Ann-Marie Metten's blog

20th Anniversary of the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:17:46 -0700

Monday, September 22, 2008, Vancouver--Today is the 20th anniversary of the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement negotiated with the National Association of Japanese Canadians after five years of struggle. On this day, then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney stood in the House of Commons and stated:

Mr. Speaker, I know I speak for members of all sides of the House in offering to Japanese Canadians the formal and sincere apology of this Parliament for those past injustices against them, their families, and their heritage, and our solemn commitment to Canadians of every origin that they will never again be countenanced or repeated.

As we recognize the 20th anniversary of the Redress Agreement, quite amazingly, we have learned that it is also the 64th anniversary of the expropriation sale of the childhood home of Joy's family. Recently we have been approached with research involving Land Registry searches on 1450 West 64th Avenue, and one of the discoveries was that it was sold on September 22, 1944.

Forty-four years later, to the day, the Redress Agreement was signed in Ottawa, with Joy present. Gregory Tatchell, the researcher, noted: "I think of these parallels as God winks, not as coincidence!"

Excerpt from Justice in Our Time: The Japanese Canadian Redress Settlement (Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1991) by Roy Miki and Cassandra Kobayashi

Language of Music, The Music of Words

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:28:15 -0700

A Musical Evening with Joy Kogawa and Friends

When: Friday, April 25, 8:00 to 9:30 p.m.

Where: Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue, Vancouver

Cost: By donation. Space is limited. To secure a seat, please RSVP by emailing kogawahouse@yahoo.ca. Wine and cheese will be served.

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.

The evening will close with a stellar presentation: the Vancouver Public Library will award Joy the George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award for an outstanding literary career related to British Columbia.

This National Poetry Month event takes place in Joy Kogawa’s childhood home—a place that is representative of the many properties owned by Canadians of Japanese descent that were confiscated during the Second World War when their occupants were interned. After a hard-fought effort to save the house from demolition, the tiny bungalow is being restored and will host a writer-in-residence program.

Proceeds from this musical event will fund the honorarium for the first writer to live and work at the house, beginning in March 2009.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the League of Canadian Poets.

Joy Kogawa is coming to Kidsbooks

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:58:57 -0700

Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m.

at Kidsbooks, 3083 West Broadway

Kidsbooks invites you to meet Joy Kogawa in celebration of her new book, Naomi's Tree. This beautiful picture book touches on the internment of Canadians of Japanese descent during the Second World War. Illustrated by Ruth Ohi, Naomi's Tree is based on the characters from Joy Kogawa's classic novel, Naomi's Road. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Tickets are $5 available at Kidsbooks, or by phone at 604-738-5335, and are fully redeemable toward Joy Kogawa's books on the night of the event only.

If you would like signed copies but are unable to attend, please call or email us in advance.

For more information, email us at events@kidsbooks.ca or call 604-738-5335.

Jointly sponsored by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, The Land Conservancy of BC, and Historic Joy Kogawa House Society.

A writing workshop and public reading with Sharon Butala

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:46:12 -0800

Writing the Memoir

Location: Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue, Vancouver

Date: Reading on Friday, February 22, 7:30 to 9 p.m.; writing workshop on Saturday, February 23, and Sunday, February 24, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Cost: To be determined. Space is limited. To secure a seat, please register by emailing ametten@telus.net.

Many writers have demonstrated that even the most glamorous lives--of celebrities, war heroes, or politicians--can make for dull reading. Yet the most ordinary lives can make thrilling reading. How does the storyteller capture the essence of the story and develop a reader's interest? What are memoirs really about, and why write them? Through discussion, question and answer, exercises, and examining successful memoirs, this workshop will endeavour to answer such questions, as well as to show how memoirs might be structured, and how a writer decides what to put in and what to leave out. Memoirs are therapy for both writer and reader, but they are also good stories: at their best, they are art.

Sharon Butala is an award-winning author of both fiction and non-fiction. Her memoir, The Perfection of the Morning, was a Canadian bestseller and a finalist for the Governor General's Award. Ms Butala has been called one of Canada's true visionaries. In 2002 she was honoured as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Her newest work, The Girl in Saskatoon: A Meditation on Memory and Murder (HarperCollins Canada), will be in bookstores in March.

Watch this website over the next few days for more information.

We're looking for a resident caretaker

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:51:46 -0800

The Historic Joy Kogawa House was purchased by TLC The Land Conservancy of British Columbia in May 2006 after a successful public fundraising campaign to save the house from demolition.

The property is one of the few residences in Vancouver identified as having been confiscated by the Canadian government and sold without the lawful owner's permission.

In addition, the property has heritage and cultural significance for its connection with renowned Canadian author Joy Kogawa (born 1935) who lived in the house with her family between 1937 and 1942, when the family was forced to move. Kogawa's work has been nationally and internationally recognized.

The property is in the process of being preserved as a Canadian cultural and literary landmark. It will function as a writers-in-residence retreat and will host periodic special events.

However, while the full program is being developed, TLC The Land Conservancy is seeking a warden (caretaker) to live in the residence and assist in minor maintenance.

Details about the house
The warden will have use of a living room, office room, dining space, two bathrooms, full kitchen, one bedroom, multi-purpose room, ample storage space, outdoor deck, small yard and enclosed garage for parking. Washer, dryer and dishwasher are included.

