Larrabee, chief of the Qayqayt (New Westminster) First Nations.  Larry Grant, Musqueam elder, is half Chinese, like cousin Rhonda.

When I was up in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), I spoke with Haida people about the shared “mongolian birthmark” that both Chinese and First Nations people are born with.
Check out my stories:

Check it out:
http://www.straight.com/article-152876/who-were-bcs-first-seafarers?

Rev. Chan Yu Tan is announced as winner for inaugural Golden Mountain Achievement Award

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Rev Chan Yu Tan is inaugural Golden Mountain Achievement Award winner as the Victoria Chinese Commerce Association celebrates the 150 year history of Chinese-Canadians.


Rev. Chan Yu Tan was one of the first Chinese ordained in Canada.   He arrived in Canada in 1896, at age 33, following his elder brother Rev. Chan Sing Kai, who had arrived in 1888 at the invitation of the Methodist Church of Canada.

The Victoria Chinese Commerce Association has launched an ambitious awards program that will be celebrated at the Empress Hotel in Victoria BC, coinciding with BC 150 celebrations.  see www.150goldenmountain.ca.

Rev. Chan Yu Tan, my great-great-grandfather, is the first pioneer award recipient to be named for the
“British Columbia Lifetime Cultural or Multicultural” 2008 Golden Mountain Achievement Award.  Through the Chinese Methodist Church, he helped teach the congregations about Canadian ways, and to live a Christian life.  The Church was also the first organization to provide English language classes to Chinese immigrants.   Rev. Chan always emphasized learning to adapt to Canadian ways and culture, and was always wearing Western clothing. 
Rev Chan Yu Tan ministered to Chinese people in Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo and New Westminister.

Our family now has reached the 7th generation, and is spread throughout North American with descendants being active in the communities of Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, as well as Seattle, San Jose, Los Angeles and Colorado. 

Our family has become very integrated into Canadian and American society.  Rev. Chan's son Luke became an actor in Hollywood.  Grandsons became Canadian soldiers during WW2 when they couldn't vote.  Subsequent generations became a lawyer, a doctor and even an Indian Chief –  as well as a city councilor in Calgary, a CBC television news reporter in Vancouver, and even a Miss Canada 2nd runner up.

Here's a picture of Rev. & Mrs. Chan Yu Tan with Rev. Chan's sister Phoebe on the far left.  Standing behind them are son Solomon and daughter Kate (my great-grandmother).  Standing beside them are sons Jack and Luke;  in front is daughter Rose, and between them is the young Millicent.

Read the Press Release from the Victoria Chinese Commerce Association.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July __ 2008

Reverend Chan Yu Tan Wins the
“British Columbia Lifetime Cultural or Multicultural”
2008 Golden Mountain Achievement Award
Join Us in Celebration

The Victoria Chinese Commerce Association (VCCA) and the 150 Years In Golden Mountain Celebration Committee are acknowledges the tremendous contributions Chinese people have made to British Columbia since the province’s beginnings in 1858 by hosting an awards gala dinner on August 8, 2008 and a celebration pageant on August 9, 2008. The presenting sponsors for both events are RBC Royal Bank and Fairway Market. The celebrations are presented with the support of BC150 (the Province of British Columbia), the City of Victoria, and with the participation of the Government of Canada.

Sinclair Mar, chair of the celebration committee, illuminated the importance of the Golden Mountain Achievement Awards; “these awards are to honour the achievements of Chinese Canadians in the areas of business, the arts, culture, education, public service and community service. We also want to honour our pioneers and those who have helped the Chinese over the years.”

An independent Awards Selection Committee has reviewed nominations for the Golden Mountain Achievement Awards from all across the country, with nominees spanning generations from early pioneers to more recent contributors still, active in the community. The independent selection committee has completed the challenging task of choosing award winners from 150 years of worthy nominees.  While not all award winners will be released prior to the Awards dinner the VCCA is pleased to announce the late Reverend Chan Yu Tan as the winner of the “British Columbia Lifetime Cultural or Multicultural 2008 Golden Mountain Achievement Award”.

