A group of Chinese community leaders plans to speak in Richmond Tuesday about what they say is a misrepresentation of Chinese culture by a group opposed to a planned hospice at the University of British Columbia.
Speakers will include Jan Walls, the founding director of SFU David Lam Centre for International Communication, and Ken Tun, former chair of Vancouver-based immigrant services agency SUCCESS.
"A group of Chinese community leaders feel compelled to respond to and comment on the issue," convener Gabriel Yiu said Monday in a statement. "They point out that Chinese culture has been mistakenly portrayed and misrepresented by those opposed to the hospice and they are correcting it for public information."
A group consisting mostly of Chinese immigrants caused a stir last week when they publicly objected to the 15-bed hospice, saying that building such a facility close to their homes would be culturally insensitive and flout long-standing cultural beliefs relating to death and dying.
The group is made up of residents of a high-rise tower close to the site of the proposed hospice. Critics have accused the group of using cultural beliefs as an excuse for "nimbyism".
After bringing the project to a public open house last week, the university has put the project on hold to allow time for discussion with residents. The site had been chosen through a process that weighed several potential sites for the facility, which would provide end-of-life care and be linked to palliative care research and programs at UBC's medical school.
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Wendy Stueck