May 28, 2023 HKJU Picnic at Sibbald Point Provincial Park
A warm sunny day on May 28, 2023, 24 HKUAAO alumni joined a picnic in the Sibbald Point Provincial Park organized by the Hong Kong Joint Universities. I am glad that this year we have a few newcomers, such as Meko, Klaire, Irene, Wawa, Beaker and Josie/Kelvin’s family joined and shared the happiness. Other than meeting with our old good friends, the newcomers had a great opportunity to connect with alumni from other universities to extend their personal network.
After an hour of mingling, enjoying the live music and playing volleyball, I heard a rumbling sound from my tummy. It soon kicked off with a table of delicious food and served with cold drinks. Not long after, we all thumbed up for the yummy food and started off a series of exciting and fun games.
Congratulations to Sidney Chu who won 2 games (Ball throw-and-catch and the Men’s Ping pong stability run), Kelvin Cheng is the 2nd runner up in the frisbee game and Kelvin’s daughter, Mika Cheng is the 2nd runner up of the Women’s Ping pong stability run. Hip hip hooray to Sidney, Kelvin and Mika!
I would take this opportunity to specially thank Beaker Fung for being the photographer to capture all special moments in the picnic. Memories are timeless treasures of the heart, times come and go, memories stay forever. These amazing pictures keep the moment from running away.
Reported by Hilton Lok
Click here to view photo album (Photos taken by Beaker Fung)
May 21, 2023 HKUAAO Victoria Day Spring Hike (Rouge Valley) and Dinner
On Sunday, May 21, 2023, a remarkable turnout of over 100 participants gathered to embark on a 2-hour loop hike in Rouge Valley. The enchanting forest trails beckoned us to explore and discover the great biodiversity of the largest urban park in North America.
The day began with the arrival of eager hikers, including fellows of new alumni who have recently relocated to Ontario. We were thrilled to see such a large group ready for adventure. The trail led us through picturesque landscapes, where the fragrant scent of Spring filled the air. While enjoying the great outdoors, our alumni took advantage of the opportunity to reconnect and socialize with one another. Friendships were strengthened, and new bonds were formed amidst the breathtaking surroundings. We gathered for group photos to capture the excitement and camaraderie.
Following the hike, we upheld our cherished tradition by hosting a multi-course dinner party at SamWoo BBQ Restaurant in Scarborough. The vibrant atmosphere was palpable as our energetic group occupied 7+ tables, creating a lively ambiance filled with laughter and camaraderie. The dinner provided the perfect conclusion to an eventful day.
We express our heartfelt appreciation to Hannah Cheung, Tim Cheng and Raymond Leung, and all the organizers who dedicated their time and efforts to ensure the success of this hike. Their commitment and hard work contributed immensely to creating a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants. We are grateful to everyone who participated and made this event a remarkable experience.
Reported by Phoenix Doong
Message from the HKUAAO President, Margaret Law
Greetings
When the New Year starts, everything is refreshed and revitalized
一年伊始, 萬象更新
Let me start by wishing everyone a prosperous and healthy New Year.
2023 marks the Year of the Rabbit in the Lunar Chinese Calendar. Rabbit is a symbol of fortune, health, energy, fertility and gentleness.
I would like to share with you my New Year Resolution inspired by the characteristics and traits of a rabbit.
To have long ears like a rabbit to enable us to hear from near and far; to be empathetic and compassionate to others’ needs;
To have red eyes , not from working overnight, but from opening our eyes wide to see what is happening in the world ;
To have good health , energy and quickness in response. Quoted : Moving like a running rabbit “動若脱兔”
Maybe it is not a bad idea to adopt a vegetarian diet like that of a rabbit’s.
Last but not least, I would like to conclude with the idiom” a rabbit crossing your path” . I sincerely wish that you all see this rabbit crossing your path bringing you good luck and a positive change in your lives.
HKUAAO is here to serve, facilitate and communicate with our alumni in Ontario.
