Connecting in 2025 – a year in highlights

It was a big year of travel and family history: Calgary; Edmonton; Hinton, AB; Moose Jaw, SK; the Kananaskis, AB; Kelowna; Lake Louise; Mississauga; Montreal; Peachland, BC; Toronto; Vancouver; and Victoria. There were family reunions big and small in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. There were dozens of speaking engagements, a few days carved out for research, and a few for blogging. I had a big birthday, a series of celebrations, and wonderful gifts. Let me recap a bit of it for you.

In January, I presented my first in-person university lecture, at the Digital Humanities Graduate Seminar, University of British Columbia. Dr. Mary Chapman invited me to speak to her graduate class on Chinese genealogy research methods and sources. If you have ever had the pleasure of speaking to an engaged group, you will know what I mean when I say it was such fun and it was nerve-wracking, all at the same time. On the one hand, they gave me their undivided attention – a real pinch-me moment. On the other, Dr. Chapman mischievously tossed me a show us how you would solve this question. It was a great way to start the year.

In February, an Ottawa journalist named Peter Hum published the story of tracing his family roots in Guangdong, China. The twist was learning Peter is my second cousin once removed, and the maternal 徐 (Chu, pinyin: Xu) village he found was my lost maternal village. He overturned our family’s long-held belief that our Chu village was lost forever. It was a genealogist’s dream come true: someone else’s work broke one of my brick walls, and I gained a new cousin.

April is a good time to see the perfect chocolate box of a city that is Victoria… but not if you’re with me. I barely remember the sights, generously hosted by Charlayne Thornton-Joe and Philip Thornton, of the Victoria Chinatown Museum. I was there to research the story of Won Alexander Cumyow’s 1885 fraud conviction. Was he framed? Read more in my two-part blog. The work tested my sleuthing skills and the limits of records held under privacy as interpreted by the Province of B.C. Did you know there’s no time limit on criminal records? I didn’t. I was able to see a judge’s notebook but not 19th century prison records. I left Victoria with archival research practise, a camera roll of images, a story, and the warm hug that is hospitality Charlayne-and-Phil style.

In May, Keira Loughran’s brilliant documentary, Exclusion: Beyond the Silence, was released across the country. I snuck out alone to see it at the Vancouver Chinatown Cineplex, and ran into a friend. Seeing a documentary come to life – from being interviewed to watching its progress through to theatrical release – is a unique experience. I remember meeting Keira when we both happened to be in Vancouver in 2023, and the hours we spent with her team in the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens. I can’t say I’m comfortable seeing myself on the big screen, but Keira and Helen were naturals, creating a story that opened like a gardenia in the sun. After the show, I sat quietly in the dark, soaking in the comments of strangers. People talked afterward about their own experiences growing up Chinese and Canadian. I was reminded that although we might not know one another, our community shares common stories, common threads.

A week later, I joined my husband’s family reunion. Skillfully hosted by my brother-in-law and his wife, the family had gathered from all over southern Ontario to celebrate the reunion of my father-in-law, 88, and his two baby sisters, 86, and 82. The food was plentiful, there were adult beverages and fizzy pops, and the conversations flowed. It had been years since our last reunion, and we took the opportunity to reconnect.

In November, we met new family, as in cousins we didn’t know were cousins. It’s not hard to see why and how our family lines got broken. What’s intriguing is how we mended those breaks: through patience, sympathy, and time. In truth, I think real human connection is fragile. There are so many things that can tear us apart. The bonds of blood are strained and sometimes snapped by unhealed trauma. In our family, the stress was rooted in racism, poverty, and tragedy. Reconnecting across this vast gulf of silence was an act of trust on all sides but we did it and we are delighted. Our ancestors survived trauma with few tools, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bridge the gap.

I spent Remembrance Day week in Kelowna, warmly hosted by Shuan and Frances. Shuan and his friend Ren Xian Tan had invited me to come give a talk about a historic, but little-known site. My presentation, Commando Bay and the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Okanagan changed the world, was well received by an audience of about 160. Thanks to Ren Xian’s marketing and the volunteers at the Kelowna Chinese United Association, we had extensive press from Victoria to Vernon, and a spot on CBC Radio. We hope to have a video, and if that happens, I’ll be sure to share.

