Queenie Choo, CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S Key services for newcomers, senior care & affordable housing
Queenie Choo, the CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. In her presentation she will talk about S.U.C.C.E.S.S.’s key services in the areas of newcomers, senior care and affordable housing as one of the largest social service agencies in Canada, benefitting over 72,000 clients from over 150 countries annually, with 40 service locations across Metro Vancouver, in Northern BC, Ontario, and in Asia.
Queenie immigrated to Canada in 1980 after completing her nursing studies in the UK.
Since making Canada her home, Queenie has held many senior leadership positions in various large-scale organizations.
In 2012 Queenie moved to BC after being appointed as CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S, one of
the largest non-profit social service organizations in Canada. Queenie has a unique
ability to blend a rigorous and results-oriented approach with a genuine sensitivity to
people. Under her leadership, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is an active advocate for multiculturalism,
diversity and inclusion. In recognition of her experience, Queenie has been appointed to
many related committees and councils such as the Invest Vancouver council, Omni-TV
Vancouver, Honorary Governors’ Council of Vancouver Foundation along with the Canadian Armed Forces’ Joint Task Force Pacific Advisory Council on Diversity. In addition, Queenie has been invited by various media and government led roundtables, condemning racism and hate crimes while supporting the values of diversity and inclusion in Canada.
Queenie was a nominee for the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards, a recipient of the
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Excellence in Nursing Administration
Award and the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award. In 2016, she was recognized
by BC Business as one of BC’s 35 most influential women. In 2018, Queenie was
awarded as the Power50 by the Vancouver Magazine. In addition, Queenie is the first
Chinese Canadian woman who is bestowed as the Honorary Captain of the Royal
Canadian Navy. In 2021, Queenie is also recognized as one of the most influential
business leaders in British Columbia by Business In Vancouver (BIV) BC 500.
VIRTUAL FOUNDATION GALA & FUNDRAISER
February 23, 2022
8:00p.m. EST (5:00p.m. PST)
Zones 28 & 32
Please join Judy and I and other D5040 members on February 23 the Zone will hold its Foundation Gala as it promises to be better than last year which was awesome!!
Join our hosts, Rotary International Vice President Valarie Wafer, and Rotary Foundation Trustee, Dean Rohrs, for our Fundraising Gala on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at 8:00 pm ET. Special guests include RI President-Elect Jennifer Jones, Director-Elect Drew Kessler, and our MC for the evening, Past-Director Jeffry Cadorette.
This 90-minute, fast-paced event celebrates the work by every Rotarian in the 43 Districts of Zones 28 & 32 to support and raise funds for The Rotary Foundation.
It is simple for your District to participate. The show will be created for you - all you have to do is promote it!
BUYING TICKETS
Tickets to the virtual event are available by clicking the poster at the top or clicking this link to Buy Gala Admission Tickets.
Each Gala ticket includes a contribution of $100 USD to The Rotary Foundation, allocated 75% to the Annual Fund and 25% to PolioPlus. Your gift will be a fully credited donation to TRF - and you will receive a charitable tax receipt, and related Paul Harris Fellowship points. Plus, each donation is credited towards your District's Foundation Goals for the 2021/22 Rotary year.
As you purchase your Gala Admission Tickets, Rotarians have the opportunity to increase their contribution with additional donations. This gives Rotarians, their clubs, and Districts the opportunity to DO MORE GOOD and meet the goals they have all set for Foundation donations this year.
CLICK HERE for more info, purchase tickets & bid on auction items
Thank you to all of you who came to today’s meeting. It is wonderful to see you all, both those in person and those attending virtually.
Deb Sankey received her Paul Harris Fellow +4. Thank you Deb for your ongoing support.
The Rotary Zones 28 & 32 Virtual Gala & Fundraiser is on February 23rd. It will be a 90 minute affair with special guests including RI President-Elect Jennifer Jones. Past Director Jeffry Cadorette will be hosting. The tickets are US$120 per person that includes a US$100 tax-receipted contribution – 25% to PolioPlus and 75% to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund. There are also auction items you can bid on.
