[Canada Report] Canadian veterans of Korean War make commemorative visit

Below is a round-up of recent news from Canada concerning Canada and Asia-Pacific relations.

Canadian veterans of the Korean War make commemorative visit

Peering over the border at the Sang Seung observation post, a South Korean soldier briefs Canadian Korean War veteran Ronald Boutot. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Often dubbed “the Forgotten War,” the Korean War remains a largely under-recognized topic in Canada.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. While an cease-fire was indeed signed in 1953, the two Koreas, forcefully divided by outside powers, are still technically at war. No peace treaty was ever signed.

Initially chosen by the US and Soviet Union to serve as a temporary boundary between North and South Korea, over half a century later, the 38th parallel continues to serve as a sombre reminder of the painful divisions created by the Korean War.

This past April, a government-sponsored delegation to South Korea allowed Canadian veterans of the war to re-visit the country.

The trip included tours to battlefields and cemeteries, including important sites like the de-militarized zone (DMZ), which runs along the 38th parallel.

The group of 36 veterans still made the trip despite the North’s recent threats, which have simply become “business as usual” in the South.

“We’re going because, one, the government of South Korea said, ‘Come on over,’ our veterans want to go over and, at this point in time, we’re still going,” said Lt.-Gen Walter Semianiw to CTV News, shortly before their departure.

“The tensions that are experienced now are a demonstration of the importance of what our Korean War veterans accomplished 60 years ago and is a profound reminder of what they did then still has an impact today for the liberty of the peninsula,” the Canadian Minister for Veterans Affairs Steve Blaney said.

The trip also coincided with the 62nd anniversary of the Battle of Gapyeong. Despite being grossly outnumbered by the Chinese-led Northern forces, soldiers of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry successfully defended a strategic hilltop area in the present-day Gapyeong county of South Korea. This achievement earned them a unit citation from the United States.

About 26,000 Canadians took part in the Korean War. 516 were killed in the field, with only around 10,000 living to this day.

Canada sees influx of Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists pose for a photo at Vancouver International Airport. (Photo: Canadian Tourism Commission)

With the growlingly strong Canadian dollar raising travel costs, many American tourists have refrained from making a visit to their “friendly neighbour to the north.”

While in past years, visits from the US would surpass 2 million a month, nowadays that number has dipped to roughly 1.7 million.

However, monthly visits from China have soared an astounding 31% from last year.

The United Nations World Travel Agency (UNWTA) has named China the world’s biggest-spending travel market. Last year, 83 million Chinese tourists spent a staggering $102 billion USD worldwide.

While the number of Chinese visitors to Canada has indeed grown (160,000 to 288,000 between 2009 to 2012, respectively), Canada’s Tourism Industry Association President and CEO David Goldstein says his country could do much better.

“It’s nice to get excited with growth from a market like that … but outbound [travel] from China was up 44% last year. So we’re not getting anywhere near our share,” said David Goldstein in a recent statement to the Financial Post.

The Canadian tourism industry is currently worth around $79 billion, and consists of a variety of airlines, hotels, and tour operators.

To attract more tourists, the Canadian Tourism Commission has upped marketing efforts in China, focusing largely on social media.

Coming from crowded and polluted urban areas like Beijing and Shanghai, many Chinese tourists are attracted to Canada’s natural beauty and wide, open expanses.

However, Australia and the US are still attracting more Chinese tourists than Canada.

Mr. Goldstein thinks that while the two countries have indeed used their limited tourism budgets strategically to run successful marketing campaigns in China, it doesn’t mean that Canada can’t do the same.

Canada’s wood exports aid Japanese tsunami relief

The interior of the Donguri Anne Public Library built with Canadian wood products in Noturi, Japan. (Photo: Fumihiko Oki, the Vancouver Sun)

Two years after a devastating tsunami left much of Japan in ruin, efforts from the Canadian lumber industry are helping to repair the damage.

“It wasn’t just homes destroyed in the earthquake and tsunami here in Japan,” said Shawn Lawlor, from Canada Wood Group in a recent press release. “Community centres, care facilities, kindergartens; they were all washed away. Those places are the lifeblood of any community.”

That is where the Canada Wood Group stepped in.

In partnership with Natural Resources Canada and the Province of British Columbia, the Canada Wood Group has built a new public market in Yuriage, a Japanese city that was almost wiped off the map after the tsunami. The market, which consists of three main buildings, uses Canadian forest products like Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar.

This market is part of the $4.8 million CAD Canada-Tohuku Reconstruction Project, which was established following the tsunami that destroyed much of northeastern Japan. The project will sponsor a variety of community buildings using Canadian wood products.

The first project, which opened earlier this year in the town of Noturi, was the Donguri Anne Public Library. Named after Anne of Green Gables, a Canadian cultural icon in Japan, the library was built using red cedar, fir, and hemlock, with maple flooring.

A video detailing the two projects can be viewed here.