President’s Message

Welcome to The Bulletin’s special edition dedicated to the Powell Street Festival, which takes place over the BC Day long weekend, a weekend open to every resident of BC to celebrate mid-summer events. The Powell Street Festival is one of the most popular festivals held during the summer and is held at a site of historical importance to Japanese Canadians, the former Japan Town. Those who spend time at the Festival are treated to great entertainment and sporting events associated with Japanese traditions old and new. It is also an occasion to reconnect with people we have not seen for some time.

The JCCA is one of many organizations that help make the Festival a success. We are one of the many providers of food and drink to those who come to enjoy the Festival and are famous for our BBQ salmon.

The Olympic torch will soon be lighted at the Olympic stadium in London signaling the opening of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. We have our own torch lighting celebration on the Powell Street Festival grounds. Each day of the Festival we light up stacks of wood to begin the barbequing of salmon. It sets things in motion. Thanks to the great help from JCCA members and volunteers, we are then able to serve delicious meals to hundreds of Festival goers.

On this, the 75th anniversary of Spam, I must not neglect to mention that thanks to the inspiration of Tosh Kitagawa we are once again serving Spam sushi (aka Spam musubi) at the Festival. In its “A Moment in Time” page in the July 5th edition, The Globe and Mail notes July 5, 1937 as the date of the launch of Spam as a popular consumer luncheon meat in America. The article goes on to say that it is even served as a “tangy, sushi-type roll” in some restaurants in Hawaii. I have been told that Spam sushi was the creation of Japanese Americans living in Hawaii as an inexpensive alternative to regular raw fish sushi. Be it BBQ salmon or Spam sushi, we welcome you to JCCA’s tent to enjoy some great food and to enjoy conversation with some dedicated JCCA members and volunteers.

Gary Matson
President, GVJCCA