Invitation to Reception for Gim Wong: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m, Thursday, June 30 Ottawa City Hall (Champlain Room)
欢迎届时到场欢迎这位华人老英雄
GIM WONG'S RIDE FOR REDRESS ARRIVES IN OTTAWA
Eighty three year-old World War II veteran Gim Foon Wong will arrive in Ottawa on June 30 to bring his message to all Canadians about Canada's infamous Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act and the devastation they caused Chinese Canadian families over generations. On Thursday, June 30, between 11 a.m. and noon, he will be riding along Wellington St. in front of the Parliament Buildings and down to the Canadian War Museum. Later that day, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. he will be the guest of honour at a reception at Ottawa City Hall(Champlain Room) organized by the Ottawa Chapter of the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC). Head tax payers, their families and the public are invited to welcome Gim Wong to Ottawa and to make a small donation in support of the redress campaign.
The CCNC is proud to be one of the sponsors of Gim Wong?s Ride for Redress. CCNC continues to seek redress on behalf of the surviving Head Tax payers and their families, and urges the Canadian Government to negotiate a just and honourable resolution.
For further information, please contact:
Jonas Ma, President, CCNC, Ottawa Chapter (613) 261-0493
黄金焕：83岁老翁骑车横越全加
反加拿大历史上对华裔移民课征人头税及施行排华法令，为多年前华人遭受的不平等待遇伸张公理，83岁华裔老翁黄金焕6月3日自维多利亚市启程，骑重型机车横越加拿大，于加拿大国庆日6月30日抵达首都渥太华。
据美国《世界日报》报道，黄金焕出生于温哥华士达孔拿区，是土生土长的华裔第二代移民，他的父母必须借款缴纳在当时数目庞大的人头税，并且在辛劳工作多年后才还清债务。他的父亲在华埠经营洗衣店，带着全家人刻苦度过20世纪30年代大萧条时期。
年届八旬的黄金焕从小目睹华埠亲友遭受歧视及人头税之累，他要求加国政府平反人头税，为几十年歧视华人的法令道歉，并对人头税受害者及家属提出金钱赔偿。
横跨加拿大的太平洋铁路于1881年至1885年建造，华工因薪资低廉，成为建造铁路的主力，但由于国内排华情绪高涨，政府于1885年开始对华工及其家人课征50加元的人头税，直到1903年，税额调升至500加元，这对当时华人带来沉重负担。
7月1日是加拿大国庆日，但是对加国老华侨来说也是“耻辱日”，1923年7月1日加拿大制定“华人移民法”，也就是所谓的“排华法”，几乎禁止所有华裔人士踏上加国领土，此法令于1947年废止。
去年7月1日黄金焕也曾骑着他的重型机车横跨加国，他自温哥华出发，最远抵达卑省内陆灰熊镇的奎格拉其，也是太平洋铁路完工时最后一钉钉下的地点，纪念华工对太平洋铁路的贡献以及在加国历史中不容忽视的地位。
今年黄金焕计划自维多利亚出发，途经温哥华、卡加利、雷振那、温尼辟、苏德贝利、多伦多及蒙特利尔，最终于7月1日抵达渥太华。
黄金焕横跨加国之旅由全加华人协进会（平权会）赞助，该会已致力于平反人头税约20年，并搜集4000名人头税苦主及眷属签名连署，呼吁加国政府对人头税苦主及家属实行个人赔偿。
虽然今年2月联邦自由党政府宣布将自预算中拨出2500万以“纪念及教育大众少数族裔对加国之贡献”，但是平权会希望政府能给予受害者及家属个人赔偿。
平权会指出，2003年联合国建议加国政府考虑赔偿人头税受害家庭，2004年新西兰总理也平反该国过去对华人征收的人头税，为此正式道歉，并赔偿受害家属共500万新币。该会盼加国政府能仿效平反日裔加人在二次世界大战所受不公平待遇，正式平反人头税及排华法令。
Background
GIM WONG'S "RIDE FOR REDRESS:
Seeking Justice for the Racist Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act
Gim Foon Wong has had a lifelong dream of riding his motorcycle across Canada. This summer, Gim, at 83 years old, will fulfill his dream and bring a message to all
Canadians about how Canada's infamous Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act devastated Chinese Canadian families for generations.
