Category Archives: Multicultural events

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.

Music for a New World special concert April 20 at Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver

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This sounds like an incredible concert!  World Music in a bottle marked Vancouver World Music Collective.

And I know and have performed with many of the featured musicians.  Silk Road Music's Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault have performed at Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner & First Night events since 2004.  In the past few years I have become a big fan or Orchid Ensemble's Lan Tung, as she plays her erhu.

Pepe Danza plays with Andre and Qiu Xia in the group Joutou which mixes French Canadian and Celtic with Chinese music styles.  I love Amy Stephen's accordion playing with Mad Pudding. And then add in all the other brilliant performers and styles from all over the world such as Khac Chi's Vietnamese stylings or the latin and african rhythms of their fellow World Music Collective musicians.

Too bad, I can't skip dragon boat practice on Sunday to attend.  I'd be there otherwise!

newworld.jpg

Music for a New World


Sunday, April 20

2 pm

From the Centennial Theatre website

This incredible collaboration brings together 17 of Vancouver’s best
world music artists in a one of a kind partnership in which influences
from around the world mix into a melting pot of sights and sounds.
Centred on a spirit of cooperation and collaboration, Music for a New World celebrates the diversity of world music.

Members include Amir Haghighi, Jou Tou, Khac Chi, the Masabo Culture
Company, Orchid Ensemble, Silk Road and Tzimmes. Together their music
draws from Quebecois, Uruguayan, Irish, Chinese, Vietnamese, West
African and Jewish roots. Performances include everything from ancient
traditional music, to jazz, Celtic, several Latin styles, contemporary
songs, as well as new music. It is an astounding collection of
experience and ability.

Join the celebration and experience the diversity and excitement of this unique musical event!

www.vancouverworldmusic.org

Music for a New World is presented in cooperation with the Vancouver International Children's Festival  http://www.childrensfestival.ca/

Music for a New World is presented in association with the
North Shore Multicultural Society    www.nsms.ca

Check out the Vancouver Sun Article:

Eclectic offering lets kids hear world music

Sunday afternoon's Music for A New World project, spearheaded by the Vancouver World Music Collective at North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre, …

Tonight: Joy Kogawa reads her new book “Naomi’s Tree”

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TONIGHT
Joy Kogawa is reading her new book “Naomi’s Tree” at Vancouver Kidsbooks

Naomissm.jpgDate:  Thursday April 10th, 2008
Time:  7:00pm

Kidsbooks: Author and Illustrator Events

Place: Vancouver Kidsbooks – 3083 West Broadway, Vancouver … Please Note: Tickets are fully redeemable toward Joy Kogawa’s books on the night of the event …
www.kidsbooks.ca/kidsbooksevents.htm – 38k – Cached – Similar pages

 

A Musical Evening with Joy Kogawa and Friends
Friday Apr 25, 2008

Tickets: To secure a seat, please email kogawahouse@yahoo.ca.
Vancouver composer Leslie Uyeda presents two song cycles written to accompany five of Joy Kogawa’s most exquisite poems. “Stations of Angels” will be performed by soprano Heather Pawsey and flutist Kathryn Cernauskas, and “Offerings” by Heather Pawsey and pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa. These performances are the world premiere of both song cycles, which were composed especially for these three artists. To complement the musical performance, poets Joy Kogawa, Heidi Greco, Marion Quednau, and Vancouver’s poet laureate George McWhirter will read.

Set
in the Historic Joy Kogawa House, this National Poetry Month event takes place in Joy Kogawa’s childhood home—a place that commemorates both the brightest hopes and the darkest hours of Canadian history. The house, representative of many properties owned by Canadians of Japanese descent, was confiscated during the Second World War when its occupants and 20,000 other Japanese-Canadians were interned. After a hard-fought effort by The Land Conservancy and the Kogawa House Committee to save the house from demolition, it is being restored, and beginning in the spring of 2009, will host a writer-in-residence program.

Event supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the League of Canadian Poets.

Tartan Day (April 6) proclaimed in City of Vancouver, April 3

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Tartan Day for perpetuity in Vancouver, recognizing Vancouver's Scottish heritage!

We gathered at the Council Chambers foyer with Mayor Sam Sullivan and city councilors for our this photo.  Bagpiper Allan McMoridie and Darryl Carracher of the Scottish Cultural Centre joined us for the ceremony.  The motion had been brought forward by city councilor Heather Deal.

