CALL FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR KOGAWA HOUSE
Winnipeg, MB March 27, 2006: Joy Kogawa in one of her visits to Vancouver, recently `found’ her childhood home, which out of memory had been recorded in some detail in her books. She had forgotten the address, but discovered it to be at 1450 West 64th Avenue, in the Marpole district of Vancouver. Not only the house, but the cherry tree which she used to climb and hug as a child was still there, symbolically surviving the harsh wear and tear of life and times.
This is the place Joy Kogawa had spent the first six years of her life when, in 1942, she, together with her family, and all Japanese Canadians in the West Coast of British Columbia, were relocated to internment sites in the interior of British Columbia. Like other homes owned by Japanese Canadians, the Government of Canada confiscated it and auctioned it off in their absence. This is the place she returned to in her imagination and memories to write the book, Obasan, to record the events.
Today the Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC), in response to Joy’s plea to save the house, is spearheading a campaign to raise funds to buy it and to convert the heritage property into a writers-in-residence retreat. There have been various public awareness and fundraising events held to date, and a sum close to $200,000 has been raised. The total purchase price is $700,000.
Canada’s leading writers’ organizations are appealing to the federal government for an emergency grant of $350,000 (matching funds) to save the historic Joy Kogawa House in Vancouver. Letters of support have been received from MPs from both the Liberal party and the NDP. Ujjahl Dosanjh, PC, QC, MP, Vancouver South, has written to the Hon. Bev Oda, PC, MP, Department of Canadian Heritage, to support this request.
There is now great urgency to the fundraising and to achieving its goal. We believe the NAJC membership and Japanese Canadian communities, in particular, should be made aware of this important project so that they may have the opportunity to join with others to bring this project to a successful conclusion.
Japanese Canadian community members have been very proud of the author, Joy Kogawa, and benefited largely from the book, Obasan, which poignantly relates `our’ story, studied by students internationally. We are now celebrating with her the release by Penguin of her new book, Emily Kato, a re-writing of Itsuka. Joy decided that Itsuka was not quite good enough, to be placed alongside Obasan, and chose to re-write it. The Joy Kogawa House will be a place where such writings and re-writings by young and renowned writers may occur, and may be celebrated.
We urge you to send in your donation, large or small. Donations may be made online on the TLC’s website www.conservancy.bc.ca/content.asp?sectionid=179 or by sending a cheque, payable to “The Land Conservancy”, to The Land Conservancy, 5655 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5E 2T2 or by telephoning 604-733 2313. Charitable receipts will be issued.
Thank you for your support. For further information, you may contact any of the following list of supporters.
Save Joy Kogawa House Committee: www.kogawahouse.com
Anton Wagner, Secretary; (416) 863-1209; fax: 416-863 9973; awagner@yorku.ca
201 Sherbourne St., Suite 2306, Toronto, ON M5A 3X2
Ann-Marie Metten, 604-263 6586; ametten@telus.net
Todd Wong, 604-987 7124; gunghaggis@yahoo.ca
The Land Conservancy of BC: www.conservancy.bc.ca Bill Turner, Executive Director; 250-479 8053; fax: 250-744 2251; bturner@conservancy.bc.ca Heather Skydt (604) 733-2313; fax: 604-299 5054; HSkydt@conservancy.bc.ca
5655 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5E 2T2
National Association of Japanese Canadians: National@najc.ca
Claudia Earl, National Administrator (204) 943-2910; fax: (204) 947-3145
404B Webb Place, Winnipeg, MB. R3B 3J4
The Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival: www.writersfest.bc.ca Hal Wake, Artistic Director; hwake@writersfest.bc.ca
Suite 202, 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3R8
604-681 6330, ext. 102; fax: 604-681 8400
The Writers Union of Canada: www.writersunion.ca Brian Brett,
Chair Deborah Windsor, Executive Director; dwindsor@writersunion.ca
90 Richmond Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5C 1P1
416-703 8982 ext. 221; Fax: 416-504 9090
The Federation of BC Writers: www.bcwriters.com
Brian Busby, President; busby@shaw.ca 604-642 0208
Fernanda Viveiros, Executive Director; bcwriters@shaw.ca
P.O. Box 3887, Stn Terminal, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2Z3
604-683 2057; fax: 604-608 5522
The Playwrights Guild of Canada: www.playwrightsguild.com/pgc
Amela Simic, Executive Director; amela@playwrightsguild.ca 54 Wolseley Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1A5 416-703 0201;
fax: 416-703 0059
The League of Canadian Poets: www.poets.ca
Mary Ellen Csamer, President; maryellen.csamer@sympatico.ca
Joanna Poblocka, Executive Director; joanna@poets.ca
920 Yonge Street, Suite 608, Toronto, ON M4W 3C7
416-504 1657
PEN Canada: www.pencanada.ca
Constance Rooke, President; constance.rooke@sympatico.ca 416-928 0905
Isobel Harry, Executive Director; iharry@pencanada.ca
24 Ryerson Avenue, Suite 214, Toronto, ON M5T 2P3
416-703 8448, ext. 22; fax: 416-703 3870
The Writers’ Trust of Canada: www.writerstrust.com
Don Oravec, Executive Director; doravec@writerstrust.com
90 Richmond Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5C 1P1
416-504-8222, ext. 244; fax: 416-504 9090
The Canadian Authors Association: www.canauthors.org
Joan Eyolfson Cadham, National President; jcadh@sasktel.net
Anthony Dalton, Vancouver Branch President; daltona@dccnet.com
www.canauthorsvancouver.org
Bernice Lever, BC Regional Vice-President; blever2@hotmail.com
R.R. 1, Bowen Island, B.C. V0N 1G0; 604-947 0017
Ben Antao, President, CAA Toronto Branch, ben.antao@rogers.com
The Professional Writers Association of Canada: www.pwac.ca
Gordon Graham, President;
John Degen, Executive Director; jdegen@pwac.ca
PWAC National Office, 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 123, Toronto, ON M5T 2C7
416-504 1645; fax: 416-913 2327
The Greater Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture: www.allianceforarts.com
Heather Redfern, Executive Director; hredfern@allianceforarts.com
Suite 100 – 938 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N9
604.681.3535 ext. 209
Fax: 604-681-7848
The Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers:
www.canscaip.org
Gillian Chan, President; Gillian.chan@sympatico.ca
Lena Coakley, CANSCAIP National Office; office@canscaip.org
104-40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto, ON M4R 1B9;
416-515 1559
The Asian Canadian Writers Workshop:
Don Montgomery, President; 604-488 0119; don@asiancanadian.net
Jim Wong-Chu, Executive Director; jwongchu@shaw.ca
P.O. Box 74174, Hillcrest R.P.O., Vancouver, B.C. V5V 5C8
604-322 6616
