Toku or Toke Suyama, a Toronto NAJC Board member was a 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Asian Canadian Award. The award was presented at the Canadian Multicultural Council – Asians in Ontario Banquet at the Premier Banquet Hall in Markham. This festive event was attended by six Toronto NAJC Board members and included special greetings, dinner and cultural performances. More than 300 guests were present, representing over 20 Asian Canadian associations at this multi-course banquet.

Born in 1926 Toku was one of ten siblings of hard working first generation Japanese immigrant parents and grew up in the village of Cumberland B.C. on Vancouver Island. Like many Japanese Canadian families during the war years, their lives were disrupted by unjust government polices which forced them to relocate to the interior of B.C.

When Toku’s family chose to return to Japan after the war, Toku alone, moved to Toronto. Despite many hardships he persevered and finished his high school diploma and went on to receive his Baccalaureate from  […]  the University of Toronto and a post-graduate degree in Social Work. He began his career with the Children’s Aid Society but eventually left social work to start a successful restaurant on Avenue Road and St. Clair. It was a thriving business for many years, indeed, even the infamous Conrad Black was a frequent guest.

In the early 90’s Toku retired and began to pursue other passions such as pottery and antique collecting. It was during this time that Toke began spending more of his time volunteering for the Toronto Buddhist Church, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre and raised thousands of dollars by participating in the Toronto Challenge Walkathon and Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. In addition to this, he has been a long-time Director on the boards of the Toronto Chapter of the NAJC and Japanese Social Services. For many Toronto Sansei, Toku has been a mentor and a role model.

Quiet in demeanor, always sporting a stylish hat, our community has been enriched by the selfless work of this youthful elder. We are honored to have him as one of our own. Toku-san……. omedetou!

Bruce Tatemichi, President

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We want you to know that the entire Board ‎of the Toronto chapter has returned for 2015 and they remain in the following positions.

President – David Fujino
Vice-President – Bruce Tatemichi
Treasurer – Randy Sakauye
Secretary – Ron Shimizu
Director – Kim Uyede-Kai
Director – Yosh Inouye
Director – Ken Galloway
Director – Tokugi (Toke) Suyama
Director – Bob Tanaka

As you know (see: President’s Report – January 2015), the chapter successfully launched in 2014:

We jointly funded the publication of volumes 1 and 2 of Terry Watada’s proposed 3-part manga series on Japanese Canadian figures and Japanese Canadian historical events; we proudly co-launched Professor Mona Oikawa’s important scholarly book from U of T Press, “Cartographies of Violence: Japanese Canadian Women, Memory, and the Subjects of the Internment” at Another Story Bookshop; our Youth Committee initiative of a live on-site mural painting drew crowds to the framing Matsuri event at Yonge-Dundas Square in mid- summer; and we wrapped up the year’s programming at Castleview Wychwood Towers with a pre-Christmas (December 21) concert of jazz stylings from Castleview Wychwood resident and noted Nikkei pianist, Roy Miyashita and his musical friends, Bruce Tatemichi on tenor saxophone, David Bell on acoustic bass, and Cam Jobson on drums! ‎Here is a brief summary of the chapter’s 2014 programs.

‎So far in 2015, we’ve been busy at early spring cleaning of our office and our office papers and documents — part of our welcoming in the New Year — but at this writing, we are also planning more programs for 2015, so please stay tuned.

And remember that because of your kind membership renewals and ‎your generous donations, we are able to offer our programs to the Nikkei community.

The Toronto NAJC thanks the following individuals for their donations for 2015.
Kimiko Aihoshi
Tomiko Arai
Marie Baba
Terralyn Gale Durocher
Benjamin & Shirley Eto
Geoffrey Ebisuzaki (in honour of Kojiro Ebisuzaki)
Ruby Fukumoto
Kay Mitsue Fujita
Susan Hidaka
Kimiko Hirota
Takazo & Sachiko Honkawa
Terez Hyodo
Katsu & Elsie Iguchi
Kazuo Ishii
Ellen Ishikawa
Susie Iwata
Tom & Esther Kawabe
Herbert & Christina Kikuta
Isamu Kodama
Kimiye Kuramoto
Roy & Lily Kusano
Goro & Kinuko Matsushita
Sachie Matsushita
Lewie & Chiyoko Miya
Mary Morita
John & Pauline Murakami
Margaret Nagai
Toshiyuki & Louise Nagano
Harry and Kathryn Nagata
Joe & Elaine Nakashima
Frank & Ruby Nishioka
Mack & Margaret Oikawa
Nobuko Oikawa
Harry and Nora Okada
Kathryn Okawara
Maryka Omatsu
Tsuneo & Chiyoko Omotani
Toni Osbourne
Roy & Hifumi Sato
Kenneth Seki
James & Akiko Shiga
Tosh & Miyo Shigeishi
June Shimizu
Ron Shimizu & Edy Goto
Masashi Shin
Fred Sunahara
Tom Takashima
Yoshito & Margaret Takata
Sumio & Sheila Tomihiro
Kyoko Tomotsugu
Harry Tonogai
George Tsushima
Kim Uyede-Kai
Geoffrey & Donna Uyeno
Peter & Ethel Wakayama
Tomoko Yoshida

We hope you will join us on our journey of change and renewal.
Respectfully yours,
David Fujino

The post Chapter President’s Report – February 2015 appeared first on Toronto NAJC (National Association of Japanese Canadians).