News Updates
1. As of 2023 January, we will be accepting membership fees via email transfer now. A fillable membership registration form can be found online at the following site: http://www.alumni.hku.hk/hkuaaont/about-us/membership
2. Regarding our Newcomers Support Program, there are over 100 HKU alumni newly migrated to Canada who joined our Newcomers Support Program. We need more HKUAAO supporters to help facilitate the program. Please visit https://www.alumni.hku.hk/hkuaaont/support-hku-alumni-to-ontario for more information.
3. The following interest groups are currently running their own activities and all members will be welcome to join. Please visit https://www.alumni.hku.hk/hkuaaont/upcoming-events/interest-group-activites for more details.
a. Badminton
b. Bird watching Group
c. Hiking Group
d. Karaoke Group
e. Table Tennis Group
If you have any questions regarding the above groups, please contact our board of directors. Thank you.
Recap of a recent activity related to HKU alumni
On January 2nd, a group of about 30 HKU alumni who are table tennis fans organized a table tennis get together at My Table Tennis Club at Mississauga. Our executives Lilian Ma, Frankie Cheng, Hilton Lok and myself were happy to join them.
Recap of HKUAAO AGM and Dinner on Friday November 18, 2022
Annual General Meeting
On Friday November 18, 2022, HKUAAO held its first in-person AGM and Dinner after more than three years. The event was held at the Lobster Port Chinese Restaurant in Thornhill.
AGM started promptly at 6 pm with Tim Cheng acting as the Chair and Agnes Man as the Secretary of the meeting. The meeting went smoothly and swiftly, approved the annual report, the financial report and passed the by-law amendments to extend the timing in-between AGM to 15 months maximum and to assert that the Association meets the audit exemption criteria.
The new Board of Directors and advisors were elected with Margaret Law elected as the new President. The other executive positions will be elected in the first board meeting following the AGM. The new Board is as follows:
Honorary Chairman – Professor Lap-Chee Tsui
Advisors – Ms. Irene Chu
Mrs. Peggy Sum
Mr. Bassanio So
President – Ms. Margaret Law
Directors – Mr. Dennis Au-Yeung
Ms. Agnes Man
Mr. Raymond Leung
Mr. Verdi Yau
Ms. Maggie Poon
Mr. Franki Cheng
Mrs. Winnie Fung
Mr. Hilton Lok
Ms. Lilian Ma
Mr. Tim Cheng
We accepted the resignation of Mr. Augustine Chan and Mr. Romeo Au from the Board and thanked them for their services to the Association.
AGM Dinner
Dinner reception started at 6:30 pm and all guested were seated by 7 pm. This year’s attendance was beyond our expectations with over 140 alumni, families, guests, presidents, and friends from JU. Margaret was the MC of the evening and started with introducing our guests and table prize draws. Ms. Emily Mo was our guest of honour. She made a vivid presentation to update us on the recent developments in Hong Kong. She was also our guest of honour 3 years ago in 2019. How time flies! We presented her with a plaque bearing a distinctive HKU emblem to thank her for her ongoing support of our AA.
The dinner was delicious which included 8 lbs of stir-fried lobsters and other sumptuous dishes. The new Board and advisors were introduced, and the two retiring VPs were presented with plaques to recognise their long and dedicated services to the Association. We recognized all the newcomers among us, over twenty of them, who are younger alumni and will be the future pillars of the AA. We also recognized the coordinators and members of our interest groups, including the table tennis group who turned out in large numbers to support this dinner event.
We enjoyed the singing performances from Margaret and Verdi’s family. Verdi and Maggie’s daughter, Vincy, took the spotlight and sang in chorus with Verdi and Thomas Law the song “I want it that way”. The performers were presented with flower bouquets by the two cute little girls. Romeo’s game of “name that tune” was our favourite and engaging. Winners were presented with boxes of chocolates to share.
The final event was lucky draw which was always popular with our guests. With over 20 prizes donated by our directors and guests, there were many lucky one who went home very happy! The party ended with the MC thanked all volunteers, restaurant staff and all attendees who together made the event so enjoyable.
