Yearly Archives: 2006

Gung Haggis dragon boat team races Sunday at ????

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Saturday at the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.

We came 5th in our 1st race #18 at 11:07,  then we came 7th in our last race in race 42.
Everybody is having fun.

We are helping the Philipine Youth Rowing Society PYROS paddle and find paddlers, and give them info.

We were interviewed today by CBC French Television.  Constance is
our paddler who moved from Quebec a few years ago.  I also spoke
some french.  “Je peux parler en francais pleux mieux que je parle
en chinoise.”


The Philipino Youth Rowing Society is paddling…
#55 at 8:55am.
F semi-final

We are racing at 9:28
#58 


E semi final – Race 58

Please be at the race tent by 7:30am.
We will need to prepare mentally and do a warmup, from 7:45 to 8:15,
We will marshall at 8:20, we will be on the water at 8:35.

Please check e-mail later tonight… and early in the morning.

Afternoon races…
worst case scenario
We race in F Consolations at  12:35pm
or F Championships at           12:26
E
Consolations          12:57
E Championships       1:08

Of particular interest….
stay to watch the incredible final races for

Comp C    2:47
Comp B    2:58
Com A      3:09
Breast Cancer Challenge   3:20

Open Division        3:53
Women's Division  4:04   – My favorite womens
teams”  False Creek Women from Vancouver, and Wasabi Team Huge
from Portland WA

Followed by Guts & Glory 2km race

Followed by AWARDS Presentations.
around 5pm to 6pm.

WE WANT TO BE ON THE AWARDS PODIUM!

Last year were were there to receive the Hon. David Lam Multicultural Award!!!

Ming Pao: On the eve of conclusion to Headtax redress, several groups jointly blast: “Harper forces elders to the capitol for a political show”

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Victor Wong, executive director of  CCNC sent out a translation of yesterday's Ming Pao.

He reports that:

Some folks are making their concerns known however, CCNC's position is to welcome the announcement that an apology will happen on June 22 and to urge the govt to meet with us asap and brief us on the details (so we can respond to facts).

CCNC is  encouraging the HT payers and families to attend if invited; there are satellite events in Toronto and Vancouver and we are asking TV to cover the ceremony live so that it can reach our communities.

CCNC has an expectation of a meeting before June 22nd.

We have also reiterated to Govt that the coalitions need to be invited and 5 invites are not enough even for CCNC. Groups need to do their own lobby.

Strong and negative reactions from Head TAx payer families and
claim groups

Publication: MingPao Daily

Page and Date: A2 of June 15, 2006 Thursday

On the eve of conclusion to Headtax redress, several groups jointly blast: “Harper forces elders to the capitol for a political show”
Arrogant officials, many victims reject going to Ottawa

MingPao Montreal :

“Conservative Party PM Harper; Heritage Minister Oda as well as Parliamentary Secretary Kenney will, on Thursday June 22nd, in Ottawa Parliament, personally apologise individually to the rare surviving head tax victims and widows.  As the arranging work of this “moving scene” of individual apologizing is just getting started, they are already faced with the criticism from victims who are “directly affected” and many claim groups from all over the country.  They are criticizing that Harper’s real aim as “buying Chinese support via doing political show”.

Based on what our publication has gathered, many elders and their children are categorically refusing to agree to travel to Ottawa to become Harper’s “political decoration backdrop” because of the “evasive and hesitant” stance on the part of key Conservative politicians about the details of the redress formula, and in addition to the “arrogant bureaucratic style” of Federal Heritage officials when they contact the head tax victims and widow’s family members.

A 90 yr old head tax widow from the Montreal area who has been confined to a wheelchair for as long as 10 yrs due to bone ailments received a total of 5 phone calls yesterday all day from a person claiming to be representing Heritage department in arranging seniors to travel to
Ottawa to meet with Harper.  This person’s position changed several times and carried tough intransigent attitude.

