Welcome to Historic Joy Kogawa House - land conservancy

Joy Kogawa: Personal thoughts about Kogawa House on May 9th, 2006

Tue, 09 May 2006 09:47:29 -0700

What the house means to me -- these days it's a sense of miracle that surrounds me.

The fact of The Land Conservancy coming along and taking this on, the fact that it just happened to be that Naomi's Road was made into an opera at this time, that Vancouver Public Library chose Obasan as the One Book for Vancouver--these were miracles enough, without it all happening at this particular time.

And the amazing miracle of the particular people who were drawn to the work of saving the house -- Anton Wagner, Ann-Marie Metten, Todd Wong. So the house and the cherry tree and all these happenings and people are signs of miracles and fill me with hope.

When we look at the uncaring in our planet, here is evidence that relationships can be rehabilitated, the formerly despised can be embraced. The dream that writers who are presently among the despised of the world, can come and write their stories here, fills me with even more hope.

Racism is a present tragedy in the world, as it has been in the past. Here is one small way that we can say in Canada, that racism can be overcome.

Vancouver Sun (April 29): Kogawa home fundraisers will buy now, pay later

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 15:21:41 -0700

Kogawa home fundraisers will buy now, pay later

Kevin Griffin, Vancouver Sun

Published: Saturday, April 29, 2006

To listen to story, click link

The organizers behind a fundraising campaign to save the childhood home of writer Joy Kogawa in south Vancouver are buying the historic home even though they're almost $1 million short of what they initially wanted to raise.

What this means for the Land Conservancy which is coordinating the campaign is that the charitable organization will have to go to a financial institution to get a mortgage of a little less than $500,000 on the house at 1450 West 64th. TLC will continue to fundraise over the summer and to target major private donors as well as the provincial and federal governments.

"We're moving ahead with the purchase," said Bill Turner, the TLC's executive director. "We'll borrow whatever we need to purchase it so that the house will be saved from demolition for sure. We'll then have to raise the rest of the money to pay for it."

Since starting the campaign in earnest in early January, TLC and the Save Kogawa House Committee has raised $230,000 from more than 500 donors from across the country and in the U.S. and Australia. That amount includes a donation of $100,000 from one Japanese Canadian in the Vancouver business community who wishes to remain anonymous as well as numerous smaller donations from people who have organized bake sales, used book sales, twoonie-drives, and special Japanese luncheons in B.C. schools.

The TLC first wanted to raise $1.25 million to buy the house, pay for restoration and establish an endowment so that Kogawa House could be operated as a residence for exiled writers from around the world. But as fundraising stalled, TLC decided to focus on raising enough to just buy the house, a figure estimated at about $700,000.

The TLC, which has already negotiated an option to purchase the property, was also facing a deadline of April 30 when a demolition permit for the house is set to expire.

Turner said that TLC would be exercising the option to purchase this weekend. The purchase will close at the end of May.

Kogawa said she found out Thursday just before a reading in the Chapters outlet in downtown Victoria.

"I'm completely happy," Kogawa said. "I'm overjoyed. I can't begin to put into words what I feel about this. Now we can move forward to healing, forgiveness and reconciliation. It's wonderful."

The modest house is a physical reminder of a shameful chapter in the country's history. Kogawa grew up in the wood-frame house in Marpole and was interned in one of several camps in the interior of the province during the Second World War along with 22,000 other Canadians of Japanese descent. Kogawa later wrote about her experiences growing up in the house and of internment in the Slocan Valley in the novel Obasan and the children's version, Naomi's Road.

Interned Japanese Canadians, many of whom lived in the neighborhood around the Kogawa house as well as in Steveston and in what was called Japantown in the Downtown Eastside had their property auctioned off by the federal government without their consent. After the war, Japanese-Canadians were initially prohibited from moving back to Vancouver and other coastal areas and instead were dispersed across the country.

More information is available at www.conservancy.bc.ca and 604-733-2313.

kevingriffin@png.canwest.com

Media Watch for Joy Kogawa House - weekend of April 28 to 30.

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 00:15:04 -0700

Media Watch for Joy Kogawa House

weekend of April 28 to 30.

Busy Busy day for Joy Kogawa and the Save Kogawa House Committee and The Land Conservancy.

Joy Kogawa and Bill Turner took a 7am ferry from Victoria to Vancouver, following the jam-packed reading at Chapters bookstore last night. They went over to CTV and CBC television studios for interviews.

Kevin Griffin of the Vancouver Sun, phoned looking for Joy for a quick comment. He said the story will be running in Saturday's Vancouver Sun.

Check out CBC Radio One 690AM in Vancouver.
Sheryl Mackay, host of "North By Northwest" may have Joy Kogawa on air shortly after 7am.
Sheryl was one of our special guest readers at the April 25th "Joy of Canadian Words" at Christ Church Cathedral.

Joy will be attending the BC Book Prizes Gala on Saturday Night
http://www.bcbookprizes.ca/events06.htm

Joy sent me this message today:

"In haste – on this miraculous day – got to go make supper for grandkids"

Heather Skydt of The Land Conservancy wrote:

Check out CBC Newsworld or The National tonight...:)
CBC Radio also did a blurb about the kogawa announcement on BC Almanac today.
On Sunday, check out Joy on Colour TV (City TV) 6:30pm.
Metro also had an article today, too.
The Vancouver Sun will hopefully have an article in tomorrow's paper.

