Joy Kogawa Celebration Dinner on Friday June 23


Joy Kogawa recieved the Order of BC on June 22nd, at Government House
in Victoria BC. It was presented by Iona Campagnolo the Lieutenant
Governor of BC. 

We held a celebration dinner on Friday, June 23, at Flamingo Chinese
Restaurant, on Fraser St.  This was a celebration dinner for both
Joy's Order of BC, as well as to celebrate the purchase of historic
Kogawa House, Joy's childhood home, by The Land Conservancy of
BC.  The home had been confiscated by the Canadian government from
her family while they were interned in Slocan during World War II, and
also played a central figure in Joy's literary works Obasan and Naomi's
Road.

Joy Kogawa, MC Todd Wong (Kogawa House committee), and Anton Wagner (secretary of Kogawa House committee) – photo Deb Martin.

Anton Wagner is an independent film maker in Toronto.  He filmed
the Order of BC ceremony, and showed it at the dinner.  
Another film highlight that Anton shared with the audience, was an
excerpt that featured Joy from his film, Veterans Against Nuclear
War.  Joy spoke about how the Nuclear bomb that dropped on
Nagasaki was created by Christian Americans, and dropped on the largest
Christian Church and Christian community in Asia, located in
Nagasaki.  It is a very moving speech, that Joy gives.

Todd introduces Ramona Leungen, the composer of Naomi's Road opera,
produced by the Vancouver Opera.  Vancouver Opera will recieve the
inaugural Gung Haggis Fat Choy intercultural arts achievement award,
for their incredible production Naomi's Road which toured BC schools,
as well as in Red Deer Alberta, and Seattle Washington.

Todd Wong, Nancy Tiffin (TLC development officer), Ramona Leungen and
Joy Kogawa – enjoying the presenations and the food for the evening –
photo Deb Martin.


Dan Seto and Gail
Thompson, senior paddlers on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team,
present Joy with a Gung Haggis Fat Choy, team shirt. – photo Deb Martin.

Joy Kogawa is the honourary drummer for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon
boat team this year.  For the Alcanc Dragon Boat Festival, we
changed the team name to Gung Haggis Fat Choy Kogawa House, to ensure
that the 90,000 people who attended the Festival all heard the name
“Kogawa House.”  The team shirt is emblazoned with “lucky gold
coins” – four on the front and fourteen on the back.  This year we
listed The Land Conservancy of BC, and Save Kogawa House Committee, as
our special “sponsors” – as we also listed the websites to help create
awareness for these wonderful organizations.

For more information, go to:
www.kogawahouse.com

To donate for Kogawa House go to:
www.conservancy.bc.ca