Report of the Chairman and President

Two years after its official opening, the Centre has already become a focal point for the Chinese Canadian community.

More than 40 regular classes, including Chinese language, brush painting, calligraphy, Go chess, tai-chi, social dancing and mathematics, are conducted each week at the Centre, and the number of programs is growing daily. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Yvonne Chiu on behalf of the Centre for her contribution in planning these extremely popular programs. Although she is no longer with the Board, she has agreed to remain as an Honorary Advisor to continue to share her irreplaceable expertise.

Along with its regular programs, the Centre has hosted and organized many other activities, including the Annual Gala Dinner, Cathay Pavilion for the Metro Toronto Caravan, Health Awareness Day, Canadian GO competition, Great Sedan Chair Race, Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon Festival, Career Fair, Youth Conference and Chinese Canadian Entrepreneur Business Conference. Some of these activities have become annual events. Through the Centre, student exchange programs have also taken place between Toronto and cities in China.

Recently, the Centre received a grant of $125,000 from the provincial Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation for the development of the Volunteer Action Online program. The goal of the program is to provide community internet access to a database of volunteers. We will continue our pursuit of maintaining accessibility through this internet link with the community. We are in debt to Director Tony Wong and members of IT Committee for their efforts and contribution to this program.

Although the Centre has firmly established itself as an integral member of our community, it remains a young organization. Its operation relies heavily on the continuous support of the community. In order to fulfill the Centre's mandate of serving the community, as well as to ensure the completion of Phase II, fundraising remains essential. In this regard, we are very fortunate that Mrs. Irene So, the Vice President of CCC, will continue to serve as our fundraising chair.

Our project planning committee, working under the leadership of Mr. Brian Chu, has continued its diligent efforts. The design for Phase II's multipurpose theater/auditorium with retractable seating has now been finalized. This magnificent design will undoubtedly complement and further enhance the beauty of the Centre.

Recently, the Board took a large step forward by appointing Mr. Stephen Siu, formerly the Information Officer for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto, as our Executive Director. With his experience and community network, we expect a even more successful future for CCC.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers, staff and directors for their contributions of making CCC such a great place to be.