Gim was born in Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood and is a World War II Canadian Air Force veteran. His father and uncles paid the head tax when they came to
Canada as 11 and 12-year-olds in the early 1900's.
They were forced to work for slave wages," he says. "I want to do this ride for the Chinese railway workers and all those Chinese pioneers. I want to do it for my good friend Charlie Kwan, who is a head tax payer living in Vancouver. Charlie is 99 years old. I want to do it for my family. This ride is about demanding respect for the generations of Chinese Canadians who built this country. This ride is about demanding an apology and refund from the Canadian government."
As he visits communities across the country, Gim will hold local information sessions about Canada's history of discrimination against Chinese Canadians. He will ask participants to sign a petition in support of redress by the federal government.
Gim, accompanied by his son Jeffrey, began the Ride for Redress in Victoria in June 3. Currently, scheduled stops are: Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
The Ride for Redress will arrive in Ottawa by July 1 - Canada Day. For many years, Chinese Canadians referred to Canada Day as Humiliation Day, because it was on
July 1, 1923 that the Canadian government enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Act virtually excluded all persons of Chinese descent from coming to Canada and
was not repealed until 1947. The 24 years of Chinese exclusion separated families, condemned generations of men to a life of isolation and loneliness and acutely
impeded the economic and political development of Chinese communities in Canada. Legislated discrimination against Chinese Canadians started in the form of a Chinese Head Tax in 1885, right after they helped completed the Western section of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).
*****
欢迎届时到场欢迎这位华人老英雄
Invitation to Reception for Gim Wong: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m, Thursday, June 30 Ottawa City Hall (Champlain Room)
欢迎届时到场欢迎这位华人老英雄
GIM WONG'S RIDE FOR REDRESS ARRIVES IN OTTAWA
Eighty three year-old World War II veteran Gim Foon Wong will arrive in Ottawa on June 30 to bring his message to all Canadians about Canada's infamous Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act and the devastation they caused Chinese Canadian families over generations. On Thursday, June 30, between 11 a.m. and noon, he will be riding along Wellington St. in front of the Parliament Buildings and down to the Canadian War Museum. Later that day, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. he will be the guest of honour at a reception at Ottawa City Hall(Champlain Room) organized by the Ottawa Chapter of the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC). Head tax payers, their families and the public are invited to welcome Gim Wong to Ottawa and to make a small donation in support of the redress campaign.
The CCNC is proud to be one of the sponsors of Gim Wong?s Ride for Redress. CCNC continues to seek redress on behalf of the surviving Head Tax payers and their families, and urges the Canadian Government to negotiate a just and honourable resolution.
