(July 5, 2024, Toronto Press Release) After an intense selection process, the Chinese Canadian Legends Association (CCLA) is pleased to announce the six 2024 Chinese Canadian Legend Award recipients. The theme for this 23rd annual award is “Love and Harmony”. The six recipients who have made outstanding contributions to Canada are, in alphabetical order: Dr. Wayne Chiu, Professor Frances Chung, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, The Honourable Lillian Quan Dyck, Mr. Kai Liu and Professor Peter Liu. They come from different backgrounds: political, media, business, medical, science and law enforcement sectors (brief profiles are attached).
Since 2000, the Chinese Canadian Legends Association has recognized 136 worthy recipients, whose stories are published in 22 books.
CCLA President Bammy Wong states that “Ever since launching the Award, we have continued to explore and reflect on our future direction and vision. Thanks to the efforts of our team members, as well as the recognition, participation and support from recipients and the community over the years, the Award has become one of the most prestigious, influential and distinctive awards. The association’s purpose is to promote and recognize the achievements and contributions of Chinese Canadians, to foster multiculturalism, and understanding and respect between different communities”.
CCLA is honoured to be working with former Senator, the Honourable Dr. Vivienne Poyas Honorary Chair of the Advisory Committee, former Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, the Honourable Philip S. Lee as Honorary Advisor, Alexandra Ngan and Dennis Au-Yeung as Co-Chairs of the Organizing Committee, certified public accountant Stanley Kwan as Chair of the Selection Committee, Stephen Siu as Chair of the Editorial Committee, Glenn Chan as Chair of the Operations Committee, and Viola Poon as Secretary.
Each of this year’s award recipients brings a unique story. They have all demonstrated their resilience and selfless contribution to society, while striving for self-improvement. They are role models for the Chinese Canadian community.
Selection Committee Chair Stanley Kwan says, “The selection criteria change with the times: Although we do the same thing every year, we listen to the voices of the community and incorporate their ideas, so that we can be objective and fair and choose individuals that deserve to be our role models.” Talents abound in the Chinese Canadian community, and nominations have usually been enthusiastic. There were 22 selection committee members this year, 18 of whom were past recipients, the other four are from CCLA. After lengthy discussions and a comprehensive review, six deserving individuals were selected.
Organizing Committee Co-Chair Alexandra Ngan says, in recent years, relations between many countries have become tense, even turning into wars; people are alienated, and even worsened into racial hatred; violence is frequent, and crises are everywhere, which is lamentable. This year’s theme is “Love and Harmony”. She says, “ The enthusiastic nominations are most encouraging and the winners are all well-deserved. The recipients have not only risen above challenges and distinguished in their respective field of endeavour but have also made significant contributions to our community and our country. Through their legendary stories, we hope to inspire everyone to live positively, with the spirit of perseverance in adversity while building a more loving and harmonious world by their care for others.”
Organizing Committee Co-Chair Dennis Au-Yeung remarks that, “The recipients are all Canadians who are worthy of praise. We hope that through this annual award, the unique values and beliefs, the fighting spirit and giving culture of Chinese Canadian immigrants will be passed on to the next generation growing up in the West.”
Editorial Committee Chair Stephen Siu stresses the importance of the book: “The Award has made its mark in history by documenting and publishing stories of distinguished Chinese Canadians. Putting the recipients’ stories into a book is a noble mission. Their inspiring stories will become invaluable future reference for research on Chinese Canadian immigrants and motivation for future change in the community. We have a good editorial team this year with Annie Jin, Terri Lai and Louisa Yue as our writers. The editors are Camilla Tong and Connie Woo. The stories are fascinating and highly readable.”
The book collections are kept in the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library at the University of Toronto, as well as the libraries at University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, and McGill University. The collections are also found in many university libraries and public libraries in Hong Kong.
This year, the six award recipients’ stories will be published in the 23nd edition of the special book, which will be presented to all the guests at the Chinese Canadian Legend Award Gala. The Gala will be held on August 17, 2024 at Sheraton Hotel in Richmond Hill. Gala dinner tickets are $280 per person, or $3,000 per corporate table. To enquire please contact Camilla Tong at 416-292-6374 or visit our website at www.cclegends.ca
2024 Chinese Canadian Legend Recipients Profile
Dr. Wayne Chiu
Wayne Chiu, a visionary social entrepreneur and philanthropist, grew up in a low-income neighbourhood in Hong Kong before moving to Canada to pursue an engineering degree from University of Manitoba. His passion for social entrepreneurship guided him when he founded Trico Homes in 1992, and his company has gradually grown from constructing a single house to becoming one of the top five builders in Calgary.
