TLC/Save Kogawa House press conference presentations yesterday morning at 10:30am
Report by Todd Wong
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!”
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 – Meetings will start on Monday with the Save Kogawa House committee.