That bureaucrat initially said the children of course can replace her to get to Ottawa since this elder has been bed bound for years, he also said yes to reissue travel expenses and other expenses.  However, his tone suddenly changed by the afternoon: first saying he cannot make the decision himself and had to run it by his superior; then later insisted once more: “even if the elder has difficulty getting about, she still must personally take up the invitation to the appointment, family members cannot represent her.”  The family members argued but to no avail, and ended up decided not to go to Ottawa, furthermore, they asked why isn’t Harper, bringing along Oda and Kenney etc all getting to Montreal to “offer an apology and admit wrongdoing” to the numerous taxpayers and widows still alive?”

Based on MingPao’s understanding:  many Claim groups from the east and western Canada all feel great discontent toward Harper’s conduct of “belabouring and dragging in so many people” to drag the elders from all over the country to Ottawa to meet him.  These groups all publicly make
their objection; and question why descendants cannot represent the parents or grandparents to accept the Harper apology?

The Newfoundland headtax redress leader Yan, Nova Scotia province head tax redress chair Lui(phonetic), Der of the Montreal Redress group, Kenda  Gee from Alberta’s group, ee(phonetic) from the BC coalition yesterday took turns to indicate that they are “deeply concerned” about the physical conditions of these 80 and 90 year olds.

They publicly question Harper, Oda and Kenney: whether �they have ever considered if this group of elders can withstand the exhaustion and fatigue of a long journey, to take a train trip for several days and nights or long distance car trip of several hours to get to Ottawa to accept their apology ?”

Another reason which causes discontent among some of the victims’ descendants is the lack of human touch and compassion of Heritage department bureaucrats, and their “bureaucratic style” carrying out the work according to superior’s instructions.

A claim group person in charge also added: “There are also some pretty polite officials among the Heritage department, the main problem is their superiors are acting with the aim of “delivering up the numbers of persons for Harper, therefore couldn’t help but resort to displaying tough attitudes towards elders and their family who have suffered the humiliation already for several dozen decades.

“We are afraid that the number of elders who will make the trip to Ottawa to shake Harper’s hand will not be overly numerous if the senior ranks of the Conservative Party do not change this style in a timely manner.”

Gung Haggis team getting ready for ADBF weekend!!!

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Gung Haggis team getting ready for ADBF weekend!!!

We are TENT #41 – in racer's village
We are hanging out with the “P's” – because we have been assigned next to the Phillipine Youth Rowing Society.  We are helping to host the PYROS team.

PYROS has brought at least 12 paddlers as of today. They will need more paddlers to help them.

Their first race is #10 at 9:39
I will be there on site earlier than 9am.
I will check with them…
If anybody is ready to go – please meet at tent by 8:30pm

Otherwise – please meet by 9am.  Our first race is 11:07.
But… things could go early.  We need to start warm ups by 10 am and be ready to marshal by 10:20am.
Our second race could be in race #40 (if we finish 4th or 7th) or race # 42 if we finish 2nd or 5th, or race # 44 if we finish 3rd or 6th)

Cool Stuff

ADBF VIP party
Steven Wong & I were at the ADBF VIP party until 8pm
We said hello to his baby brother Peter, who is former chair of the ADBF, and also to his uncle Milton, who is one of the founders of the ADBF.
Also there… Larry Ho, ADBF race organizer and dragon boat coach, who has offered a guest coaching session for Gung Haggis. 
City Councilor Heather Deal… who bikes everywhere… and one day I will get into a dragon boat.
Sonny Wong, former manager of ADBF, who also was best man at my wedding (in a previous lifetime).
Don Montgomery, executive director of Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, also known as explorASIAN – Don has done all of the festival programming for the CBC World Beat Stage.
Jessica Jade Chan – editor for Ricepaper magazine
Brian Sullivan – vice-president for explorASIAN / VP for UBC Student Services (Brian loves the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinners, and always invites a table full of students)
Joy Lin-Salzberg – President of explorASIAN
Brian Veitch and Denaly Barrera of Storyeum – we chatted about the possibility of hosting an event for Chinese head tax payers, spouses and descendents at Storyeum


More Cool Stuff…
We met some of the team members at Brasila Exotica restaurant tonight for some dinner
organized by Julie and Wendy….
I brought my accordion to the restaurant and played a few songs.
(O Solo Mio, Beer Barrel Polka, Hungarian Dance #5)
Then Marian played accordion too… (She played Loch Lomand and I sang)
Did you know that Marian is a music teacher?
Did you know that Marian teaches accordion?
How did she find herself with the Gung Haggis team where the coach also plays the accordion!!!

