The Moose Jaw Chinese Community Network is preparing to hop into 2023 to honour the Year of the Rabbit by holding its first in-person celebration in two years.
The network (MJCCN) is the original group that has supported the Chinese community for more than 100 years. The group’s goal is to promote culture, assist newcomers with integration, help its members and provide social opportunities to unite ethnic Chinese with the broader community.
The last Chinese New Year celebration the group held was in February 2020 — a month before the pandemic erupted — when the community welcomed the Year of the Rat.
This year’s Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, Jan. 22, but the network is holding a supper on Monday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. at the Jade Garden restaurant.
Tickets are $40 per person and residents can purchase them from Jade Garden (306-694-5566), the Delight Café or Gary Wong (306-630-1003) before Monday, Jan. 16.
“We are actually really excited about this New Year’s celebration … ,” said network president Kelvin Hu. “A Chinese New Year celebration is one of the major events for local Chinese in Moose Jaw. And we have been doing that for many years.
“You can imagine if we skip that for two years, a lot of people were really looking forward to getting out and celebrating the traditional Chinese festival and meet with their fellow Chinese in town.”
This year’s program will be similar to past ones, including board members bringing greetings in different languages and Royal Bank of Canada officials handing out red envelopes with money.
The network is also asking businesses to contribute door prizes, which will be awarded during the celebration.
The one thing partygoers won’t see this year is the popular lion dance. Hu noted that the costume is falling apart and needs to be fixed, while he hoped it might reappear in the future.
Another change is the type of dishes that Jade Garden will be cooking, he continued. The restaurant has gone through big changes since 2020 — particularly new owners — and will be experimenting with new foods.
This year’s foods include Foo Yong crab meat and fish maw soup, golden honey-roasted barbecue pork, steamed free-range chicken with cordyceps, crispy shrimp with walnuts, diced marble beef, crystal peach Kyoto ribs, stir-fried fish fillet with cashew nuts and snow peas, stir-fried crispy squash with fresh mushrooms, seasonal vegetables with fresh chicken broth, and fried rice with shrimp and genmai.
There will also be a fruit plate and brownies.
“To be honest, I haven’t even tried most of the dishes myself. So some of the dishes will contain some pretty exotic ingredients,” added Hu.
“And of course, we also keep in mind that … there are not only Chinese but also people from the local community (in attendance). So, the restaurant will try to accommodate the tasting (preferences) of people from different ethnic backgrounds.”
Hu has been with the MJCCN for more than 10 years. He originally just attended the events before becoming more involved by bringing greetings and helping organize.
He has been president for a few months. A temporary leader led the group after it changed its name from the Moose Jaw Chinese Association to the MJCCN in May 2022.
“Volunteerism is important to me personally … ,” said Hu. “For most people, they are just happy that someone will step up and organize events for them. For me, I really want to see our network’s long tradition … moved forward.”
Before officially joining, Hu recalled seeing network members regularly donating their time to ensure the event succeeded. This included bringing family members during event preparations.
“I know … there were a lot of behind-the-scenes work. I really admired their willingness to donate their time,” he continued. “I just believe it’s my turn to step up and work.”
Hu added that the network is a welcoming group and encouraged non-Chinese residents to attend the supper.
