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The 69-member Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra, serving as Hong Kong's youth ambassador, yesterday (August 15, Ottawa time) put on two captivating performances in Ottawa, Canada's national capital, paying tribute to the Canadian soldiers who helped defend Hong Kong against the Japanese invasion during the Second World War.
The orchestra's superb "Let There be Peace on Earth" performance at the unveiling ceremony of the Hong Kong veterans' memorial wall was enthusiastically received by the audience, including federal Minister of Veterans Affairs Mr Greg Thompson; Minister of International Trade Mr Stockwell Day; Minister of Transport Mr John Blaird; Senator Vivienne Poy; Chief of the Defence Staff General Walter Natyncyzk; and about 400 attendees comprising surviving Hong Kong veterans and their families, family members of deceased Hong Kong veterans, and Canadians from all walks of life.
About 80 Canadian veterans of the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941 are still alive, and 22 of them were at the unveiling of the elegant memorial wall at the corner of Sussex Drive and King Edward Avenue on the bank of the Rideau River. The names of the 1975 Canadian men and two women who served in defence of Hong Kong at that time were etched on the granite wall.
A public concert by the orchestra was held at the Canadian War Museum after the ceremony. The concert was attended by a capacity crowd of 500 people, including many veterans. At the end of the afternoon concert, the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Canada, Ms Maureen Siu, together with the co-chairs of the organising committee of the fund-raising drive for the veterans, Ms Anita Kwan of the Toronto Section of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA); and Mr Adidy Yu of the Toronto Hong Kong Lions Club, as well as Ms Flavia Leung, president of the HKCBA's Ottawa Section, presented a cheque of CAD$20,000 to Ontario Regional Director of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association Mr Michael Babin.
Mr Babin thanked the Hong Kong SAR Government for its support in bringing the children's orchestra to Canada and the fund-raising efforts of the Toronto and Ottawa chapters of the HKCBA as well as the Toronto Hong Kong Lions Club.
Minister Stockwell Day's grandfather, one of the Canadian soldiers sent in 1941 to help defend Hong Kong against the invasion of the imperial Japanese army, was captured during the 17-day pitched battle and imprisoned at the prisoner-of-war camps in Japan. A total of 291 Canadian soldiers were killed in battle, 500 more were wounded. Minister Day said it was a "very meaningful gesture for the Hong Kong Government" to bring over the Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra to take part in the unveiling ceremony.
Senator Poy thanked the young people of the orchestra for making an effort to pay tribute to the veterans from the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers.
Ms Maureen Siu, in her address at the afternoon concert, said her office was delighted to initiate and support the fund-raising and the concert projects because it served two key purposes - to allow the young ambassadors from Hong Kong to come to Canada to say "thank you" to the Canadian soldiers who fought bravely against overwhelming odds, and to further cement the longstanding close relationship between Hong Kong and Canada.
"Through the courage of the young Canadian soldiers and their sacrifice, we are now living in freedom, peace and prosperity," she said.
Ends/Monday, August 17, 2009
Issued at HKT 11:10
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