During that week, I had the pleasure of meeting Kelowna and area veterans, members of the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society (KDGS), Kelowna Chinese United Association, Kelowna Freemasons Association, Kelowna Museums and Archives, and the OCCA (Okanagan Chinese Canadian Assn). It was an honour to participate in the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Kelowna Cenotaph, laying a wreath in honour of the Army, Navy, Air Force Veterans, Unit 280, and the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society. I’ll never forget meeting Teacher Yang and her students. And because it’s so close to my heart, thank you to Claire Smith-Burns for arranging a delightful day with the KDGS, including lunch, and four tours: the Kelowna Museum, the Military Museum, the archives, and the KDGS library.

In December, I gifted my mother-in-law the unknown story of her father. He was a casualty of war who had died when his baby daughter was not quite two, and yet I see his influence in both my husband and his mother. It makes me wonder, what do we really hold in our genetic memory? Tracing the McCagheys of Northern Ireland was a brand new experience for me, focusing as I do on Canadian genealogy. My favourite discovery was exploring the British Newspaper Archive and finding a printed article that matched a family keepsake. The image, taken in 1939, was of unusually good quality, yet taken outdoors. It was a eureka moment to realize that it was most likely taken by a newspaper’s staff photographer. This project stands out in 2025, because I got to do my favourite thing: fill a silence with story.

Throughout the year, I had the pleasure of connecting with folks passionately devoted to history, remembrance, story, and our community. Wherever I was, friends gathered to share their knowledge, struggles, and wins. The dim sum were especially delectable when shared with members of Genealogy for Asian Canadians, or with my friends at the Wakefield Agency. It was an honour to attend the investiture of new officers of ANAVETS Unit 280, Vancouver. Catherine Clement brought her book tour, The Paper Trail, to Moose Jaw. Ramona Mar sat down with me to talk about the collection at the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, Vancouver. Jessica Chen of the JIA Foundation shared her stories of Maison Yep-Riopel, Montreal. Sue Mah and friends gave me a private tour of The Journey of the Horse, Mah Society, Edmonton. Apparently, I’m a hermit when I’m at home and a social butterfly when I’m on the road.

Afterword

It’s become a needed ritual. During the long, dark nights that are December in the Paris of the Prairies, I take time to reflect. I look at my blogs, the events from my calendar, the photos on my phone, and the stats on my site. I review the work I’ve done, and wonder how I can do better. A couple of year ago, someone once told me that if I didn’t watch out, I’d disappear from view and be utterly forgotten. I share this only to say it’s been two years and I’m still here, and I think that comment can be consigned to the dust heap where it belongs. I am deeply, profoundly, grateful to do what I do. To have the support of friends and family, to have the physical stamina, to be at this momentous age, and yet still aspire to do more and do it better. Here’s to more in 2026.

Thank yous

2025 was a big year for speaking events, with 27 total appearances. Thank you to the following organizations for inviting me to appear live: CBC Radio Okanagan, Kelowna Chinese United Association, Saskatoon Storytelling Club, University of British Columbia, and the Well Collaborative, Saskatoon. Thank you to the following for invitations to present online: Allen County Genealogy Center, BC Genealogical Society, Chinese Family History Group, ICAPGen, Legacy Family Tree Webinars, MB Genealogical Society, Nanaimo Family Society, Ottawa Branch – Ontario Ancestors, Saskatoon Branch – SK Genealogical Society, and Wikitree.

Thanks also to my private clients, for asking me to research stories that stretched my abilities to the limits: exploring a Salvation Army family’s 1960s immigration to Vancouver; a lo wah kiu family who survived the Second Sino-Japanese War; an Ontario Chinese Canadian/ U.S. family; a prairie family with Irish Catholic roots; and the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society for asking me to join the team for the Digital Museums Canada Force 136 Project.

Thank you to you, my readers, for reading me.