April 19-21, 2012:
Senators Vivienne Poy and Dr. Lillian Quan Dyck toured the historic Fraser Canyon from Hope to Lytton as guests of the New Pathways to Gold Society. Poy and Dyck are prominent members of the Chinese-Canadian community. Now retired from the Senate, Poy is an author, entrepreneur, fashion designer, and historian from Toronto and was the first Canadian of Asian descent to be appointed to the Senate of Canada. Dr. Lillian Eva Quan Dyck is a member of the Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan and a first generation Chinese Canadian. She is the first female First Nations senator and first Canadian born Chinese senator.
The Senator’s tour featured stops in Hope, Yale Historic Site, Spuzzum, the 1926 Alexandra Bridge site and Lytton. The saw firsthand the efforts of local communities, First Nations, heritage organizations and businesses to celebrate the rich Chinese-Canadian and Aboriginal heritage in Fraser Canyon, part of the Gold Rush/Spirit Trail between Hope and Barkerville. The Senators also attended the Grand Opening of the Tikwalus Trail on April 20, 2012, in the traditional territory of the Spuzzum First Nation and threw a switch to “activate” the geocaches along the trail.