 Reverend Chan Yu Tan was born in Canton, China and immigrated to Canada's West Coast in 1896 with his wife, Wong Chiu Lin. He was one of the first Chinese in Canada to be ordained as a minister. Reverend Tan always stressed the importance of multiculturalism and his legacy of cultural fusion lives on amongst his predecessors.  His great-great-grandson, Todd Wong, is the creator of the decade old Vancouver tradition, the “Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner”; an event which mixes traditional Scottish and Chinese celebrations together in the city of Vancouver.  Great-granddaughter, Rhonda Lee, has also exercised her great-grandfather’s gift for multiculturalism, becoming the chief of the New Westminster band, the Qayqayt. 

This award, along with others, will be presented at the sold out Gala Awards Dinner at the Fairmont Empress to his surviving family. Hotel on August 8 (08/08/08, an auspicious “triple 8” in Chinese culture). The next night the VCCA, will present a celebration pageant at the Royal Theater where award winners have been invited to attend and enjoy the premiere of an original pageant.  Join them is celebrating 150 years of Chinese Canadian Achievements. 

Mr. Mar elaborated on the Pageant: “This will be an exciting original show, with many performers: actors, dancers and musicians. Chinese history will come alive with a mixture of cultural presentations and new choreography and new music composed specially for this celebration.  Ticket sales are strong and we recommend early reservations.

President of the VCCA, Amanda Mills, said “Members of the VCCA feel it is their privilege and duty to celebrate and honor their ancestors and those Chinese Canadians who have achieved so much in 150 years of service to Canada.”

For more information, please contact celebration chair Sinclair Mar at 250-382-5744 or VCCA president Amanda Mills at 250-727-0222, or visit www.150goldenmountain.ca. 

“Tailor Made” wins Golden Rell Award for Best Short Film

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“Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors” wins prestigious Golden Reel Award for Best Short Film at the 2008 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

My friend JJ Lee sent me this message.  JJ was one of the real life characters in the documentary “Tailor Made.”  He is “the apprentice.”  The main character is tailor Bill Wong, who is the father of my friend Steven Wong.  Steven paddles on our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  Our families have known each other for generations.

“Hi Todd. Just to let you know. Tailor Made just won Best Short Film at
the 2008 LA Asian Pacific Film Festival. It's pretty cool and just
wanted to let you know.” – JJ Lee.



VANCOUVER, BC: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Realize Entertainment is thrilled to announce that their documentary
“Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors” has won the prestigious  Golden
Reel Award for Best Short Film at the 2008 Los Angeles Asian Pacific
Film Festival.   The award, presented during the Festival's Closing
Night program in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, is presented to artists
whose work exemplifies  artistic excellence and the potential for
future creative activity.
 
Directed by Calgary director Leonard Lee and Vancouver filmmaker Marsha
Newbery, “Tailor Made” follows 80-something brothers Bill & Jack
Wong for one year as they face the reality that they're getting too old
to run the little tailor shop their father opened in 1913…and letting
go isn't easy. With tailoring being a dying trade, finding someone to
take over the family business has proved impossible, but Bill refuses
to give up. From taking on a fashion journalist as an apprentice, to
selling the shop to a young hot-shot corporate tailor, Bill becomes
especially determined and pulls out all the stops.
 
“Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors” was commissioned for the CBC Newsworld strand, The Lens,
and premiered to a sold out audience at the 2007 Whistler Film
Festival.  It is also screening as a part of CBC Vancouver's
celebration of Asian Heritage Month on May 24th.  Please visit www.cbc.ca/asianheritage
for details and to book a seat.   Screenings are also being held by the
Vancouver Parks board all through May, please visit www.vancouver.ca/parks for details.

TAILOR
MADE is presented by Realize Entertainment and produced in association
with CBC Newsworld.  TAILOR MADE was produced in association with
 Knowledge Network,  and with the participation of The Canadian
Television Fund: License Fee Program and Equity Investment Program, The
Rogers Documentary Fund, Canadian Film & Television Tax Credit,
British Columbia Film Incentive and developed with the participation of
CBC British Columbia, Telefilm, and British Columbia Film.


Wallace Chung collection at UBC: A national treasure about immigration to BC

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The Empress of Asian brought many Chinese to BC.  Wallace  Chung painstakingly rebuilt a model of it.