For further information, please contact:
Jonas Ma, President, CCNC, Ottawa Chapter (613) 261-0493
黄金焕：83岁老翁骑车横越全加
反加拿大历史上对华裔移民课征人头税及施行排华法令，为多年前华人遭受的不平等待遇伸张公理，83岁华裔老翁黄金焕6月3日自维多利亚市启程，骑重型机车横越加拿大，于加拿大国庆日6月30日抵达首都渥太华。
据美国《世界日报》报道，黄金焕出生于温哥华士达孔拿区，是土生土长的华裔第二代移民，他的父母必须借款缴纳在当时数目庞大的人头税，并且在辛劳工作多年后才还清债务。他的父亲在华埠经营洗衣店，带着全家人刻苦度过20世纪30年代大萧条时期。
年届八旬的黄金焕从小目睹华埠亲友遭受歧视及人头税之累，他要求加国政府平反人头税，为几十年歧视华人的法令道歉，并对人头税受害者及家属提出金钱赔偿。
横跨加拿大的太平洋铁路于1881年至1885年建造，华工因薪资低廉，成为建造铁路的主力，但由于国内排华情绪高涨，政府于1885年开始对华工及其家人课征50加元的人头税，直到1903年，税额调升至500加元，这对当时华人带来沉重负担。
7月1日是加拿大国庆日，但是对加国老华侨来说也是“耻辱日”，1923年7月1日加拿大制定“华人移民法”，也就是所谓的“排华法”，几乎禁止所有华裔人士踏上加国领土，此法令于1947年废止。
去年7月1日黄金焕也曾骑着他的重型机车横跨加国，他自温哥华出发，最远抵达卑省内陆灰熊镇的奎格拉其，也是太平洋铁路完工时最后一钉钉下的地点，纪念华工对太平洋铁路的贡献以及在加国历史中不容忽视的地位。
今年黄金焕计划自维多利亚出发，途经温哥华、卡加利、雷振那、温尼辟、苏德贝利、多伦多及蒙特利尔，最终于7月1日抵达渥太华。
黄金焕横跨加国之旅由全加华人协进会（平权会）赞助，该会已致力于平反人头税约20年，并搜集4000名人头税苦主及眷属签名连署，呼吁加国政府对人头税苦主及家属实行个人赔偿。
虽然今年2月联邦自由党政府宣布将自预算中拨出2500万以“纪念及教育大众少数族裔对加国之贡献”，但是平权会希望政府能给予受害者及家属个人赔偿。
平权会指出，2003年联合国建议加国政府考虑赔偿人头税受害家庭，2004年新西兰总理也平反该国过去对华人征收的人头税，为此正式道歉，并赔偿受害家属共500万新币。该会盼加国政府能仿效平反日裔加人在二次世界大战所受不公平待遇，正式平反人头税及排华法令。
Background
GIM WONG'S "RIDE FOR REDRESS:
Seeking Justice for the Racist Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act
Gim Foon Wong has had a lifelong dream of riding his motorcycle across Canada. This summer, Gim, at 83 years old, will fulfill his dream and bring a message to all
Canadians about how Canada's infamous Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act devastated Chinese Canadian families for generations.
Gim was born in Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood and is a World War II Canadian Air Force veteran. His father and uncles paid the head tax when they came to
Canada as 11 and 12-year-olds in the early 1900's.
They were forced to work for slave wages," he says. "I want to do this ride for the Chinese railway workers and all those Chinese pioneers. I want to do it for my good friend Charlie Kwan, who is a head tax payer living in Vancouver. Charlie is 99 years old. I want to do it for my family. This ride is about demanding respect for the generations of Chinese Canadians who built this country. This ride is about demanding an apology and refund from the Canadian government."
As he visits communities across the country, Gim will hold local information sessions about Canada's history of discrimination against Chinese Canadians. He will ask participants to sign a petition in support of redress by the federal government.
Gim, accompanied by his son Jeffrey, began the Ride for Redress in Victoria in June 3. Currently, scheduled stops are: Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
The Ride for Redress will arrive in Ottawa by July 1 - Canada Day. For many years, Chinese Canadians referred to Canada Day as Humiliation Day, because it was on
July 1, 1923 that the Canadian government enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Act virtually excluded all persons of Chinese descent from coming to Canada and
was not repealed until 1947. The 24 years of Chinese exclusion separated families, condemned generations of men to a life of isolation and loneliness and acutely
impeded the economic and political development of Chinese communities in Canada. Legislated discrimination against Chinese Canadians started in the form of a Chinese Head Tax in 1885, right after they helped completed the Western section of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).
*****
欢迎届时到场欢迎这位华人老英雄
Invitation to Reception for Gim Wong: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m, Thursday, June 30 Ottawa City Hall (Champlain Room)
