Timmins rings in Year of the Rat

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City residents joined the Chinese community to ring in the Year of the Rat.

The Timmins Fung Loy Kok (FLK) Taoist Tai Chi Society hosted the Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday.

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The celebration marked the transition from the Year of the Pig to the Year of the Rat.

Approximately 90 people attended the party. Those attending were mainly Tai Chi club participants along with friends and invited guests. The event was held at the Masonic Hall on Tamarack Street.

Attendees dined on Chinese food and took in musical entertainment, a silent auction and draws.

“Because this is not strictly a Chinese party, we have more like Canadian-Chinese food, like egg rolls, fried noodles, some Chinese vegetables like lotus root which we can’t get here and had imported from Toronto,” said Gary Lew, long-time member of the FLK Taoist Tai Chi Society.  “And then we have different types of tofu, fried rice, chicken wings and some dessert.”

Lew said proceeds from ticket sales covered the cost of the meal and decorations like the Chinese lanterns and any other expenses.

Saturday’s celebration was comparably more modest and close-knit affair compared to those held in Timmins two decades ago when 200 attendees would fill a banquet hall, dine on Chinese food and take in the lion’s dance.

Despite a decline in the Chinese community within Timmins to support such an event, Lew said, “For me, because I have been involved with the tai chi club, I have been helping out to put the party here and we’ve been doing pretty well.”

He said the tai chi club has been hosting the annual celebration “in our own club house now for last 10 to 12 years.”

He said in Canada it’s harder for them to involve everyone in the celebration because most of the people are working but where in China it’s a holiday season.

“We try to do as much as we can to keep up the tradition. Chinese New Year which is also referred to as the Spring Festival in China comes in a different time of the year and not always on the same date. It could be happening in late February or early January too depending on the Lunar calendar. This year it happened to be on Jan. 25, and we always celebrate on a Saturday so this year it’s a coincidence that we are celebrating on the actual New Year’s day.”

He said In China, as a part of the celebration, people clean their homes and buy new clothes for family members.

It’s the biggest festival in China and people celebrate it for a week, he said.

“But this year because of the coronavirus that has affected many people in China, people couldn’t celebrate the New Year the way they normally do.”

Lew explained the Timmins tai chi society is a non-profit organization but they do charitable deeds involved locally mainly the Lord’s Kitchen every six week.