[photo]

The Vancouver Sun featured a April 16th story about the Chung Collection $5 million, 25,000 items and UBC = a collection with special meaning by Kevin Griffin.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=40d15d80-bc3f-4d79-b040-285019e20c9c

This is significant because Dr. Wallace Chung has always held a life-long interest in the history of Chinese Canadians.  He accumulated and donated his 25,000 item collection donation to the University of British Columbia.  The feature piece is a beautiful large scale model
ship, the Empress of Asia, which Dr. Chung spent many years reconstructing.  

I have known Dr. Wallace Chung and his wife Dr. Madeline Chung for many many years.  They have been friends of my parents.  Dr. Madeline delivered me as a baby almost 48 years ago, this Sunday, May 11th.  At the opening day of the 1986 Saltwater City display, she excitedly told people that I was One of my boys!  Dr. Wallace was Chair of the Chinese Cultural Centre at the time.

A few years ago, I created programming for Asian Heritage Month at the Vancouver Public Library, and introduced Dr. Wallace as he gave a slide show on the history of Vancouver Chinatown.

They have both been great philanthropists to the City of Vancouver, giving generously not only to the U.B.C,, but also to the Maritime Museum and the Chinese Cultural Centre.


[photo]

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Here’s an excerpt from Vancouver Sun April 16:

The collection includes documents,
rare books, maps, posters, paintings, photographs, silver, glass,
ceramic ware and other artifacts relating to the Canadian Pacific
Railway, the Asian experience in North America, and B.C. history.

Wallace Chung said he hopes the collection helps educate young people about the country’s history.

“I hope it shows people what hardships
Chinese people went through before they reached the stage they’re at
today,” said Chung, a vascular surgeon and professor emeritus at UBC’s
faculty of medicine.

“It really tells us what it means to be
a Canadian. Even though we were badly treated initially, we now have
landed in a very fortunate position. That story is told in all the
artifacts and documents.”

As a child, Chung was obsessed with the
Empress of Asia for two reasons: it was the ship that brought his
mother to Canada from China, and a poster of the luxury ocean liner
hung in his father’s tailor shop in Victoria.

[…]

Here’s a link to a sampling of photos from the collection, including one of Mr and Mrs Chung, and the Empress of Asia.

What's happen' with Stanley Park's Hollow Tree?

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Stanley Park's “Hollow Tree” is a world famous icon.  For as long as Vancouverites have had cameras they have been taking pictures of the Hollow Tree.


Here's a picture of my great-grandparents Ernest Lee and Kate (Chan) Lee circa 1907.  Accompanying them in the photo is Kate's mother Mrs. Chan Yu Tan and Kate's youngest sister Millicent.  Kate's father Rev. Chan Yu Tan was well known in the community and ministered for the Chinese United Church in Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo and New Westminster, where he and his wife retired.

One hundred years later, the Hollow Tree had become a Hollow stump, and damaged in the violent wind-storms of December 15, 2006.  Because of further damage and leaning, and safety concerns, the Vancouver Parks Board voted to cut down the tree.  But as of May 1st, the tree is still standing.

Here's the latest on Stanley Park's world famous Hollow Tree

On April 18th, students from Lord Roberts Elementary School visited the tree and sang a special song to the tune of O Canada, led by French teacher Duane Lawrence, author of Sammy Squirrel and Rodney
Raccoon, a children's book set in Stanley Park:

“Oh Stanley Park, Our home and favourite
land,

Big Douglas firs, Where owls hoot, oh so grand,

With cedar trees and surrounding seas, You can walk there all you like.

There's a little lake, Where the beavers make, The best dams in the world.

Oh, Stanley Park, The animals live free,

Oh, Stanley Park was made for you and me,

Oh, Stanley Park was made for you – and – me.”


On April 18th, the Georgia Straight wrote a blog story: The Hollow Tree and the 2010 Olympics highlighting how the Hollow Tree plays a prominent role in the Origin story of the 2010 Olympic Mascots.  The artwork and mascots were designed by Vancouver's Vicki Wong and her creative partner Michael Murphy of Meomi Designs. I first met Vicki at a fall 2006 event for new Children's books, where she introduced her book The Octonauts and the Only Lonely Sea Monster.  I bought it immediately.

See the video: Meet the Vancouver 2010 Mascots
http://www.vancouver2010.com/mascot/en/meet.php

Concerned citizens discuss the Hollow Tree's future yesterday.

Concerned citizens discuss the Hollow Tree's future yesterday.

