It was a roaring good time Thursday night at the Infinity Convention Centre, where RBC ushered in the Lunar New Year, Year of the Dragon by hosting a dinner and cultural celebration that included key business leaders and community stakeholders from Ottawa’s Asian community.
The dragon is considered to be the most powerful Chinese Zodiac animal, signifying prosperity.
RBC’s regional president, Marjolaine Hudon, made an auspicious fashion choice by donning a fetching red crocheted lace dress. Where she really wowed everyone, though, was on stage, effortlessly greeting the room in Mandarin, as if it was second nature.
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Originally from Montreal, Hudon was exposed to Asian culture early on through two of her Chinese uncles, both of whom married into the family. She shared nostalgic memories of her grandmother cooking traditional Québécois meals with a side of rice, of receiving childhood gifts of lucky red envelopes containing cash, and of visiting Montreal’s Chinatown for dim sum.
“This Lunar New Year celebration is very special for me, it has a very special place in my heart,” she told her audience. “It brings wonderful memories from when I grew up.”
Like the dragon, RBC has been harnessing its own firepower, of the financial kind. Come April 1, HSBC Canada bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages and investments are moving to Royal Bank. Late last year, the federal government approved RBC’s $13.5-billion landmark deal to acquire the Canadian arm of multinational bank HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation), marking the largest-ever acquisition for Royal Bank.
“It’s really a historical moment for our two banks,” said Hudon. “This acquisition will bring the talent, capabilities, international connections of HSBC Canada to our clients at RBC. It will also bring the full power of RBC to the community of HSBC.”
Hudon listed several ways the acquisition will benefit Canada, from the retention of tax revenue within Canada to the increased dividends for Canadian clients and shareholders, to more contributions to worthy causes. RBC traditionally donates 1 per cent of its pre-tax profits to its communities annually.
The celebration featured the popular lion and dragon dances. Hudon helped with the traditional eye-dotting ceremony to empower the lion to fulfill its duty of bringing about protection, good luck, health and prosperity to those present. As part of the performance, the lion helps to spread success by eating a head of lettuce and spitting it back out, or more like tossing it toward the audience, as a symbolic spreading of wealth. The evening program was emceed by Frank Chen and Ada Chen, both of whom are managers at RBC.
Among the attendees were Yukang Li, executive director of the Ottawa Chinatown BIA, and James Nguyen, co-founder and CEO of Ottawa-based Quantropi, a quantum-secure data and communications software solutions provider.
Distinguished guests also included Dr. Ben Tsang, senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa; United Way East Ontario CEO Michael Allen; James Wang, manager of international partnerships and programs at Algonquin College; Taing Jewellers co-owners Keo Taing and Thai Taing; Eastern Ontario Hoy Sun Association of Canada president Daniel Fong; Chinese Canadian Association of Ottawa president Alex He, and Helen Tang, founder and CEO of her eponymous real estate team and a recipient of 2023 Immigrant Entrepreneur Award for her commitment to diversity and multiculturalism. Tang, who has her PhD from Carleton University, had a whole other career before real estate in the scientific and engineering sector.
David Hill, one of Ottawa’s deputy mayors and the councillor for Barrhaven West, attended. So did Ottawa Board of Trade (OBoT) board vice chair Ruby Williams, a partner in the M&A advisory practice at Deloitte. OBoT serves as the voice for business and a key advocate for economic growth in the nation’s capital.
Williams, who’s a Chinese Canadian, spoke of the Lunar New Year as a time for joy, celebration and family connection. She reminisced about the experiences of her childhood, describing the holiday, also known as the Spring Festival, as the “best of Christmas and Halloween combined”.
As a mother of two, Williams now shares the traditions with her extended non-Asian family and her own children. “My kids always ask, ‘Mom, why do you cook so much food that can feed an army?’ My answer is always, ‘Because this is how we show our appreciation and love to the people around us, and because it’s the Chinese way’.”
She emphasized the Lunar New Year as being a way to celebrate Canada’s diversity and to advocate for greater inclusiveness. She also briefly touched on the uncertainty confronting Ottawa’s business community, expressing her wish “that we can draw energy and inspiration from the dragon and, together, bring prosperity, happiness and health to our community.
“It takes all of us to propel the growth, drive inclusiveness and diversity that our city and our community deserve.
“May the magic of the Lunar New Year be with you always.”
caroline@obj.ca
