Login / RegisterCity of Vancouver honours Toa Wong for contributions to Chinese opera
Cantonese opera musician Toa Wong, 98, has been honoured with a City of Vancouver Civic Merit Award.
Wong, who moved to Vancouver in 1960, has trained numerous musicians, singers, and performers of Chinese descent in Canada.
He was granted the award at City Hall.
"Through his talent and dedication, he has bridged gaps between the Chinese-Canadian performing arts community and academic institutions to build a better appreciation for Chinese opera," the city said in a statement.
Wong played a key role in a collection of Chinese artifacts being donated to UBC's Museum of Anthropology. Entitled “A Rare Flower—A Century of Cantonese Opera in Vancouver”, the collection has since toured the country.
One question as a European immigrant though - when is the City of Vancouver going to honour local Canadians' contributions to music?
He qualifies to be considered as much a "local Canadian" as yourself.