Secretary's announcements:
reminders of upcoming events/meetings (see above)
birthdays, member club anniversaries, wedding anniversaries (see above)
Special announcements and members' moments:
John Bathurst promoted the zone foundation dinner. See above for more info. We’d love to have a really strong representation from our club.
Verona Edelstein sure knows how to make lemonade out of lemons. Her apartment building’s elevator wasn’t working. Great, more exercise, lots of stairs. Her pup however was having none of it so they ended up having some great family time in Langley. Way to go pup!
Gabby Dickert promoted the bike-a-thon, Rotary Ride for Hearing; have begun search for sponsors. Please share social media posts with friends and family. Contact Gabby if you don’t know how.
John Hayto shared that his son had a serious bike accident in Oxford, UK. He is now recovering so well after some touch & go stress and is back at his home. He is doing extremely well and will be starting to attend classes soon. Thanks to everyone who offered their support – it has been really appreciated.
Program:
Jim Evans introduced speaker, the Honourable Randall Wong.
Randall Wong is a retired Canadian lawyer and the first Chinese-Canadian lawyer to be appointed to a Federal court. By the time of his retirement 6 years ago, Randall was the longest serving judge on British Columbia's Supreme Court, 42 years. Hence he was given the nickname Judicial Dinosaur.
Randall’s parents owned the historic Ovaltine Cafe, and he attributes conversations he had while working there, with law enforcement officials. with his decision to make the law his career.
He brought our attention to the Chinese memorial that stands on the corner of Keefer and Columbia Streets. It is of two men, the one on the right a railway worker from the 1880s and next to him a 2nd world war soldier standing at attention representing 2 generations after the railway worker.
It was a difficult time for the Chinese community in our country. Approximately 10% of the BC population at the time of the railway building was Chinese, the number of Chinese workers was much higher. The Chinese were forced to live in a segregated location – Chinatown. It was difficult to work – public works forbidden the hiring of Chinese. All Asian and indigenous peoples were prohibited from enrolling in election lists. However, to enter self regulated professions, such as law, engineering, pharmacy, etc. the right to vote was required, hence keeping those professions closed.
The head tax charged by 1900 had increased to $500 per person. In 1923 the federal Chinese Exclusion Act barred any Chinese from immigrating. Free movement was curtailed; failure to register with a photo id to be carried on their person at all times meant potential extradition.
In 1939 WWII broke out. All young males were welcome to enlist. There was a division within the Chinese community about whether their young men should fight for a country that treated them so badly. Vancouver and Victoria recruitment centres would not accept Chinese recruits. Many young Chinese men determined to fight for their country got on a train to Edmonton where they were accepted. In the Pacific Campaign the fight was in the jungles of southeast Asia. Special operation executive was trained to land behind enemy lines, to recruit and to spy. It was known as Operation Oblivion. The risk of detection and capture were high so the name was apt. All of the men were issued cyanide pills to be used upon capture so that they could avoid torture.
With one war there were two victories: one against our enemy and one where Canada became a more just egalitarian society. It is due to the Chinese veterans that the right to vote was allowed and hence the opening up of so many opportunities. Today in BC there are only a handful left of WWII vets, 96 to 101 years of age.
This is the story and significance of the Chinese memoriam in Chinatown.
Everyone currently in Canada, with the exception of the indigenous peoples who have been here for millennia, is an immigrant of sorts. There should be no such thing as hyphenated Canadians, we are all simply Canadians.
Links of interest:
Watch the video, Chinatown Then and Now – Over 100 year of History!, CLICK HERE
Visit the Chinese Canadian Military Museum website, CLICK HERE
Contact information for the Chinese Canadian Military Museum, CLICK HERE. Note that the current working hours may be different than those listed on the page.
Read the Globe and Mail article, Vancouver exhibit A Seat at the Table dives into history of Chinese-Canadians featuring Randall Wong, CLICK HERE.
Meeting adjourned with a toast to the incredible dedication and perseverance of those Canadians of Chinese descent for supporting our country through thick and thin.