TLC / Save Kogawa House press conference presentations Dec 2, 10:30am

Sun, 04 Dec 2005 00:35:38 -0800

TLC/Save Kogawa House press conference presentations yesterday morning at 10:30am

At the head table were Joy Kogawa, Bill Turner (The Land Conservancy), Ann-Marie Metten (Save Kogawa House committee), Diane Switzer (Vancouver Heritage Foundation), Susan Bissonette (Heritage Vancouver), and Suzanne Anton Vancouver City Councillor.

Moderating was Tamsin Baker of the TLC who introduced each person.

Bill Turner spoke about the importance of Kogawa House, and how pleased the TLC was to be involved in this project. He complimented the Save Kogawa House Committee for developing the national awareness and initiating the campaign to save the house.

It was a very moving talk by Joy Kogawa. She always manages to push those emotional buttons. From the start Joy was so HAPPY, she kept wiping the tears in her eyes. Joy said that for many years she dreamed about coming back to the house that she knew as "home". It stayed constant in her years as a child growing up in internment, then later on the sugar beet farms, and as they moved from place to place. She said "But now, it's really happening! Even if the house isn't saved, I am home now. It's the here and now that is important, and it's happening now!"

I will ask them for their notes to post on www.kogawahouse.com
Q&A period followed.

Media attending was: CTV camera person, City TV Breakfast. Winnie for a Chinese newspaper....

A CTV camera took shots of me holding open the book Almanac's Greatest British Columbians - as I opened to the pages of BC's Greatest writers and the article on Joy Kogawa. I kept showing people and saying "Joy hasn't even seen this book yet!" I then showed my copy to Joy - and she of course was amazed. I later gave my library copy to Joy to take home to show her daughter and grandchildren.

I will write more later....

TLC will be planning some MAJOR fundraisers coming up - Meetins will start on Monday with Save Kogawa House committee.

The Land Conservancy (TLC) joins community efforts to save Joy Kogawa's Childhood home

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 17:38:41 -0800

TLC Joins Community Efforts to Save Joy Kogawa's Childhood Home

THE CAMPAIGN IS UNDERWAY: "118 DAYS, AND COUNTING"

December 2, 2005

VANCOUVER, BC – Community efforts to save Joy Kogawa’s childhood home from the wrecking ball moved into a new phase today as The Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC) has agreed to lead the campaign to acquire the house and secure its protection.

"The Kogawa house is a very important part of British Columbia’s heritage," said TLC’s Executive Director Bill Turner, "and we are determined to see it protected. As of today, we have only 118 days to raise the funds needed to achieve this. We will need to raise $1.25 million to ensure the future of this site, and we’ll be getting to work immediately."

The Kogawa house is located in the Marpole neighbourhood of Vancouver, and was the childhood home of noted Canadian author Joy Kogawa. She and her family were removed from the home in 1942 as part of the Government’s policy of internment of Canadians of Japanese ancestry during World War II." Kogawa’s celebrated novel Obasan is a powerful and heart-rending story of that internment and features the house prominently as part of her childhood recollections. It has been listed by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the 100 most important Canadian books ever written.

Inspired by the Save Kogawa House Committee, many community groups such as the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, Heritage Vancouver and the Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture and other cultural organizations like the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Federation of BC Writers have come together to support the protection of Kogawa House. On November 3 they were able to convince the City of Vancouver to delay a demolition permit on the house for 120 days (effective November 30) to give the community time to raise the funds to buy it. This followed the symbolic planting at City Hall of a graft from the cherry tree at Kogawa House, as Mayor Larry Campbell proclaimed Obasan Cherry Tree Day on November 1.

"I am so touched by the way the community has rallied to protect this house that holds such symbolic importance for me – and for so many others," said Joy Kogawa. "I just wonder when I'm going to wake up from this dream of miracles."

Committee spokesperson Ann-Marie Metten said "We are delighted that The Land Conservancy is taking on this project. As British Columbia’s National Trust they have the expertise to know what needs to be done and the ability to do it. They have a great record of success in similar projects around the Province and we all believe that by working together we will be successful here too."

TLC’s Turner said that the fundraising campaign is underway. "We are calling on everyone who has been moved by Joy Kogawa’s writing to contribute to saving the house. Your contribution will not only recognize and honour Joy’s accomplishments but will also provide the opportunity for a writers-in-residence program that will enable a new generation of writers to be inspired by her work. We are also calling on everyone who has been touched by Canada’s past treatment of communities such as the Japanese-Canadian community. This house will stand as a symbol of the wrongs that were committed in the past, but also as a symbol of what a community can achieve when it pulls together."

Donations can be made to The Land Conservancy through our website at

www.conservancy.bc.ca, or by calling our Lower Mainland Office at (604) 733-2312 or our Head Office in Victoria at (250) 479-8053.

Contacts:	For TLC	Bill Turner	(250) 213-1090
		Tamsin Baker	(604) 722-2313

	For the Save Kogawa House Committee
		Anne-Marie Metten	(604) 263-6586
		Todd Wong	(604) 240-7090
		Anton Wagner	(416) 863-1209