The concept of “Doing Well by Doing Good”, is at the core of Trico’s philosophy. In 2008, he founded the Trico Charitable Foundation and embarked on a mission to leverage his business acumen and resources to address societal challenges. It is said that he and his company are not just building houses, they are building a legacy of positive change. Over the years, he has made invaluable marks in virtually every corner of the Calgary community. He is a Member of the Order of Canada (2015) and an appointee of the Alberta Order of Excellence (2018).
Professor Frances Chung
Frances Chung arrived in Canada from Hong Kong in the 1970s. She is currently a Professor of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at University of Toronto and ResMed Chair at University Health Network (UHN). In 2023, due to her development of the STOP-Bang Tool, which brought UHN nearly $3 million in research funds in recent years, she was awarded the “Inventor of the Year” by UHN. In 2023, she was ranked among the top 30 best female scientists in Canada, the only Chinese Canadian on the list. In both 2022 and 2023, Research.com ranked her among the top 1,000 best female scientists in the world.
Frances is upbringing in difficult circumstances prepared her for a life of perseverance, always striving for success. Her father, a Hong Kong fire captain, died in the line of duty when she was four and a half. Despite her family tragedy, she achieved her goals with unremitting efforts in Canada. The Lion Rock spirit lives on……
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson’s life is filled with contradictions yet uniquely captivating. She and her family arrived in Canada in 1942 and successfully integrated despite the Chinese Exclusion Act still being in effect. Although she kept her ex-husband’s surname after their divorce, she remained a staunch feminist.
Born in Hong Kong, she found the roots of her life in Canada. Clarkson excelled in the media industry and navigated the political arena with ease, redefining the role of Governor General. She actively promoted diversity as well as national unity, co-founding the Institute for Canadian Citizenship to help new citizens integrate into society. Her life demonstrates that in Canada, everyone can create their own unique legend.
The Honourable Lillian Quan Dyck
Lillian Quan Dyck was born in 1945 in North Battleford, a small town in Saskatchewan to a Chinese father and a Cree mother. She overcame childhood racial discrimination to complete her studies, becoming the first Indigenous woman to obtain a PhD in the sciences. After that she embarked on a journey to trace her Cree and Chinese roots, embracing her dual heritage.
She had a successful career in neurochemistry, and in 2005 became the first indigenouswoman to be a senator, pursuing social justice and equal rights in the legislature. Due to her accomplishments in promoting laws to reform Indigenous education and gender and racial equality, she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2021. Her early life story was adapted into a movie called “Cafe Daughter”.
Former Police Chief Kai Liu
Kai Liu aspired to be a police officer since childhood. As a member of a Taiwanese immigrant family, he experienced discrimination and bullying growing up. But with the support of his family, he came to be proud of his Chinese heritage. In 1986, Kai became the first Asian police officer with the Ottawa Police Service. He committed to innovation and reform, elevating protection and support for victims of domestic violence. He became Canada’s youngest Chief of Police in 2008. He received multiple honours, including the Order of Merit of the Polices Forces awarded by the Governor General. In 2019, Kai became the Chief of Police for the Treaty Three Police Service, an Indigenous Police Service to 24 First Nations in Northwestern Ontario.
In 2023, Kai retired as Police Chief, but remains as President of the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario Association and an Executive Board member of the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association.
Professor Peter Liu
When Peter Liu arrived in Canada from Taiwan in 1966, he knew fewer than a hundred English words. He has overcome numerous hardships with resilience and adaptability and is now an internationally recognized physician-scientist and a leading cardiologist in Canada. He is Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI). His team has been successful in securing multiple grants, including most recently a multi-institutional program “The Brain-Heart Interconnectome Program”, with a total award at $109 million from Canada’s First Research Excellence Fund.
In 2020, Peter was appointed to the “Order of Ontario” for raising the international profile of Canadian cardiovascular research through his leadership. In the same year, he received the “Global Achievement Award” from UOHI. His research on how viruses can lead to heart failure became very important, and his expertise and authority on the impact of COVID-19 on the heart were sought after by U.S. National Institutes of Health, Health Portfolio of Canadian government and colleagues around the world.