Putting Food and Compassion on the Table: Tina Lee 李佩婷：你吃了嗎？

Tina Lee’s pandemic experience has been all about people. From the thousands who are her work family, to the millions that her twenty-seven stores serve, to her own family at home; every one of these people was the reason Tina persevered and prevailed through the most challenging two years of her career. As CEO of T&T Supermarkets, Tina has faced many hurdles before, but nothing like when COVID-19 entered Canada. Almost overnight, Tina and her grocery staff became frontline workers. And just like all first responders, her employees could not stay at home; instead, they showed up day after day, driven by an overriding sense of civic duty.

Long Reads, Personal Stories, Community & PeopleFête ChinoiseApril 12, 2022Asian Representation, Business, T&TComment

PLACE DES SOUHAITS 《願望之城》: MONTREAL, QUEBEC 蒙特利爾

Montreal artist Karen Tam worked with designer Jean de Lessard to create the vibrant “Place des Souhaits/Place of Wishes” in the Quartier des Spectacles. This joyous, intergenerational public space and artwork, reminiscent of a typical Asian Night Market, welcomed visitors of all colours and creeds, while supporting local residents, families and businesses during its four-month run. It shone as a beacon of positivity and hope, highlighting the resilience of Chinatowns everywhere.

Long Reads, Personal Stories, Community & PeopleFête ChinoiseMarch 1, 2022Asian Representation, Art, artists, InstallationComment

Snakehead: A Riveting Film Based on Real Life in New York City's Chinatown

A Chinese immigrant is caught up in an international crime ring of human smuggling while attempting to make a better life for her family in New York City. Based on the real life story of notorious criminal Sister Peng, from Chinatown, NYC. Directed by Evan Jackson Leong.

Current Affairs, Community & People, Film & BooksDeborah Lau-YuOctober 29, 2021chinese canadian, film review, Asian representatonComment

PANDEMIC STORIES: DIARIES OF 2020 TO 2021 PART 3 of 3

Part 3. During the unprecedented time of the global pandemic, Canadians across the country were adapting to new and innovative ways to face the disruptions caused by COVID-19. We document some of these moments in this chapter as a time capsule of what occurred when time stood still.

Community & People, Current Affairs, Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseOctober 19, 2021Comment

PANDEMIC STORIES: DIARIES OF 2020 TO 2021 PART 2 of 3

Part 2. During the unprecedented time of the global pandemic, Canadians across the country were adapting to new and innovative ways to face the disruptions caused by COVID-19. We document some of these moments in this chapter as a time capsule of what occurred when time stood still.

Community & People, Current Affairs, Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseOctober 19, 2021Comment

PANDEMIC STORIES: DIARIES OF 2020 TO 2021 PART 1 of 3

During the unprecedented time of the global pandemic, Canadians across the country were adapting to new and innovative ways to face the disruptions caused by COVID-19. We document some of these moments in this chapter as a time capsule of what occurred when time stood still.

Current Affairs, Community & People, Personal StoriesFête ChinoiseOctober 19, 2021Comment

Part 4 of Marvel's Shang-Chi: Six Reasons to Love the Film (Even More)

Have you watched Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Not only has it been the number one movie at box offices for two straight weekends, breaking records along its path and surpassing revenue expectations, it has also collected some of the highest praise and reviews! The audience approval is at an astounding 98% audience score and a 92% on the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.

Growing Pains: Snippets from the Messy Reality of a Chinese-Vietnamese-Canadian Upbringing

Writer Julie Phan shared her journey in navigating spaces as an Asian person, as a Chinese-Vietnamese-Canadian. She often confronted with the classic question of “what are you, where are you from?” and she finds herself hesitating to answer because there is no concise answer.

Personal Stories, Community & PeopleGuest UserAugust 28, 2021asian heritage, theatre art, chinese canadian, fu-gen theatreComment

From Ritual to Sport: Dragon Boating 龍舟競賽: 由節日喜慶發展到國際性體育項目

Even though this year we aren’t able to see the annual Dragon Boat races in Toronto, we look forward to it activities in the Fall of 2021 and the return of the Toronto International Dragon Boat Festival in 2022! Learn more about this tradition and our Canadian national team members who shared their story with us in Edition 3, Luck & Ritual. We have utmost respect for these highly experienced and decorated athletes in our community.

Community & PeopleDeborah Lau-YuJune 10, 2021Dragon Boat Festival, Sports, Recommended, Magazine PhotoshootComment

JUST IN TIME: BLOOD AND WATER’S SEASON 3 BEGINS JUNE 13th

Just in time to fill the void left by the abrupt end of one show with a mostly Asian cast from another network, Rogers announced the third season of Blood and Water yesterday, the only trilingual Canadian production in English, Cantonese and Mandarin that is produced in Canada. It is also a labour of love, having been brought to life during the pandemic, with the on and off shutdowns that made for an exhausting and extended filming process. After over a year in the making during the emergency lockdown in Toronto, it is finally airing June 13th on OMNI Television on Sunday evenings.

Blood and Water: Fire + Ice is an 8-episode 30 minute crime series uniquely featuring three languages, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, with an all Asian main cast. Produced in Canada, Blood and Water: Fire+Ice is tailored to resonate with a multi-cultural audience, while keeping the authenticity of Chinese culture in the West (North America). Starring award winning Canadian actress and Fête Chinoise-loved Selena Lee, and many Chinese Canadian talents.

Asian Representation at the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards 2021

Canada celebrated its annual most fashionable night in, at the first virtual production of the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards gala on May 19th. Nominees, Honourees, Sponsors, and Guests all tuned in from home, work, or the backyard, to toast some of the nation’s most talented creators in the fashion industry. Several Asian artists and creatives were nominated and in some cases, took home the trophy! Because it’s Asian Heritage Month, it is even more important to highlight some of these individuals and their achievements.

"Double Happiness": How the Discovery of a Head Tax Certificate Unlocked Two Families’ Stories

Chinatowns across North America are fighting for their survival. Long before the pandemic hit, Vancouver’s Chinatown was desperately trying to stave off gentrification. It seemed like there was no end to the condo developments and hipster bars that were slowly pushing longtime residents out, and erasing the rich cultural history of the area. When singer songwriters Robyn Jacob and Nancy Tam created Double Happiness: Detour This Way, a live music and theatre show that retraces the legacy of the Chinese diaspora in Vancouver, it only made sense to premiere it in the heart of Chinatown. But too quickly, the pandemic ordered the show to close early, and along with it, all of Chinatown’s businesses. It was a devastating blow.

Personal Stories, Community & PeopleFête ChinoiseApril 14, 2021Entertainment, ArtComment