As of May 1st, the Hollow Tree still 'standing'.  The Vancouver Province wrote a story about “Supporters hoping to save Stanley Park's famous Hollow Tree from the
chainsaw claimed victory yesterday after Vancouver parks staff agreed
to continue meeting to discuss its fate.”

CCNC launches 150 Years Culture Online Project – celebrating Chinese Canadian history and culture

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Chinese Canadian National Council has launched the Chinese Canadian 150 Years Culture Online Project:

150 years is a short time for a culture that spans five thousand years,
but it is a long time when compared to a country that is only 141 years
old. 

Chinese Canadian history is not all about gold seekers, railway workers or the head tax.  It is also about adventure, endeavor and suffering – all universal experiences of every immigrant group to Canada.

The following is from the webiste at  http://www.ccnc.ca/cc150/

The Chinese Canadian National Council is proud to present the Chinese
Canadian 150 Years Culture Online Project (CC150). This exciting new
online project showcases writers, musicians, videographers and artists
in the Chinese Canadian community. CC150 brings together a special
collection of exceptional work, based on the theme of 150 years of
continuous Chinese community in Canada with many submissions from
youth.

Through this community-based effort, we hope to provide a venue to
share our experiences and our stories and to instill pride and cultural
understanding. We encourage the public and Chinese Canadian communities
to connect, interact and to build understanding and respect for
diversity. 
 
Objectives of the Chinese Canadian 150 Years Culture Online Project:

  • To showcase Chinese Canadian perspectives and experiences from across the country
  • To enrich and educate everyone about the diverse Chinese Canadian cultures and histories
  • To be welcoming of youth participation
  • To build stronger relationships between communities and groups across Canada and abroad
  • To celebrate 150 years of continuous Chinese community in Canada

Features of the Chinese Canadian 150 Years Culture Online Project:

  • A special anthology of stories written by or about Chinese Canadians
  • A unique music and short video collection by Chinese Canadians
  • A showcase of Chinese Canadian artists
  • A one-stop resource page of relevant events and websites
This project was made possible with the support of the Chinese
Canadian National Council, Department of Canadian Heritage through
Canadian Culture Online and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

150 years of BC Stories: The Rev. Chan Family

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CBC is helping to celebrate 150 years of BC history.  There is a website collecting family stories and pictures
Check it out: http://www.cbc.ca/bc/features/150/your-story.html

The 60th wedding anniversary of Rev. and Mrs. Chan Yu Tan (holding flower bouquet), August 15th 1934.

I have submitted a short story about my great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan:

Rev. Chan Yu Tan ministered to the Chinese pioneers who built the railroad, searched for gold, as well as became shop keepers and labourers in Vancouver Chinatown, Victoria Chinatown, and later Nanaimo and New Westminster, where he eventually retired.  The Chinese Methodist Church also helped teach English.  Rev. Chan Yu Tan emphasized learning Canadian ways, and it showed in his family.  His son Jack loved playing golf, and eventually  became the first Chinese Canadian to serve on jury duty.  His youngest son Luke became an actor in Hollywood.  The sons of daughters Rose and Kate –  Victor Wong, Daniel Lee, Howard Lee and Leonard Lee, enlisted in the Canadian armed forces during WW2,  eventually helped to gain Chinese-Canadians the vote in 1947, and later help organize the Chinese Canadian veterans associations.

Rev. Chan Yu Tan’s great-grand daughter Rhonda Lee Larrabee became Chief of the Qayqayt First Nations Band, and subject of the NFB film “Tribe of One”.  Another great-grand daughter Janice Wong, became an internationally known artist and author of the book CHOW from China to Canada. a memoir book of family history and recipes from her father’s restaurant.

Our family history has been an integral part of Chinese-Canadian history, and I have recently addressed the cross-ethnic fusion of culture and marriage with my event Gung Haggis Fat Choy, a mixture of Robbie Burns and Chinese New Year.  There have been inter-ethnic marriages in every generation of our family – each of my maternal cousins have married non-Chinese.

I helped to tell the story of our family’s 7 generational BC history, in the CBC documentary Generations: The Chan Legacy . http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/generations

This picture is at Rev. and Mrs. Chan Yu Tan’s 60th wedding anniversary in New Westminster.  4 generations are included in this picture.