Reported by Tim Cheng
Click here to view photo album (Photos taken by Hilton Lok)
Click here to view photo album (Photos taken by Beaker Fung)
November 18, 2022 HKUAAO Annual General Meeting & Dinner
After an absence of over 3 years, we are pleased to announce that we will have an in-person AGM and dinner once again, with details as follows:
Date: November 18, 2022 (Friday)
Time: 6:00 p.m. AGM; 6.30 p.m. Reception; 7:00 p.m. Dinner
Venue: Lobster Port Chinese Restaurant
8432 Leslie Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 7M6, Tel: 905-597-8508
Cost: $70 per adult, $40 for mentee and child under 12.
Deadline: November 8, 2022 (Tuesday)
Registration is now closed.
For additional information, please contact:
Tim Cheng 416-270-9830; tacheng0202@gmail.com, or,
Romeo Au 416-529-3361; romeoyhau@gmail.com, or,
Augustine Chan at 416-930-3666; augustinetoronto@hotmail.com
We will elect the new board of directors and executive committee members for 2022 – 2023 at the A.G.M.
We need new blood for the Board and all members are encouraged to nominate and be nominated for the Board for the coming year.
This is an opportunity to network with old and new friends, HKU exchange students, and to have a fun evening.
Notice of Annual General Meeting
NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Hong Kong University Alumni Association of Ontario will be held on Friday, the 18th day of November, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. at the Lobster Port Chinese Restaurant, 8432 Leslie Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 7M6, with the following business to be transacted:-
To receive and consider the Annual Report for 2021 -2022;
To receive and consider the Treasurer’s Report;
To elect directors and members of the Executive Committee of the Association for the year 2022/2023;
To transact any other business.
AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that any regular member in good standing shall be entitled to nominate another regular member in good standing to the Board of Directors and to be elected to the Board and to cast vote. Any such nomination should be emailed to the Association at: hkuaaont@hku.hk
By the order of the Board of Directors
Agnes Man, Secretary, October 6, 2022
November 12, 2022 Hong Kong Joint Universities Alumni (Ontario) Banquet
(Please note that HKUAAO AGM dinner is another event, for more information, please click here)
Finally Hong Kong Joint Universities Alumni (Ontario) HKJU will organize a banquet after 3 years (our last banquet was on Oct 6, 2019). We all understand the COVID19 is not over yet, however, it is in a ‘stable’ condition and we all take high alert to protect ourselves and others. Therefore HKJU committee considers it’s time for us to meet again.
2022 HKJU 校友歲末聚餐
Date: Saturday Nov. 12, 2022
Venue: 黃金閣鮑翅海鮮酒家Golden Court Abalone Restaurant
270 West Beaver Creek Rd, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Y9
Cost: $55.00
Reception: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: 6:30 p.m.
Registration Closed: Wednesday Nov 2, 2022
Please register through augustinetoronto@hotmail.com 416-930-3666 or romeoyhau@hotmail.com 416-529-3361
Each alumni association will be responsible 1 performance item in any format, we appeal here to those who are interested and please contact me in the above email or mobile phone.
We look forward to seeing you all to share our experience in the last three years.
Stay safe, happy and healthy.
October 2, 2022 HKUAAO Fall Hike (North Greenwood Conservation Area, Pickering) and Dinner
North Greenwood Conservation Area, Pickering – Sunday Oct 2, 2022
Fall in Ontario is beautiful and is a good time for outdoor activities and hiking. Every year, except in the peak of the pandemic, HKUAAO, in cooperation with the Tai Chi Group under Tom Wong, had organized a hiking in the fall to enjoy the beauty of Nature. This year our hiking trail is in the North Greenwood Conservation Area in Pickering on Sunday October 2, 2022.