Tartan Day proclaimed! standing l-r:  Tim Stevenson – city councilor, Darryl Carracher – Scottish Cultural Centre, Heather Deal – city councilor, Allan McMordie – JP Fell Pipe Band, BC Lee – city councilor, George Chow – city councilor, Todd Wong – Gung Haggis Fat Choy, Kim Capri – city councilor with Mayor Sam Sullivan.  Photo courtesy of Sven Buemann  City of Vancouver

I brought the tartan sashes and extra kilts that the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team wears for paddling and kilts nights.  Tim Stevenson held up a kilt for the picture, and Kim Capri donned the mini-kilt.  Sashes were taken up by Sam Sullivan, George Chow and BC Lee.  Heather Deal wore her own tartan skirt.

Here is Mayor Sam holding the proclamation with Councilor George Chow, Darryl Carracher, Todd Wong, Councilor Heather Deal and bagpiper Allan McMordie.  Photo courtesy of Sven Buemann City of Vancouver

Later in the evening, our Kilts Night gang met at Doolin's Irish Pub.  Allan brought his entourage, but forgot his bagpipes.  Graham McNicholl showed up with 2 more contingents of the Vancouver Tartan Army.  Kiltmakers Rob Macdonald and Terry Bear Varga joined us too!  Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team members Joy, Raphael, Tzhe and Leanne were on hand, as we danced to the music of the Halifax Wharf Rats, following the Vancouver Canucks loss.  At the first music break, we read the Tartan Day proclamation from the stage.

Next Tartan Day activity
Gung Haggis Fat Choy Tartan Day dragon boat paddle
Sunday 1:30pm
on water 2-3:30pm
Dragon Zone @ Creekside Park
just south of Science World – above the ferry/dragon boat docks

Vancouver Sun: Every day is Tartan Day for devoted kilt maker

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Kilt maker Rob McDonald and I first discovered each other when we were both interviewed for a Vancouver Courier article Hearts in the Highlands about Robbie Burns Day by Fiona Hughes.  We finally met at a Kilts Night event at Doolin's Irish Pub. 
Rob's website is www.westcoastkilts.com. 
He regaled us with stories from his days in the Seaforth Highlanders
where he first learned to make kilts.  This man is full of great
entertaining stories.

Rob came out to last year's Tartan Day Kilts Night event, and helped bring out lots of kilts and mini-kilts for the Kilt fashion parade, organized by Terry Varga.  With Tartan Day being proclaimed in the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Sun writer Chantal Eustace interviewed Rob about the etiquette of making and wearing kilts:

Every day is Tartan Day for devoted kilt maker

The province's annual nod to Scottish heritage is no big deal for Robert MacDonald, for whom the leggy garment is a way life


Vancouver Sun

Chantal Eustace,
Vancouver Sun

Published: Thursday, April 03, 2008

Whenever he can, local kilt maker Robert MacDonald likes to wear his Scottish heritage on his hips.

“I'd say it's an integral part of who I am,” says MacDonald, adding that he is more comfortable in a kilt than in trousers.

It
has nothing to do with the fact that Tartan Day — the province's
annual nod to its Scottish heritage, part of a global celebration of
Highland culture — is this Sunday.

“For
me a kilt is just something I grew up with, like a T-shirt,” MacDonald
says when asked about Tartan Day. “That's like saying, let's celebrate
T-shirt day.”

It doesn't concern him that the holiday, recognized in B.C. since
1993, hasn't taken off in the local Scottish community with the same
gusto as Robert Burns Day.

“I wish [Tartan Day] well but I can't
say I'm rooting for it on the sidelines like a cheerleader,” MacDonald
says, seated at the kilt-making table in his Vancouver home, where he
sews his made-to-order creations. “I'll be fine if it takes off and
I'll be fine if it doesn't take off.”

After all, there is a year-round demand for his tartan creations.

Read the rest of the story:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=39d11102-9e1f-49e6-8f13-c287f3dcead0&p=1

The tools of the trade for kilt-maker...View Larger Image View Larger Image

The tools of the trade for kilt-maker…

Glenn Baglo, Vancouver Sun

Vancouver Province: Vancouver to embrace Tartan Day on April 6

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Here's the first public media acknowledgement that Tartan Day is officially happening in the City of Vancouver.
Indeed, the city of Vancouver, province of BC, and country of Canada – all trace it's historical beginnings to Scottish pioneers.

