(January 19, 2026, Toronto) The Chinese Canadian Legend Award celebrates its Silver Jubilee this year. Under the theme of “Inspiring Legends, Lasting Impact – Our Silver Journey and Beyond ,” the event will select six individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Canada, and nominations are open now.
The Award, established in year 2000, is a distinctive national award and has recognized 148 awardees over 24 sessions, with 24 special edition books celebrating these inspiring Chinese Canadians in various fields.
Chinese Canadian Legends Association (CCLA) President, Bammy Wong shared that “since the inception of the Award 25 years ago, we have continuously explored and reflected on our future development. Thanks to the efforts of our team members, and the recognition, participation and support of award recipients and the community over the years, the Award has become one of the most prestigious, influential and distinctive awards. During its Silver Jubilee, we are happy to move forward with our mission: to recognize and enhance the achievements and contributions of the Chinese Canadians, to foster understanding, respect and integration among diverse cultures and communities.”
CCLA is honoured to work with former Senator, the Honourable Dr. Vivienne Poy as Honorary Chair of the Advisory Committee, former Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, the Honourable Dr. Philip Lee as Honorary Advisor, Alexandra Ngan and Dennis Au-Yeung as Co-Chairs of the Organizing Committee, Fellow Chartered Accountant Stanley Kwan as Chair of the Selection Committee, Stephen Siu as Chair of the Editorial Committee, Glenn Chan as Chair of the Operations Committee and Viola Poon as Secretary.
Alexandra Ngan, Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee, said: “The Award is to honour outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to our society. It also serves to inspire all to embrace the Chinese Canadian Legend spirit — to face life positively, demonstrate resilience amidst adversity, and extend compassion to others. This year marks the Silver Jubilee of the Award, a significant milestone that deserves cherishing and celebration. This year’s theme is ‘Inspiring Legends, Lasting Impact – Our Silver Journey and Beyond’, we hope that the remarkable stories of the awardees will be inspiring, encouraging the public to mutually uplift each other, to persevere and forge ahead, creating legends with lasting impact.”
Dennis Au-Yeung, the other Co-Chair, said: “This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Award. On this Silver Jubilee, we urge our community to support this meaningful event and to nominate outstanding individuals who have made remarkable contributions to our society. We believe there are many successful examples of Chinese Canadians around the world waiting to be discovered and worthy of praise. We hope that by honoring these individuals, we can promote the spirit of perseverance and
giving. Furthermore, sharing their extraordinary stories may inspire the future generations, thus achieving the goal of passing on these excellent legacy.”
Selection Committee Chair Stanley Kwan said that the Award nominations are open to anyone regardless of wealth, reputation, gender, age or education (except for incumbent elected representatives at all three levels of government). He said: “Those who are nominated and agree to participate will be included in the candidate list after being approved by the Organizing Committee, and will be rigorously reviewed by the Selection Committee. The selection criteria focus on individuals who strive in adversity, make outstanding contributions to Canada and have a positive influence as role models.”
Stephen Siu, the Editorial Board Chair pointed out that “each story in the Chinese Canadian Award book constitutes a part of the history of the Chinese community’s endeavors and struggles in Canada. He said: “Compiling the inspirational stories of the award winners into a book provides important reference material for people who are interested in the development of the Chinese community in Canada. The entire series of interviews in the book is highly collectible.”
The book collections are currently kept in the libraries of many universities in Canada and Hong Kong.
Glenn Chan, Chairman of the Operations Committee, said: “CCLA has always been actively involved in community work. Over the years, we have encouraged young people to not only participate in the volunteer work of the Award, but also to serve the community and strive to build a better future.”
Nominations for the Chinese Canadian Legend Award are open until February 28, 2026. Nominations must include the names, contact addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of both the nominator and the nominee, along with a brief biography of 1,000 words and relevant information. Nominators can also download the nomination form from the CCLA website www.cclegends.ca and email the information to info@cclegends.ca. All information will be kept confidential.
The 2026 Chinese Canadian Legend Award Gala Dinner will be held on July 11 (Saturday) at the Sheraton Hotel, Richmond Hill. For more information, please visit www.cclegends.ca