It is a nice fall day. We had a huge turnout, close to 60 people, including many of the younger, energetic alumni who are newcomers to Ontario. After taking a group picture, the group embarked on the trail. Initially there were some uphill but that did not present any difficulty at all. The trail was relatively easy and scenic. Part of our trail was along a river, and we spotted some large salmons struggling to swim upstream to give birth to the next generation. We had the enthusiastic photographers among us who took quite a few pictures to share with the group. In addition to enjoying the beautiful outdoor, our alumni used the opportunity to socialize, to catch up with one another.
The hike started at 2 pm and finished at around 4:30. Most of the group then headed to Sam Woo Chinese Restaurant in Scarborough to enjoy a nice delicious multi-course dinner served with wine and dessert. Our 5 tables+ were the noisy bunch but added a lot of live atmosphere to the restaurant! We departed fully contended.
Many thanks went to Liza Tsui who spent hours to help organize the hike, and to the others who helped to keep the hiking safe and smooth. Of course, we thank everyone for participating in this event. See you all next Spring!
Reported by Tim Cheng
July 17, 2022 HKJU Picnic – Darlington Provincial Park
HKJU had organized a picnic on Sunday July 17, 2022 in Darlington Provincial Park. The weather is perfect, no rain and bearable hot. HKUAAO has over 20 participants including our president Tim Cheng, past president Lilian Ma and alumni Margaret Liu, Christina Jong, Darius Wong, TC Kwan and Sidney Chu. I am glad we have new blood joining the picnic like Thomas Law, Zoe Li, Elaine Ng and Lok Yi Lam (with the latter two just came to Toronto recently).
May I take this opportunity to thank Liza for all the logistic work of collecting fee, distributing JU souvenir, organizing games teams and helping Tim’s wife, Annie to master the food counter. Thomas Law, our surgeon to dissect the water melons in an appropriate size to feed us all. A strong team of Zoe, Lok Yi, TC, Wendy, Sidney, Sandie and Darius to help unloading stuff and doing all chores for us. Hats off to Lilian and Tim for picking up/dropping off alumni. After all, I just want to say it’s the team work that made this event a success. I am sure we all enjoyed a great day after a long absence of in-person activity.
By the way, congratulations to TC Kwan whom is crowned 2022 HKJU King of Frisbee Game and won $50.00. TC, you are our gem and we are proud of you.
You can view event photos in the following link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DWXpGoemRbNvXOS060OykbJ2Mnt__6zU?usp=sharing
Reported by Augustine Chan & Romeo Au
Designated Representatives to HKJU 2022
May 23, 2022 HKUAAO 2022 Victoria Day Spring Hike
Bob Hunter Memorial Park & Judy’s Tropical Farm – Monday May 23, 2022
The park, being part of the Rouge National Urban Park system, commemorates Bob Hunter (1941-2005), a Canadian environmental champion, journalist and author who worked tirelessly to protect biodiversity and celebrate nature.
May 2022 HKU Virtual Walking Challenge to the Moon
The HKU Walking Challenge has been set for May 2022 with lots of prizes and giveaways, so challenge yourself, colleagues and friends! We hope to reach our target of 557,101,500 steps to the moon – a lofty target. We are confident that with the combined effort of staff, students, alumni, family and friends, we can do it!
Event period: 1st of May to 31st of May, 2022
Team registration: 1st of February to 30th of April, 2022
Participants: HKU Community (Staff, Students, Spouse, Retiree and/or Alumni, HKU Marathon Team, family and friends)
Details: Event details / Download the app
There are numerous challenge categories for our HKU Virtual Walking Challenge with Competition Categories and Prizes valuing more than $20,000 from our generous sponsors, Fitbit, Adidas and Gigasports. Free gifts and exclusive discounts will be given for the first 1,500 downloads:
• Team Winner, Runner Up & 2nd Runner Up
• Faculty, Department, College & Hall Winners
• Student Team Winner
• Best Team Name and Picture
Looking forwarding to kicking off our HKU Walking Challenge to the Moon in May!
HKU Virtual Walking Team Committee
Prizes sponsored by:
Fitbit, Adidas and Gigasports
