President’s Message

As I write this message for the February edition of The Bulletin, I am basking in the afterglow of a Chinese Lunar New Year Luncheon 2014 held at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. It was held in the name of Alumni UBC in gratitude to individuals who have volunteered their time or made donations to UBC. We enjoyed a three course meal with the main entrée item being Sake cured wild salmon. In remarking that I am basking in the afterglow, I am referring to the effect glasses of BC merlot and chardonnay have had on me. There are perks that come with being a volunteer or donor.

The featured speaker was outgoing UBC President & Vice-Chancellor Stephen Toope. It would be his final speech to the UBC alumni assembled for the luncheon. I am sure I speak for many others when I report how moved I was by his speech. There can be no doubt about the sincerity of his words of appreciation to the alumni and the many others he has worked with during his time as UBC President. He became emotional on more than one occasion at the end of his speech.

In keeping with Stephen Toope’s words, I can never thank enough the people who volunteer their time and make donations for GVJCCA activities. The most recent example was the Keirokai event held at Nikkei Place on Saturday, January 18th for seniors 70 years and older. The event was made possible thanks to the assistance of Tonari Gumi, the Nikkei Centre, and many donors and volunteers. We were treated to delicious New Year’s bento boxes. Many kind donors added to the festivities with a variety of food and other gifts. We were entertained by a jazz quartet, a Japanese dance group, and a magician. The program wound up with a sing-along led by Moko Kuwabara. Consul General Seiji Okada proposed the toast with kind words of greetings. He mentioned that 2014 is a special year for the Japanese Consulate in Vancouver. Japan-Canada diplomatic relations have reached the milestone mark of 125 years in Vancouver. Special activities are being planned in Vancouver for this year. The GVJCCA looks forward to working together with the Consulate in celebrating this 125th anniversary.

On March 15, 2014 the GVJCCA will hold its Annual General Meeting at Nikkei Place from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the GVJCCA office at Nikkei Place. We are currently accepting nominations for our Board of Directors for the upcoming term (see page 43). The GVJCCA is seeking individuals interested in working in the Nikkei community with the aim of fulfilling our society’s purposes. Those purposes include the following: (1) to protect and promote legal rights and freedoms for all persons; (2) to promote the arts and culture of Japanese-Canadians through the organization of community and cultural programs; (3) to improve Canadian awareness of the history of Japanese-Canadians and to promote the study of the Japanese language; and (4) to provide facilities and care for low-income elderly persons of Japanese descent in the Greater Vancouver area.

We thank you, the readers of The Bulletin, for your support of the GVJCCA. Please maintain your membership in the GVJCCA, and please participate in the many activities we sponsor or jointly sponsor throughout the year. Not unlike the pledge drives we see on TV for the support of quality public broadcasting, we count on your membership fees to allow us to continue with publication of a quality journal, The Bulletin, and to help pay for GVJCCA activities dedicated to our community.

Gary Matson, President, GVJCCA