Duties required
In return for a very reasonable rent and utilities, the warden will be expected to assist with minor maintenance duties of the site. These would mostly include yard work, but can vary depending on skill and interest.

Also, the warden would need to accommodate the use of the house for approximately 2 or 3 events or tours a month, as well as visits from TLC and others to perform maintenance and restoration activities. These events or tours can be either private or open to the public. The warden is expected to keep the inside of the house tidy before scheduled events or tours. The warden will be given sufficient notice to prepare for these activities.

Rent
Rent is $700/month for a single occupant or $1000/month for a couple (plus utilities).

No pets, no smokers and no children.

Available for February 1, 2008. Call (604) 733-2313 to apply, preferably before Friday, December 13.

TLC is a non-profit, charitable land trust protecting wilderness areas and cultural landmarks in BC. Since 1997, TLC has protected over 100,000 acres of threatened lands, involving more than 200 projects. www.conservancy.bc.ca

Join us for a literary event at Historic Joy Kogawa House on Saturday, November 10, 3 to 5 p.m.

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:29:27 -0700

War and Remembrance

A reading in support of TLC’s writers-in-residence program at Historic Joy Kogawa House

Location: 1450 West 64th Avenue, Vancouver

Date: Saturday, November 10, 3 to 5 p.m.

Cost: Admission by donation.
Space is limited. To ensure a seat, please RSVP to (604) 733-2313.

Ruth Ozeki, the Vancouver Public Library’s One Book, One Vancouver author for 2007 for her novel My Year of Meats, will read her contribution to the new collaborative novel, Click, published by Scholastic to support Amnesty International. Ruth’s story describes the experiences of a Japanese boy living in Tokyo during the American occupation following the Second World War.

Vancouver writer Shaena Lambert will read from her novel, Radiance, which tells the story of a Hiroshima survivor whom a group of antinuclear activists sponsor for plastic surgery in New York in the 1950s. The story pits the ideals of peace at home against the realities of the war experience in Japan.

Special guest appearance by Canadian author and poet, Joy Kogawa.

For more information, please call TLC’s Lower Mainland Office at (604) 733-2313, email vancouver@conservancy.bc.ca.

Ryukoku Sogo Gakuen

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:02:02 -0700

Ryukoku students visit Kogawa House in July 2007

Ryukoku Summer Students Visit Kogawa House

A group of 19 enthusiastic Japanese high school students and their teachers visited historic Joy Kogawa House early on the morning of Thursday, July 26, 2007. Members of the group attend school in various parts of Japan and came together in Vancouver to participate in Ryukoku Sogo Gakuen, a three-week educational program out of Steveston Buddhist Temple that promotes religious, cultural, and international understanding. The Ryukoku Summer English program has been in operation every summer for the past five years.

This year, an important aspect of the curriculum was to create some understanding and appreciation of the Japanese experience in British Columbia. As part of their preparation for their visit to Canada, students were required to read Joy Kogawa’s story of the internment, Naomi’s Road, as well as do some research about the author. The culmination of their learning was the exciting tour of the author’s childhood home during their visit to Vancouver.

Tamsin Baker, regional manager of The Land Conservancy of BC’s Lower Mainland office, was present at the house to welcome the group. Tamsin showed the students photos of the house during various times in the past and explained the history of the house and plans for its future. The highlight of the morning came when Joy herself arrived at the house, accompanied by David Kogawa and their son, Gordon. Her arrival was a completely unexpected surprise. The students and teachers were absolutely thrilled to meet Joy in person and gave her a very enthusiastic welcome. Everyone wanted to have a picture taken with Joy.

The Ryukoku School wishes to thank Joy Kogawa, David Kogawa, and Tamsin Baker for taking the time to make their visit to the house very meaningful and for helping to create wonderful memories for the students to take back to Japan.

—Posted on behalf of Joan Young

City of Vancouver Heritage Award

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 22:39:58 -0800

Here's the certificate.

Thanks to everyone who helped.

Kogawa House Makes Heritage Vancouver Top 10 List of Endangered Properties

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 15:05:38 -0800

Burrard Bridge, St. Paul's among list of endangered sites
John Mackie, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, February 08, 2006
VANCOUVER - Two civic icons top the sixth annual list of Heritage Vancouver's Top 10 Endangered Heritage Sites.

The Burrard Bridge is number one, followed by St. Paul's Hospital. Arthur Erickson's modern masterpiece the Evergreen Building is number three, followed by the Vogue Theatre and the 2400 Motel on Kingsway.

Salsbury Garden near Commercial Drive is number six, followed by the old Black Swan records building on West Fourth, and Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. The list is rounded out by the city's "stewardship" of buildings such as the Hastings Mill Museum and Roedde House Museum, and the Joy Kogawa House in Marpole.

The Burrard Bridge isn't going to be knocked down. But Don Luxton of Heritage Vancouver fears the new NPA council will resurrect a proposal to add "outrigger" lanes on the sides of the bridge for bicyclists now that the new council has cancelled plans to convert two of the six traffic lanes into bicycle lanes.

The future of St. Paul's Hospital is very much up in the air. Providence Health Care -- which owns and operates St. Paul's -- has purchased a 17-acre site on the False Creek flats by the train station and is considering building a new hospital rather than renovate and upgrade St. Paul's.

Luxton says Providence may sell the St. Paul's site to a developer, which would redevelop it as residential condos.