President’s Message

Hi everyone!
By the time the Bulletin gets out this month, I hope that many of you will have had an opportunity to take in the 6th Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival which runs October 28 to Sunday November 8 here in Vancouver. There are more than 80 events at over 25 locations through the Downtown Eastside. The Downtown Eastside is rich with many diverse ethnic communities and is of course one of the historic homes of the Japanese Canadian community. The DTES Heart of the City Festival celebrates the many creative artists who are committed and thrive in the heart of Vancouver. Featured will be many films, musical showcases, community dances, discussions, workshops, gallery exhibits, mixed media viewings, historical talks, and more. The mandate of Heart of the City Festival is to profile and encourage development of community arts in the Downtown Eastside. Please check the website www.heartofthecityfestival.com for full details. Most of the events are free or a minimal charge. We hope you can participate in this worthwhile event.

It seems that each month our community has many activities or events happening. One event of special interest will take place at the Nikkei Centre on November 10 at 7 PM. Dr Mona Oikawa is Associate Professor in the Race, Ethnicity and Indigeneity Program at York University in Ontario. This is a unique program that looks at racism and multiculturalism in Canada and its subsequent inequalities, in particular between mainstream Canadians and First Nations people. In the presentation “Generations of the Internment”, Dr Oikawa will discuss some of the challenges and processes of conducting research at the National Archives in Ottawa about individuals, family and community histories of the Japanese Canadian Internment. She will also discuss research from the interviews she conducted with Sansei and Yonsei daughters of women who were expelled from British Columbia as a result of WWII. Dr Oikawa will present some very interesting information for us.

November 11th is Remembrance Day and many organizations will be participating in the Remembrance Day Service at the Japanese Canadian War Memorial Cenotaph in Stanley Park. The Service will be at 10:40 AM and I hope that everyone will attend and pay respect to the Japanese Canadians who fought for Canada during the various Wars. Although our Japanese Canadian community endured many hardships during WWII, there were many who did enlist to fight for our democratic rights, freedoms, and world peace. There will be a special reception to follow at the Vancouver Rowing Club in Stanley Park and you can see an updated display of photographs and artifacts from World War I, II and the Korean War.
In appreciation of all the many volunteers and supporters who have helped out the GVJCCA through the year, we will be holding a Volunteer Appreciation Night on November 22nd at Nikkei Place from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. This is an annual event where the GVJCCA can actually thank all our supporters and we hope that you can attend and enjoy seeing your many friends again before you become engulfed by the busy holiday season in December. We hope to see you there. Please if you are planning to attend could you let us know by either emailing gvjcca@shaw.ca or calling 604.777.5222.

Thank you
Ron Nishimura
President Greater Vancouver Japanese Canadian Citizens’ Association