The 34th Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival organised by the Toronto Chinese Business Association in collaboration with GWN Dragon Boat was held at Toronto Centre Island on June 18 and 19. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO) is a key sponsor of the event.
In delivering a speech at the opening ceremony on June 18, Director of HKETO, Ms Emily Mo, said she was delighted to join the Festival and celebrate with the Canadian public this popular water sport event across Canada. "Hong Kong is the birth place of modern dragon boat racing and it has developed its roots in Canada that brings people from different countries together,” Ms Mo said.
"Dragon boat race also signifies the strong and close ties between Hong Kong and Canada as Hong Kong hosted the first international dragon boat race more than three decades ago and introduced this sport to Canada at the 1986 World Expo in Vancouver, then to other major cities including Toronto," Mo Mo continued.
"Today, millions of paddlers around the world have participated in this international sport, and the Dragon Boat Festival has become one of the most popular races among athletes and the local communities in Canada," Ms Mo said.
Before closing, Ms Mo invited participants to join the celebration events organised by HKETO in the coming months. “This year marks an important milestone for our city as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. We are organising a wide range of celebration events under the theme of ‘A New Era - Stability • Prosperity • Opportunity’, it not only captures the spirit of Hong Kong’s achievements over the past quarter century but more importantly, our confidence in a brighter future underpinned by the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’,” Ms Mo said.
The series of events will include art exhibitions now being staged in Toronto and Vancouver, gala dinners in June, a business seminar in September, a touring photo exhibition in September to October across Canada, an academic seminar at end of this year and more. More information on HKETO’s 25A celebration events is available at the dedicated website (https://25a.hketo.ca/).
HKETO set up a Hong Kong pavilion at the Festival for visitors to learn more about the history of dragon boating, and get some souvenirs about Hong Kong.
香港經貿處處長出席第34屆多倫多國際龍舟節
由多倫多華商會及GWN Dragon Boat合辦的第三十四屆多倫多國際龍舟節於六月十八及十九日在多倫多中央島舉行。香港駐多倫多經濟貿易辦事處（香港經貿處）是龍舟節的主要贊助機構。
香港經貿處處長巫菀菁於六月十八日舉行的開幕禮上致辭，她表示很高興參與今年度的龍舟節，與加拿大民眾一起慶祝這極受加拿大各地歡迎的水上運動。巫菀菁表示：「香港是現代龍舟競渡的發源地，龍舟賽事已經紮根加拿大，並成為匯聚世界各地健兒的運動。」
巫菀菁續說：「龍舟盛事也見證了加港兩地的緊密聯繫，香港在三十多年前舉辦首個國際龍舟賽事，並在一九八六年溫哥華世界博覽會將這項運動引入加拿大，隨後推廣至多倫多市等其他主要城市。」
巫菀菁表示：「全球至今已有數以百萬計龍舟競渡選手曾參加這項國際體育運動，龍舟節競渡也成為加拿大其中一項深受運動員及社區歡迎的比賽。」
最後巫菀菁誠邀與會者參與香港經貿處在未來數月舉辦的慶祝回歸活動。巫菀菁表示：「今年是香港特別行政區成立25周年的重要里程碑。香港經貿處以『砥礪奮進廿五載，攜手再上新征程』為主題舉辦一系列慶祝活動，這主題不僅帶出香港過去四分一世紀的成就，更重要是寄託着大家在『一國兩制』原則下對香港更美好未來的信心。」
一系列慶祝活動包括現正在多倫多及溫哥華舉行的藝術展覽、六月舉辦的慶祝晚宴、九月的商貿會議、九月至十月在加拿大舉行的巡迴攝影展覽，以及將於年底舉辦的學術研討會等。更多有關香港經貿處25周年慶祝活動的詳情可瀏覽專頁 (https://25a.hketo.ca)。
香港經貿處在龍舟節上特設香港展館，讓遊人了解更多有關龍舟歷史並領取有關香港的紀念品。
