Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

TORONTO - The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) is the co-recipient of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Award of Excellence. In a ceremony May 2 in Calgary, representatives of CCNC shared the spotlight with co-recipient Le Carrefour BLE and 5 other Award finalists. CRRF also anounced the establishment of a new fund to recognize the efforts of CCNC, redress-seeking groups and the Chinese Canadian community for its efforts in seeking redress of the Chinese Head Tax, Newfoundland Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act.

Sid Chow Tan, CCNC National Chairperson and President of the Head Tax Families Society of Canada and Victor Wong, CCNC Executive Director attended the CRRF Gala. Over the last 24 years, CCNC has worked in coalition with head tax families, redress-seeking groups and activists and allies including the Head Tax Families Society of Canada and the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Families and lobbied the administrations of seven Prime Ministers in seeking a just and honourable resolution.

“We are honoured to share this recognition with Le Carrefour BLE and with all of the finalists, the honourable mentions and all of the groups that participated in the CRRF Award of Excellence this year,” Sid Tan, CCNC National Chairperson said today. “We share this recognition with the head tax families, redress-seeking groups and activists and allies from coast to coast to coast who assisted us over the years in the 24-year campaign for justice.”

The Chinese Head Tax (1885 - 1923), Newfoundland Head Tax (1906-1949) and Chinese Exclusion Act (1923 - 1947) were racist legislation targeted directly at people of Chinese descent. On June 22, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a Parliamentary Apology in the House of Commons and announced direct redress in the form of $20,000 ex-gratia payments to living head tax payers and surviving spouses and a $2.5 million community education fund. More than 82,000 Chinese paid the Chinese Head Tax, yet only 800 living head tax payers and surviving spouses will receive direct redress.

CCNC continues the campaign for inclusive redress by calling upon the Canadian Government to extend a meaningful apology in the form of direct redress to all head tax families. There are some 3000 families where the head tax payer and spouse have both passed away and these families are excluded under the June 22, 2006 Parliamentary Apology and redress announcement. The sons and daughters of the head tax payers were also directly affected by this legislation and experienced poverty, racism, family separation and lost educational opportunity first hand.

Founded 28 years ago on April 20, 1980, CCNC is a national non-profit organization with 27 chapters across Canada and a community leader for Chinese Canadians in promoting a more just, respectful, and inclusive society.

For more information contact: Victor Wong at (416) 977-9871.