Beware… the nickname committee starte up tonight at the restaurant
I think my nickname is “Todderful”

Head Tax Redress Train leaves Vancouver this afternoon

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Head Tax Redress Train leaves Vancouver this afternoon

Here's a report on the Redress Train ceremony in Vancouver, which took place in Thornton Park across from the VIA Rail Station.  It's written by Victor Wong, with my edits.

It was a wonderful send-off from Vancouver this afternoon.  there was a huge turnout of supporters and  media including: Margaret Mitchell, former MP, Vancouver East,  Libby Davies, MP, Vancouver East and  Charlie Quan, one of the last surviving head tax payers.

ACCESS and BC Coalition (a big Thanks to Mary-Woo for coordinating, Sid
for site coordination)

Victor Wong, executive director of the Chinese Canadian National Council was the MC. 

Highlights included:

*  Introductions for Margaret Mitchell, who first brought up the Head Tax redress issue in Parliament back in 1984, and Libby Davies who brought it up again recently.

*  Sean Gunn performed his song “Ballad of Gim Wong”

*  Introduce Charlie Quan, head tax payer

*  Introduce delegates on the train,

*  Introduced Susan Eng of Toronto, Co-Chair of the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families.  Susan is one of the architects of the CCNC redress campaign.

*  Introduce members of BC Coalition to step forward and Mary-Woo spoke for the group

*  Todd Wong performed “This Train is Bound for (Redress) Glory)”  (back up singers inluced Victor Wong, Cynthia Lam, Harvey Lee and many others)

*  We took a picture with “the Last Spike…” – a commemorative replica presented to the Redress campaign by Pierre Berton.
 
Then media followed the train contingent into the train station

A number of media will be accompanying them: Fairchild TV, Ming Pao,
Sing Tao, Ian Mulgrew of the Vancouver Sun

When the train stops in Edmonton, Mary Mah will hand off the Last Spike
To another HT payer who will take it to Toronto who will hand it off to
James Pon who will hand it off to PM Stephen Harper in Ottawa.

see the press release below….

June 15, 2006

For Immediate Release

Head Tax Payer, Spouse and Descendants Leave for Ottawa on the Redress
Train

A head tax payer, a spouse of a head tax payer, and descendants of head tax payers all set off from Vancouver today on a cross Canada journey  by rail.  Many Chinese workers died helping to build the Trans Canada Railway.  When Chinese labour was no longer needed, governments in  Canada enacted racist legislation to keep the Chinese from immigrating to  Canada (that made their lives even harder).  The Government of Canada imposed  the Chinese Head Tax and then the Chinese Exclusion Act which separated families for decades.

“This is an emotional journey for me.  I am the great-grandson of a Canadian Pacific Railway construction worker and a descendant of two head tax payers and a fourth generation immigrant.  Because of the  Exclusion Act, our family was not allowed into Canada to join my father and I did not see him for 13 years” said Howe Chan one of the passengers on the Redress Train.

“I’m glad that we will soon see closure on this dark chapter of Canadian history” said Ray Chang, son of a head tax payer.  “Many families suffered because of the head tax and the Exclusion Act including mine.”

“Last year, I rode my motorcycle to Ottawa to try to meet with then Prime Minister Paul Martin to get him to resolve this issue once and for all and he wouldn’t meet with me,” said Gim Wong, son of a head tax payer and Air Force Veteran.  “This year, I get to take the train to Ottawa with my wife with me and meet the Prime Minister who will finally apologize for the head tax and Exclusion Act.  I can’t wait to hear it.”

“This train journey will remind Canadians of the contributions of early Chinese Canadian pioneers, thousands of whom gave their lives in blasting through the Rockies to build the national railroad” said Susan Eng, Co-Chair of the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families who will ride the Redress Train with her mother Chuey Eng, the spouse of a head tax payer.

“Descendants of the railway workers will bring the ceremonial Last Spike with us back to the Railway Committee Room of the House of Commons in Ottawa where the decision to build the railroad was made”.

