The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei on Wednesday announced a series of events to be held later this year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation, including a Canada Day celebration in Taipei and a video contest, with the winner to receive a round-trip ticket to Vancouver.
The Canada Day celebration is to take place on July 1 at Taipei Hakka Cultural Park, the office said.
Thousands of people are expected to attend, said Mario Ste-Marie, executive director of the office, which represents Canada’s interests in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties.
The Canada Day celebration in Taipei is usually the biggest celebration of the national day outside Canada, Ste-Marie said.
The office is also to hold a video contest, inviting submissions from Taiwanese who have traveled, worked or studied in Canada, or are currently doing so, it said.
Participants are required to submit videos that focus on at least one of the four “Canada 150” themes — young people, the environment, diversity and indigenous culture — sharing their experiences of Canada, office general relations director Su Yun Geithner said.
Entries must be two minutes to five minutes in length and in English, French or Mandarin, Geithner said, adding that the deadline for submission is Aug. 31.
The winners are to be announced in September, with the top prize being a round-trip flight to Vancouver, the office said.
The second prize is a gift certificate worth NT$10,000 for Canadian lifestyle brand Roots and a NT$5,000 gift certificate for third place, it said.
Roots is also to provide special prizes, the office said.
To celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary, the office is collaborating on a series of events with several partners, it said.
The Canada Day celebration in Taipei, which is to mark its 12th year, is to feature live music by local and Canadian musicians, and a procession at Taipei Hakka Cultural Park, said Carrie Kellenberger, chairwoman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, the organizer of the event.
The celebration attracted about 8,000 people last year and the Chamber of Commerce is hoping for at least 10,000 this year, Kellenberger said, encouraging people to dress in red and white.
Air Canada is also working with the office, the national carrier said.
On June 9, the airline is to resume its Taipei-Vancouver service after a 14-year hiatus, Air Canada said.
Hopefully, direct flights will help promote tourism in Canada, said Sophia Chen (陳美至), Air Canada’s Taiwan manager.
“Our goal is that visitors from Taiwan to Canada will be increased by 10,000 in 2017,” Chen said, adding that the airline is working with local travel agencies to launch special packages to promote tourism in Canada.
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