Vancouver's first mayor was Scottland born Malcolm Alexander McLean, elected in 1886.  BC's first governor was born of a Scottish father in Guyana, then raised in Lanark, the Scottish market town where the Scots Parliament was first held and where William Wallace used to live.  Canada's first Prime Ministers was Sir John A. MacDonald, born in Edinburgh. 

But today in Canada's most Asian city, where BC traces it's Chinese ancestry to 1858, it's year of conception as a British colony, the charge to create a Tartan Day recognition is led by multigenerational Canadians of Chinese ancestry, Todd Wong and Raymond Louie.

Vancouver to embrace Tartan Day on April 6

Christina Montgomery,
The Province

Published: Thursday, April 03, 2008

Vancouver's
lads and lassies have until Sunday to press their kilts and dust off
their sporans for the city's first official Tartan Day.

Council
will declare today that Vancouver is joining a long list of cities
around the world that celebrate their Scottish roots on April 6.

The
idea of hopping on the international Tartan Day bandwagon was the
brainchild of Todd Wong, who founded the local phenomenon known as the
Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.

The
event, which marries Chinese New Year with Robbie Burns Day at the end
of January, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.

The
declaration comes at the urging of Vision Vancouver councillors Heather
Deal — still livid over her Macdonald clan's defeat at Glencoe in 1692
— and Raymond Louie — who claims to be a MacLouie, despite his
Chinese heritage.

Deal says the idea is to add a
Scottish-flavoured salute to the city's Celtic roots, already
acknowledged with an annual St. Patrick's Day parade, Celtic festival
and the Gung Haggis dinner.

Wong is expected to make an
appearance at the ceremony in council chambers, accompanied by a
traditional piper. The 47-year-old fifth-generation Chinese Canadian
says he came to love all things Scottish — including Robbie Burns —
in 1993, when he volunteered at a Burns dinner at Simon Fraser
University.

cmontgomery@png.canwest.com

Tartan Day proclamation for City of Vancouver

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Tartan Day will be proclaimed in the City of Vancouver sometime this week

I solicited SFU Scottish Cultural Studies to created a proclaimation, which I passed to city councilor Raymond Louie.

Kilts Night “Tartan Day” celebration happening at Doolin's Irish Pub – after the hockey game… or between periods?!?!
details TBA

Sunday – official Tartan Day.
Vancouver Tartan Army is planning something details TBA
Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team will wear the tartan to dragon boat practice 1:30pm at Science World dragon boat docks.

Ron MacLeod Chair V of the SFU Scottish Studies program writes:

Greetings, Tartan Day will soon be upon us – April 6th –  so
don’t forget to wear a bit of tartan in memory of an historic occasion
– the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320 A.D. This declaration was
Scotland’s Declaration of Independence. It has been hailed as a
significant step on a winding, tortuous and long road towards the
blossoming of democracy. If you want a copy of the Declaration, just
email me and it shall be delivered. Regards, the other Ron
 
Two messages from the Gaelic Society:
 
1. What: a reminder about the next Ceilidh:
Where: at the Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson Street (at 73rd Avenue)
When: Saturday, April 5th, 2008
Time: entertainment begins at 8 P.M.
Tickets: at the door
Entertainment: accordianist
Sandy Black; musician Seumas Gagne; singer Doug Barr; Highland Dancers
from Angus MacKenzie’s School of Highland Dancing.
Other: coffee, tea, scones, oatcakes and other delights. Wet bar.
All welcome.
 
2.  What: the Vancouver Gaelic Society’s 100th Anniversary Celebration
Where: Scottish Centre, 8886 Hudson Street (at 73rd Avenue)
When: Saturday, May 3rd, 2008
Time: doors open 5:00 P.M.; Dinner 6:00 P.M.
Tickets: $50.00 for adults & $25.00 for students. Order tickets from Murdo & Linda MacIver (604) 929-4781.
Entertainment: an array of talent including the
Royal National Mòd gold medal soloist Paul McCallum; Scottish
accordionist and entertainer John Carmichael; and, the Vancouver Gaelic
Choir.
Other: dancing to follow the entertainment program.
All welcome as long as there is space available.
 
The following courtesy James Russell:
 
A Scots Toast:
May the best you’ve ever seen
Be the worst you’ll ever see;
May the mouse ne’er leave your girnal                 (pantry)
Wi’ a tear drap in his e’e;
May your lum be blithely reekin…………………..(chimney, smoking)
Till ye’re auld enough to dee;…………………….(die)
May you aye be just as happy
As we wish you now to be!

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is happening! The city is turning pink!

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Pink petals are sprouting on cherry trees all over Vancouver.  It's time for Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival!