Those departing on the Redress Train from Vancouver are:

Mary Mah (Head Tax Payer) & support person
Chuey Eng and Susan Eng, Spouse and Descendant of a Head Tax Payer
Gim and Jan Wong (Son of 2 Head Tax Payers and his spouse)
Ray and Foon Chang (Son of a Head Tax Payer and his spouse)
Howe Chan (Great grandson of a CPR worker and son of two head tax
payers)

-30-

For further information:

BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses & Descendants
    Karin Lee        778-773-1088
    Gabriel Yiu        604-889-0696

ACCESS (Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity
Society)
Sid Chow Tan        604-783-1853

Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants to Begin Redress Train Ride To Ottawa

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This will be a historic event.  I will be bringing my accordion to help lead singalongs of “This Train is Bound for Redress”, “People Get Ready (There's a Train A-Coming), and maybe “Chinatown My Chinatown” – which Gim Wong and I have wanted to sing together for awhile.

Media Advisory: For Immediate Release  June 15, 2006

Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants to Begin Redress Train Ride To Ottawa

 
Vancouver
BC:

Nine people will set off from Vancouver to ride the train from
Vancouver to Ottawa to hear the Government of Canada's apology of the
imposition of the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act.  These
people, who are head tax payers, spouses and descendants will be
setting off from the VIA Rail station in Vancouver at 1015 Station
Street (Main St & Terminal). 

There will be an event before they
depart to wish them well and they will be available for interviews. 
Members of the community and representatives from ACCESS, BC Coalition
of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants will be there as well as
the “Last Spike” that was driven in to complete the Trans Canada
Railway.  The Last Spike was donated by noted author, Pierre Berton to
bring attention to the Chinese labourers who helped build the railway
and then were so poorly treated by the government of Canada. 

 
Where: Thornton Park
            Directly Opposite the VIA Rail Station (1015 Station St. Main & Terminal) Vancouver
When:  4 pm, Friday, June 16, 2006

ACCESS
is a not-for-profit anti-racism, human rights and social justice
society as well as a community television corporation. It is an
affiliate of the Chinese Canadian National Council and a member of
the
National Anti-Racism Council of Canada and STATUS Coalition.  ACCESS
works with other equality seeking organizations to fight racism and
discrimination, to advance the rights of citizens and migrants living
in Canada and to press the federal government to redress the Chinese
Head Tax and Exclusion Acts.

The BC Coalition of Head Tax
Payers, Spouses and Descendents are today's Chinese Canadians.  Of
various ages, from all walks of life, all have one thing in common. 
They understand the injustice and
suffering, hardship and sacrifices
due to more than six decades (1885 to 1947) of legislated racial
discrimination targeted specifically at the Chinese in Canada. Given
the responsibility for identifying over
2,000 head
tax claimant files in Greater Vancouver,  it seeks justice and honour
for our Chinese adventurers and pioneers. We want the government to
acknowledge their wrongs by offering head tax payers, spouses and
their families a rightful apology and symbolic redress (including
individual tax refund) so all Canadians will recognize this
distinguished thread in the Canadian fabric.

CCNC is a national
human rights organization with 27 chapters across Canada. Established
in 1979, it has campaigned since 1984 with other redress-seeking groups
including the BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants
(BC Coalition), Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and
Solidarity (ACCESS), Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and
Families (Ontario Coalition), and Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance
(CCRA) for Chinese head-tax and exclusion redress.

– 30
–

 
Contact:     Karin Lee and Harvey Lee (BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants)
                Nicola Lambrechts VIA Rail 604-970-9113

ADBF reminder for the dragon boat festival

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Hello everybody...

please read through the race reminders 
- just sent to me from the race registrar.

Please check the www.adbf.com website 
for a list of activities for the weekend.

Can we ask veteran paddlers to mentor / guide / show around
the rookie paddlers - please no hazing (we don't do that stuff).

