VCCFA November 2017 Newsletter
President's Message
Hello All We have had a lot going on since we published our last newsletter. The Federation has a new chair, Mr. Michael Copeland. I was last year's chair.
Mr. Fenghua Xu, from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (the CPAFFC), was in Vancouver on October 29th. Unfortunately he was not able to come to Victoria, but some of you may recall that he spoke at our 50th anniversary celebration two years ago.
I met with Mr. Dominique Boulais, Canadian Commemorations and Public Relations Manager of the War Commission, to discuss a Chinese Labour Corps memorial in Victoria. [Last year, we heard Mike Stacey speak about the thousands of Chinese labourers, the CLC, who passed through Victoria on their way to serve in WW1 in Europe.] Please see the dedicated section below for more information.
Please be reminded that our semi-annual meeting will be held this month at the Island Wok Restaurant. Please arrive by 5:15 pm. Dinner: check-in at 5:45 pm; buffet dinner will start at 6 pm.
Yours in Friendship,
Carol Charlebois
VCCFA Board Members
President: Carol Charlebois
Past President: Thomas Leung
Vice-President: Joshua Wang
Secretary: Dawn Ye Yuan (袁野）
Treasurer/Membership Secretary: Wilmar Blizard
Members-at-Large: Lisa Bengston, Jennifer Calder, Hua Lin, Ling Shen, Ramona McKean
Speaker at Our October Dinner
On Sunday, October 29, Mr. Pat Ferns, award winning film maker and recipient of the Order of Canada, spoke about his extensive experience working in China making documentaries. Mr. Ferns also spoke about mentoring some of the New Generation of Chinese film makers.
NEXT DINNER & SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday, November 26, at Island Wok Restaurant. For our semi-annual meeting, please arrive by 5:15 pm. Dinner: check-in at 5:45 pm; buffet dinner will start at 6 pm.
Dr. Tzu-I Chung, Curator of History at the Royal British Columbia Museum, has extensive knowledge of the early Chinese coming to our land over the past two centuries. She will present an overview of some of the intriguing transpacific historical connections and development in the nineteenth century through the lenses of material culture.
First-person accounts of lives in the early historical periods are hard to find, especially among non-mainstream cultural groups. Through the study of material culture and archival images, museums are able to explore and preserve Chinese Canadian history, and celebrate the contribution that Chinese Canadians have made to the building and shaping of today's multicultural BC.
UPCOMING EVENTS
A. CHINESE LABOUR CORPS COMMEMORATION IN VICTORIA, BC
The recommendations for the location of the proposed CLC memorial are the following: 1) To install a granite memorial close to the Government of British Columbia memorial of apology towards Chinese Canadians and Chinese people which was dedicated by the current Premier of BC on 10 September 2017 2) To install a bronze plaque on one of the pillars of the Chinese Gate of Harmonious Interest (one of the existing plaques commemorates the Chinese Canadians from Victoria who served/died during the Second World War) 3) To install a bronze plaque on the brick wall above the Government of British Columbia memorial of apology Thus, Vancouver and Victoria Chinese Canadian stakeholders are interested in commemorating the CLC in a dignified and appropriate manner; they are keen to commemorate the CLC as close as possible to their burial location. Thus, Victoria, BC is being recommended by the Commission's Canadian Agency since a respectful, highly-frequented location exists in Chinatown next to the Gate of Harmonious Interest; it is highly-visible to the public in a conveniently and easily maintained site. Signage at the three locations informing the public of the CLC William Head burial site proposed by Mr Trent Mitchell (Victoria's Harling Point, Esquimalt Veterans Cemetery and William Head Correctional Institute) may be worth considering by the Commission. The timeline for completion and a future unveiling will be November, 2018. B. DINNERS
December: reminder that we do not meet.
January 28th, Sunday – Purple Garden restaurant. Speaker to be announced.
Feb 18th, Sunday – Chinese New Year’s Luncheon at the Golden City restaurant (no speaker).
C. AGM
March 25, 2018, Sunday, at Island Wok restaurant at 5 pm. Dinner: check-in at 5:45 pm; buffet dinner will start at 6 pm.
Victoria Canada-China Friendship Association
P.O. Box 5074, Station B, Victoria, B.C. V8R 6N4 Telephone: Carol at 250-882-5820 http://www.vccfa.net/
