Wayne Cao: A Politician of the People

On December 10, Wayne Cao had his annual Christmas Party at the Dover Community Center for his constituency members for his Calgary Fort West Riding. The Honorable Member for Calgary Fort West invites anyone who wishes to attend his celebration to partake in a fabulous buffet and take an opportunity to socialize with members of the community. Wayne plays a most gracious host to his diverse constituents who come from a large cross-section of ethnic backgrounds--Chinese, Vietnamese, Fiipino, Mexican, Anglos, East Indian, Pakistani, just to mention a few.
Even though I do not live in Wayne's constituency, I attend the party and bring a Chinese family who have just immigrated from mainland China and who have only been in the country four months. I introduce them to Wayne who gives them a hearty welcome. I explain to my new Chinese friends that Wayne Cao is a member of the Provincial government and they would be more than welcome to come and volunteer in Wayne's next upcoming election in March. The new family are excited that they will be able to participate in the democratic process of getting someone they know elected to office.

Over the past twelve years, I have worked on three campaigns to elect Wayne Cao and with the upcoming election in March it will be my forth campaign. The reason, I support this gentleman is because of his contributions to his community. In 1999, I approached Wayne Cao for advice on how to obtain government funding to host an International World Schools Debate tournament to be hosted in Calgary in 2005. At the time , I thought I would need a $150,000. When every other agency, organization gave me the cold shoulder, Wayne Cao provided advice, support, letters of recommendation that helped me validate the project. Because of his support, the tournament in 2005 became the Conoco Phillips World Schools Debate Championship that raised over $450,000 to run a 10 day international debate tournament attended by 250 of the brightest students from 32 different countries spanning 6 continents. The debates were hosted in 40 different schools spanning the public, private,separate,rural, first nations schools and the Calgary Teacher's Convention. Over 10,000 school children and teachers were introduced to world schools thematic debate on topics of international interest. Without the help of Wayne Cao, I could not have made this tournament a reality. Wayne Cao, quietly worked behind the scenes. But such is the style of Wayne Cao to work behind the scenes for causes that help the community. For example, Wayne was instrumental into bringing low cost affordable housing into the Dover and Ogden area while the Federal, Provincial and Municipal government were still mired in bureaucratic inaction on how to create affordable housing. Wayne was instrumental in kick starting a program turning the weir on the Bow River into a recreational white water kayaking area. I once asked Wayne Cao why did he not tell the general public about his contributions and he replied, " I do not need recognition, my job is to help my constituency."
In his Christmas message to his constituents Wayne states: " I thank you for giving me your trust and honour to represent you in government. I feel it is my privilege and duty to serve Albertans. I hope to receive your continuing support, trust and friendship."
Wayne has written lyrics for a song that he has sung at Canada Day Celebrations and Citzenship Celebrations:
Our Canada, the land of people free.
Together we're building our great country
From West Pacific to East Atlantic,
And North Boreal to Southern lake land,
Blue sky, white snow always pure,
Green grass and wheat fields abound.
We're Canadians, so blessed and free.
We, Canadians, love our country.
Fron all parts of the world
we have come here
to live together in peaceful joy.
Canadians, we stand together.
Canadians, we will live forever
keep on building country we love.
Blessings from Creator to Canadians!

I have included pictures from Wayne Cao's Christmas Party. ( Wayne and his grandson with his son William, Will's wife and mother in law) (Wayne and the new Chinese family: Ivy,Wayne,Michael, Peter)

Hunting in a Windstorm

On Sunday, November 30 on the last day of hunting season, at first light I walked into a patch of bush that was a half mile wide and one mile long. My hunting partner and I were to walk into the bush from the east about two hundred yards apart and walk in a slow zigzag pattern to hopefully flush an elk, moose or deer into a 60 foot open cutline a quarter mile due east where our two other hunting partners waited in ambush. With my trusty compass in hand , I had to take a bearing that I was moving in a south south west direction to appear at the cutline. I had walked only about 100 yards into the bush when I heard a slow dull roaring whirr that sounded like a muffled jet engine. Within minutes , I was hit with a blast of wind as the windstorm hit the forest with gale force winds of 100 to 140 km per hour. The forest exploded into a series of sharp reporting sounds that at first I thought were gunshots but quickly realized the cracking sound was the snapping of tree trucks as the hurricane like gusts began bringing down trees between eighteen cm and 36 cm in diameter crashing all around me. I looked above my head and the trees that were 10 to 20 metres in height were swaying back and forth. As I turned slowly making a 360 degree turn, I heard the crack of breaking limbs and trees crashing to the forest floor in every direction. I heard a crack and quickly stepped back behind a tree as a 30 foot tree fell two feet from where I was standing showering me in falling bark, twigs and leaves. It was like being in a war zone with shells exploding all around you.
I waited for the wind to subside and when there was a brief lull, I would quickly walk fifty yards and take cover before the next wind gust came and witness the next wave of crashing tree trunks. I was in that predicament for an hour and a half. During that time, I came upon deer within 20 feet but I had no intention of shooting a deer. The deer were befuddled and did not know where to run or hide. I remember leaning up against a sturdy tree and to my surprise I could feel the tree vibrating like a drum through my jacket. I quickly looked up to see the tree swaying back and forth. The black bamber aspen was the most dangerous of the trees in the forest because their inner core becomes hollow and rotten when they mature and they were snapping like twigs. I emerged from the forest after an hour and half and feeling grateful to be alive. Mind you while I was in the forest , I never felt more alive in my life.