Letters to The Sun: CSIS comments hurt an entire community

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In June 2010, Richard Fadden, then head of CSIS, made suggestions that city councillors in two cities were under the influence of the Chinese government. Fadden provided no proof, nor named names, but being ethnically Chinese and a city councillor at the time, the suspicions fell on me, and just about every ethnically Chinese municipal councillor at the time. I vividly recall the threats, hate mail, and racial comments I received, and this spread to the broader Chinese community. Fadden’s comments dogged me for all of the decade I was on city council.

Once again, CSIS has made a number of comments about foreign influence on our political system, but has provided no proof. This started in Vancouver during the last municipal election, and put the Chinese community as a whole under suspicion again — and it made no difference if you were born in Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or anywhere else — just because you were ethnically Chinese, we were all painted with the same brush. What was particularly sad was that I wrote then-Mayor Kennedy Stewart’s office — he has confirmed he was briefed by CSIS about China — asking for a statement saying that such activities are not reflective of the greater Chinese community to help tamp down generalized anti-Asian hate. No such statement was forthcoming except that his office “will work to ensure fair elections.” Many in the Chinese community were upset by Stewart’s lack of support and worked to elect Vancouver’s first Canadian-Chinese mayor — including myself, even after endorsing Stewart in the 2008 election.

We all saw how anti-Asian hate crime ballooned during the pandemic. That was so bad that anyone who looked remotely Asian was targeted. In 2010, then-Premier Gordon Campbell called Fadden’s comments “irresponsible.” In 2023, we see the same kind of comment and innuendo and little support for the Chinese community as a whole. Sigh … here we go again.

Kerry Jang, former Vancouver city councillor (2008-2018)

Let’s get voluntary care right first

Re. B.C. premier softens his tone (Vancouver Sun, Feb. 13)

As someone who has had the privilege of providing care in the inner city since 1998, the headline “Premier softens tone on involuntary care for people who overdose multiple times” attracted my attention. If, after an overdose, a person could get same-day voluntary care to receive addiction treatment (including opiate agonist therapy and safe supply), medical evaluation and some assessment of their urgent social needs, this would be gratefully accepted by most affected individuals and would probably make a difference.

As it is, such services are not readily available, can only be accessed days to weeks later, and are not delivered at a time or place that is conducive to their optimal use. If someone is given an “appointment” for services and misses it, there is no follow-up to secure engagement — until the next overdose. Let us get voluntary care right before we even consider involuntary care.

Brian Conway, president and medical director, Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre

Learn about death, but celebrate life too

Re: Jane Macdougall: The Bookless Club’s sudden departures

Jane Macdougall writes about her recent experiences with death and captures the doubts and indecision that friends and family go through.

It has been two years since my husband, who had cancer, passed away in a hospice at just after one in the morning. I was not at his bedside. The pandemic had prevented me from being with him. I made the arrangements for his burial feeling numb. I was overcome with grief, but managed to sign the necessary papers and carry on the tasks of living. Then, when a friend died about a month later, grief really hit me. I cried daily. I mourned. I remembered vividly how my parents and other relatives passed away. Now I feel a huge sense of loss — my husband of 55 years gone.

Fortunately, memories of the happy times rise to the surface, and I can talk about them and even laugh. I only write this to encourage the living to cherish friends and family. Do not be afraid to learn about death, but do celebrate life.

Kathleen Szabo, Vancouver

Letters to the editor should be sent to sunletters@vancouversun.com.

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