Scan4.jpg

http://www.vancouvercherryblossomfestival.com/2008/event

Last Tuesday, March 25th, the Vancouver Cherry Jam kicked of the official start of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival at the Burrard Sky Train station. 

The free noon-time
concert  Chibi Taiko and Tera Taiko Drumming and
Dueling, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet with Blossom
Brass, Suzka Gypsy Jazz Violin and was emceed by Bramwell Tovey.

This festival celebrates the blossoming of the city’s 36,000 Japanese
flowering cherry trees and is the brainchild of Linda Poole.  I guess it was a sign of times to come when I first met Linda at a special cherry tree planting at Vancouver City Hall in Novemember 2005.  That was the symbolic planting of a graft from the cherry tree at Joy Kogawa House, the very tree that has now inspired Joy's new children's book “Naomi's Tree”

Check out the many events programmed for Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.  There are photography workshops, cherry trolley tours, picnic lunches and more!

Key events

April 1/2 Haiku Garden event

April 2 Pink Tie Affair Gala @ Pair Bistro featuring Cherry Blossom martini + tasting menu


April 3 Sakura Tree Planting @ Van Dusen Gardens.  All day events celebrating the planting of a new Sakura Cherry Tree grove.

April 10 7pm Joy Kogawa Reading of “Naomi's Tree” @ Vancouver Kidsbooks

April 19th Bike the Blossoms – meet 9am at Van Dusen Gardens, then bike the city underneath falling cherry blossom petals.

Vancouver Sun: The next celebration – Toddish McWong helps to spread the word about Tartan Day

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Vancouver Sun's Chantal Eustace writes a story about kilts and Tartan Day in Vancouver.

Check out the Vancouver Sun article.
The next celebration: Wearing the tartan

Vancouver Sun – British Columbia, Canada
Todd Wong (centre right in red vest) wears the tartan on St.
Patrick's Day, along with Nathalie Coulombe (right) and others at
Doolan's Pub. …

Todd Wong (centre right in red vest) wears the tartan on St. Patrick's Day, along with Nathalie Coulombe (right) and others at Doolan's Pub.View Larger Image View Larger Image and Story – click here!
We posed at Doolin's for a picture for the Vancouver Sun. left to right is Raphael Fang (Kilts Night at Doolin's co-founder), Dave Samis – dragon boater, Allan McMordie- bagpiper, Heather Deal – Vancouver city councilor, Matt – bar tender, Todd Wong – creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, Nathalie Columbe – Doolin's waitress.  photo by Mark van Manen

I usually wear a kilt about 2 or 3 times a month now, and always for Kilts Night, the first Thursday of each month.

This
past week I wore it on Wednesday for the Co-op radio interview, then
Thursday for the Battle of the Bards when I played Robbie Burns.  Again on Sunday for the St.
Patrick's Day parade.  Then tonight for St. Patrick's Day at the Billy
Bishop Legion.  That's four times within a span of 6 days!

Every 1st Thursday of the month, you can find me
at Doolin's Irish Pub celebrating “Kilts Night.”  Wear a kilt and
receive a free pint of Guinness.

The
Vancouver Sun wrote a story about Tartan Day coming up on April 5th,
and how it isn't grandly celebrated in Vancouver.  New York City has a
huge celebration which they call Tartan Week.  Last year we had a wee
celebration at Doolin's with a kilt fashion show and a scotch tasting
by Johnny Walker.  Our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team
participated in the kilt fashion show, and we ended up on the Kilts
Night poster for Doolin's.

Here are some articles I wrote last year for Tartan Day

by
Todd
on Sat 24 Mar 2007 09:21 AM PDT
Tartan Day for Canada? 
Should Scots' contributions to Canada be recognized?
A Bill for Tartan Day.

by
Todd
on Wed 04 Apr 2007 05:42 PM PDT
Tartan Day celebration at Doolin's for Kilts Night
Bill
C-402 in parliament is an independant bill


by
Todd
on Mon 16 Apr 2007 12:19 PM PDT
Tartan Day Eve – at Doolin's Irish Pub with the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team


by
Todd
on Fri 13 Apr 2007 11:48 PM PDT
The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team celebrate Tartan Day at Doolin's Irish Pub, April 5 – photo Todd Wong Collection.


by
Todd
on Wed 05 Apr 2006 06:04 PM PDT
Tartan Day, on 6 April.
Angus provost Bill Middleton said: “The new
Chinese-Scottish tartan