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CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Block party takes over Chinatown for second year in a row
Dragon dancers are seen at the Van (B)loc part in Edmonton's Chinatown on June 7, 2025. (Galen McDougall / CTV News Edmonton) For the second year in a row, a block party is taking over Edmonton's Chinatown this weekend. Organizers are hoping to continue the momentum of the inaugural Van (B)loc Party last year with performers, vendors, food trucks and a broadcast of the Edmonton Oilers game. The event is one product of the community receiving nearly $1 million for revitalization and vibrancy projects over the past two years. This year, 14 projects will be funded by the Chinatown Vibrancy Fund, including Van (B)loc, the annual Togather Chinatown Arts Festival, and Lunar New Year celebration. 'I truly believe that in any community, if you have high quality products and services to offer the community, then you attract great skills and talent back into it as well. So the Van (B)loc Party is just another way to increase and enhance that ability to bring great people back into this area,' said Wilson Wong, party organizer and owner of Chinatown restaurant Van Loc. The vibrancy fund initially allocated $480,000 as a one-year commitment in 2024. Then, city council extended the program by two years. Chinatown will receive another $480,000 in 2026. Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson told CTV News Edmonton it was exciting to see the money's impact take root. 'The city can put out grants, we can invest in infrastructure, but truly it's the businesses, community members and volunteers to make these things happen. So(I'm) grateful to the organizers who have put this together,' she said on Saturday. 'There's a wonderful quotation from Gabor Mate that says, 'Safety isn't just the absence of threat, it's the presence of connection.' So as a community, we have made great strides in terms of reducing threats, reducing crime, but the next piece is really building that sense of connection. Events like this absolutely do that and we will continue to thrive from here.' The event runs until 11 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Galen McDougall
South China Morning Post
02-04-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Why not let Hongkongers pay medical fees with MPF, like in Singapore?
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Advertisement Such a move is prudent as our public hospitals are heavily subsidised. If the subsidies are not financially sustainable, medical service provision will be affected. But apart from adjusting medical fees, Hong Kong must also explore other avenues to alleviate the fiscal burden. In his article 'Fee increases won't solve Hong Kong's healthcare financing crisis', Professor Wilson Wong gave some constructive suggestions. In particular, he mentioned using mandatory health insurance schemes or health savings accounts to supplement public funding. Indeed, why not allow Hongkongers to use part of their Mandatory Provident Fund to pay for their medical expenses? Such an arrangement could be a responsible way to alleviate the fiscal burden. Reform could go even further. Our health authorities often criticise people for misusing accident and emergency services . However, has the Hospital Authority provided enough clinics at the district level as an alternative? Advertisement Picture yourself in this situation. If there are not enough clinics providing services at night, patients will go to the regional hospital almost immediately, increasing the A&E's workload. If enough round-the-clock service was provided at the district level, it would reduce A&E workload at the hospitals, which could focus on handling the truly serious cases. The clinics could decide whether patients needed to be sent to the hospital.
