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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1992
OTTAWA DECLARES FESTIVAL HK WEEK
THE MAYOR OF OTTAWA, MRS JACQUELINE HOLTZMAN, HAS DECLARED OCTOBER 6-19 TO BE "FESTIVAL HONG KONG WEEK" IN CANADA'S CAPITAL CITY.
THE SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT DELIGHTED THE LARGE AUDIENCE, INCLUDING CANADIAN AND HONG KONG OFFICIALS, GATHERING IN BRIGHT AUTUMN SUNSHINE IN THE AMPHITHEATRE OF THE WORLD EXCHANGE PLAZA TO WATCH THE OPENING OF FESTIVAL HONG KONG 92 IN THE CITY.
IN HER OPENING SPEECH, CANADA'S SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, MISS BARBARA MCDOUGALL, OFFERED HER HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE ORGANISERS FOR THE SUCCESS IN LAUNCHING THE FESTIVAL IN OTTAWA.
ALSO ADDRESSING THE OPENING CEREMONY, THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES SO, SAID: "WITH SUCH CLOSE AND GROWING TIES BETWEEN OUR TWO COMMUNITIES, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO OUR BEST TO STRENGTHEN AND BUILD ON THEM FURTHER SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS GREATER PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC RIM.
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HE POINTED OUT THAT THE AIM OF THE FESTIVAL WAS TO BUILD A BRIDGE ACROSS THE PACIFIC AND, TO ACHIEVE THIS, IT WAS IMPERATIVE FOR CANADA AND HONG KONG TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
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BACH OTHER'S LIFESTYLE.
"WE HOPE THAT BY ENABLING CANADIANS TO FEEL THE HEARTBEAT OF HONG KONG, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAKES HONG KONG TICK," HE SAID.
AMONG THOSE ATTENDING THE CEREMONY WAS THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER TO CANADA, MR NICHOLAS BAYNE, AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE, TORONTO, MR STEPHEN LAM.
ALSO IN ATTENDANCE WAS A WORLD WAR II VETERAN, MR ALFRED S HOE, WHO TOOK PARTICULAR NOTE OF MR SO'S REFERENCE то HONG KONG'S CLOSE AND FRIENDLY LINKS WITH CANADA, GOING BACK OVER A CENTURY.
MR HOE, FORMERLY OF NO. 3 VICKERS MACHINEGUN COY. HONG KONG VOLUNTARY DEFENCE CORPS (NOW THE VOLUNTEERS), RECALLED HOW HE HAD FOUGHT SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THE TWO REGIMENTS OF CANADIAN SOLDIERS SENT BY THEIR GOVERNMENT TO HELP IN THE DEFENCE OF HONG KONG IN DECEMBER 1941.
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