Dr. Vivienne Poy is an author, historian, fashion designer, entrepreneur and community volunteer. She was the first Canadian of Asian heritage to be appointed to the Senate of Canada (1998-2012), where she focused on gender issues, multiculturalism, immigration and human rights. Dr. Poy is also Honorary Patron to many cultural organizations and causes across Canada, including explorASIAN, Simon Fraser University David Lam Center’s Chinese Canadian History Project, and PCHC-MoM.

Born in Victoria, Dr. Wallace Chung attended Victoria College, the University of British Columbia and McGill University where he graduated in Medicine in 1953. After a forty-year medical career specializing in vascular surgery, Dr. Chung retired in 1991 from UBC where he was a Professor of Surgery and Head of the Department of Surgery at UBC Hospital. During this time he also served on numerous boards, including the Canadian Multiculturalism Council, British Columbia Heritage Trust, and Vancouver Chinese Cultural Centre.

Inspired by a poster of the Canadian Pacific RMS Empress of Asia in his father’s tailor shop when he was six, Dr. Chung collected an extraordinary 25,000-plus items on early British Columbian history, immigration and settlement, particularly of Chinese people in North America. In 1999, Dr. Chung and his wife, Dr. Madeline Chung, donated this collection to UBC Library “so as many people as possible can have the opportunity to understand and appreciate the struggles and joys of those who have come before them.” The Chung Collection is deemed a national treasure and is open to the public. Dr. Chung was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2005 and the Order of British Columbia in 2006 for his multifaceted contributions.

The Honourable Janet Austin was sworn-in as the 30th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia on April 24, 2018. Prior to this appointment, she spent 15 years as Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Metro Vancouver, one of the province’s largest and most diversified non-profits. There she oversaw operations delivering services to tens of thousands of people annually at more than 40 locations.

Raised in Alberta, Her Honour spent her early career in public sector roles in Calgary, working in regional planning and public consultation and communications for the provincial government. She eventually moved to British Columbia, where she began working with BC Housing and discovered her passion and aptitude for public office. Prior to joining the YWCA, Her Honour served as Executive Director of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland, and actively volunteered for many organizations in commitment to helping improve the lives of others, as well as serving on various boards ranging from Translink to the Women’s Health Research Institute.

Her Honour is Chancellor of the Order of British Columbia and was invested as a Member of the Order in 2016. As Lieutenant Governor, she has identified three key themes for her mandate: the promotion of diversity and inclusion, democracy and civic engagement, and Reconciliation.

Christine Brodie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from California State University, Long Beach with further university courses at UBC and SFU. She began her career as a classroom teacher and became a specialist in math and reading and supporting students with learning disabilities.

Mrs. Brodie has also worked as a Teacher Consultant for Richmond School District in Community Outreach and as District Consultant for Autism. In those roles, she worked with school based teams, collaborated with community agencies to support out of school youth and was involved in professional development for staff. Mrs. Brodie is currently a Director of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Foundation.

Tama’s own migration story started from Japan as the first Keio-UBC exchange student on a WUSC (https://wusc.ca/) scholarship. In 1962 she obtained an M.A. in Social Anthropology and Southeast Asian Studies from Yale, and lived in many countries as a diplomat’s wife.

Tama believes in learning from others by listening, and creating a new world together. To her, creating a museum of migration to focus on the diverse peoples in Pacific Canada is part of Canada’s continuing process of nation building.

Patsy George is a social justice and human rights advocate. She has served in many roles, including advisor on community development in BC and director of Multiculturalism BC.

George is a recipient of many awards for her work, including the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada.

Elder Larry Grant was born to a Musqueam mother and a Chinese father and raised on traditional Musqueam territory. He grew up learning hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the ancestral language of the Musqueam people, from his mother. After retiring as a longshoreman, Elder Grant enrolled in the First Nations Languages Program at UBC to reconnect with the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language and learn how to welcome visitors and migrants to Musqueam territory, just as his ancestors welcomed the first visitors from across the Pacific.

Today, Elder Grant serves the Musqueam First Nation as the Language and Culture Consultant. He is an Adjunct Professor in the UBC First Nations and Endangered Languages Program, where he co-teaches hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language courses held at the Musqueam reserve, and is UBC’s Elder-in-Residence at the First Nations House of Learning. Through these roles and many others, Elder Grant plays a key role in sharing Musqueam culture, identity and narratives as the hosts for the first Pacific migrants to Canada.

Michael Hwang is an advocate for social justice and change. He was born in South Korea to parents who lived through the Japanese colonization and survived the Korean war. His family immigrated to Canada to find a better life for his sister who had mental and physical challenges. These backgrounds set the course for Michael to become a pioneer lawyer in the Korean Canadian community and provided legal education and services for 30 years. Michael served as an elected director and officer of a major party in BC, and was appointed by both major parties to serve on their task forces, one on immigration and the other on small business. However, realizing that political changes must be accompanied by social changes, Michael devoted more years on the boards of many local and international community, educational, and business organizations, and founded many community events and festivals that promote social justice and inter-cultural understanding. His efforts were recognized in 2003 as a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal and as the Businessperson of the Year by the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce. Michael currently serves on the boards of New Vista Society, The Spirit of the Children Society and BC's Small Business Roundtable.