Please embrace the "Ohana" spirit - Hawaiian word for "family"
soon we will have our Hawaiian Luau at Gail's place and Julie
will teach us Polynesian dancing... we will eat Kahlua pig, poi, 
and watch Lilo and Stitch, and learn to talk in Hawaiian pee-jun English

Marian, Jennifer and Teresa will be paddling on Burnaby Tsunami team.
Gurmeet will be paddling with Scaly Justice Team, with Kristine Shum - 
Gung Haggis alumni and good friend.

Still waiting to hear from the Phillipines team.  
They are expecting 18 padders - but as of Monday 
- only 4 had recieved Visas.

remember to click on www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com for updates.
or better yet...
subscribe to Gung Haggis dragon boat team information.

Cheers, Todd

ADBF RACE REMINDERS FOR TEAMS

Equipment
• Cell phones are not to be used on the ramp or dock (yes, this has 
happened!)
• GPS systems are NOT allowed while racing
• You may use your own paddles and PFDs as long as they meet the 
criteria in the ADBF Rules and Regulations document (online under Race Info 
Docs) 
• You must wear a lifejacket / PFD. Please ensure it is zipped and/or 
buckled before heading down the ramp to the dock 

Team composition
• Adult Teams must have:
o a minimum of 8 females – if less than 8 women, they must race with 
less men - please see registrar
o a drummer and steersperson – drummer does not have to drum
o 16-20 paddlers – NO MORE, NO LESS – if less, please see registrar
• Junior Team
o Maximum 10 boys
o Can be all girls
o Cannot have more boys than girls (i.e., if 9 girls, only 9 boys can 
paddle for a total of 18)
o 16-20 paddlers – NO MORE, NO LESS – if less, please see registrar 
• Women’s Division
o Paddlers must all be women, drummer and steersperson may be either 
gender
• Open Division (previously men’s division)
o Paddlers, drummer and steersperson may be male or female

Items allowed on boat while racing: 
• wax - on personal paddles 
• gloves, hats, sunglasses, kneepads
• small fanny packs
• water bottles
• extra paddles (limit to 2, if possible)
• seat pads thinner than a mouse pad
• for the Women’s and Men's Divisions only, teams are allowed to use a 
speaker system 
• if in doubt, ask the Race Registrar

Items NOT allowed on the boat while racing:
• GPS systems
• wax - on festival paddles 
• large bags or knapsacks 
• seat pads thicker than a mouse pad 
• Noise “enhancers” – e.g., megaphones, whistles, horns etc. 
• if in doubt, ask the Race Registrar

Dock / Marshalling Areas
Please be aware of, and respectful of, the flow of traffic set up 
around the dock & marshalling areas. Please listen to the directions of 
volunteers and clear out of these areas as soon as possible. This will help 
us stay on schedule.

Marshalling 
• Teams should be at the crew marshal area (near Dragon Zone) 20 
minutes prior to their scheduled race time. Please line your team up back to 
front, with your drummer and steersperson in the lead

o **IF YOU ARE IN ONE OF THE FIRST 2 HEATS OF THE DAY (most likely 
these will be junior division races) please be at the crew marshal area 30 
minutes prior to your scheduled race time

• Teams that are not in the crew marshal area at the appropriate time 
may miss their race. Ultimately it is up to your team manager to know 
when you are racing and when you should marshal

• You will pick up your equipment (paddles and PFDs) in this area and 
then wait until one of our volunteers directs you to the dock

• IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOUR DRUMMER AND STEERSPERSON KNOW WHAT 
HEAT/RACE NUMBER YOU ARE IN. You will either be in a Gemini heat OR a 6/16 
heat (all boats will have heads and tails this year). You will be reminded 
of your heat number in the crew marshalling area.

• Once on the water, please head directly to the start line along the 
south side of False Creek (i.e., you will leave the dock and turn left 
right away, going in a clockwise motion and staying clear of the race 
course)

Protest Procedures - to lodge a race protest, please see the Race 
Registrar right after your race. All protests must be submitted in writing 
to the Race Registrar. A fee of $50 will be levied for each protest 
(rebated if protest is upheld). 

See you in a couple of days :)

Leah Nagano
Race Registrar
2006 Alcan Dragon Boat Festival
www.adbf.com

To go to the Racers pages on the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival website, go 
to http://www.adbf.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=racing.main and log in with 
youremail address and password in the space provide.