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Brooks: Chinese community celebrates Year of the Pig

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Calgary’s Chinese community gathered recently with friends and colleagues at the Regency Palace Restaurant to welcome the Year of the Pig.

Hosted by the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA), Calgary Section, the gala is the highlight of the year for the organization. Founded in 1984, the HKCBA is a non-profit bilateral trade association with over 1,000 members in eight locations across the country. The mission of the Calgary chapter is to help its members conduct business using Hong Kong as a platform to enter the Asian market. Further, the association each year donates $10,000 in scholarships to four deserving students — two from Mount Royal University (MRU) and two from the University of Calgary (U of C) who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability and a desire to build upon Canada-Hong Kong bilateral relations.

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Highlights of the evening were numerous including: a champagne reception, courtesy of Stikeman Elliott; $25 CORE gift cards for all guests; LAB11 complimentary facials; a sumptuous 10-course meal; traditional Lion Dance performed by the Jing Wo Cultural Association; more than 50 silent auction items donated by HKCBA’s generous partners; live music; and the grand prize, a pair of Birks Snowflake Snowstorm diamond earrings worth a cool $12,000.

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Guests in attendance this night included: Caroline Saunders, U.K. Consul General; Madame Lu Xu, Chinese Consul General; Lucia Piazza, U.S. Consul General; Shigenobu Kobayashi, Japan Consul General; Gilberto Asuque, Consul General, Philippines; Emily Mo, director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, along with deputy director, Florence Tsang and principal consultant, Catherine Yuen; Alex Henderson, partner at KPMG and HKCBA Calgary Section president; U of C president Ed McCauley and Janaka Ruwanpura, vice-provost international; emcee Scott Vu; MRU president David Docherty; HKCBA gala chairs and directors John Dong of Royal Liquor Merchants and George Tai of Dentons; Calgary Zoo’s Clement Lanthier, Telus Spark’s Barry Crean; The CORE’s Allison Onyett; Birks general manager, Susanne Ventura with colleague Scott McNamara; LAB11’s Maria Wu and Nathan Chan; MLA and past HKCBA president Richard Gotfried; MLA’s Jamie Kleinsteuber and Karen McPherson; and Councillor Sean Chu.

The evening also coincided with the 35th Anniversary of HKCBA as a national association so it was apt indeed that many past presidents attended including: Raymond Kan of Perma Insurance; Richard Li of Swan Group; TD Wealth’s Audrey Kwan; Tim Onyett of Deloitte; and immediate past president, Manford Kwan. Others in attendance are pictured.

With files from HKCBA

Pictured, from left, at the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association Calgary Section’s Year of the Pig Chinese New Year Celebration are Dr. Patrick Gooi, Cloudbreak Eye Care; Alexandria Sham, honorary treasurer of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide, Dialog associate Robert Jim and Chinatown BIA’s Danny Ng.
Pictured, from left, at the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association Calgary Section’s Year of the Pig Chinese New Year Celebration are Dr. Patrick Gooi, Cloudbreak Eye Care; Alexandria Sham, honorary treasurer of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide, Dialog associate Robert Jim and Chinatown BIA’s Danny Ng. Photo by Ben Tsui /Ben Tsui
Pictured, from left: are Scott McNamara, store director of Birks; Allison Onyett, The Core marketing director; and HKCBA vice-president and Birks general manager Susanne Ventura.
Pictured, from left: are Scott McNamara, store director of Birks; Allison Onyett, The Core marketing director; and HKCBA vice-president and Birks general manager Susanne Ventura. Photo by Ben Tsui /Ben Tsui
HKCBA director and Royal Liquor Merchants president John Dong and Asia Smart Link’s Rachel Yin.
HKCBA director and Royal Liquor Merchants president John Dong and Asia Smart Link’s Rachel Yin. Photo by Ben Tsui /Ben Tsui
Petroleum Services Association of Canada CEO Gary Mar and his wife Nancy Mar.
Petroleum Services Association of Canada CEO Gary Mar and his wife Nancy Mar. Photo by Ben Tsui /Ben Tsui
HKCBA 6 Clear Translations’ Candy Cheung.
HKCBA 6 Clear Translations’ Candy Cheung. Photo by Ben Tsui /Ben Tsui
Emily Mo, director of Canada, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (left) with Catherine Yuen, principal consultant, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office.
Emily Mo, director of Canada, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (left) with Catherine Yuen, principal consultant, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office. Photo by Ben Tsui /Ben Tsui
HKCBA board of directors with dignitaries and HKETO directors.
HKCBA board of directors with dignitaries and HKETO directors. Photo by Ben Tsui /Ben Tsui
LAB 11’s Maria Wu (left) with HKCBA director Jenny Yu.
LAB 11’s Maria Wu (left) with HKCBA director Jenny Yu. Photo by Ben Tsui /Ben Tsui
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