Brief History of the Taiwanese Canadian Association
The Taiwanese Canadian Association (TCA) was formed in 1963, with its first official Annual Conference held in 1977 in Kingston, Ontario. The following year, TCA was registered under the Federal government of Canada.
According to the by-laws of TCA, the term of the TCA presidency is two years, alternating between members from Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.
Regional Taiwanese organizations can be found in the following cities and provinces: Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener/Waterloo, London, Ottawa, Windsor, Montreal, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland. There are approximately 5000 members across Canada.
The TCA board consists of a president, vice-president, and several other members to take charge of various activities. The Board meets on a regular basis to discuss future events and goals.
The objectives of the Association according to the by-laws are:
- To cultivate a literary and scientific taste among, and a sense of responsibility in, the members; and to promote social, cultural and intellectual exchange and contacts among Taiwanese residing in Canada and elsewhere;
- To assist new immigrant members of the Corporation to integrate into Canadian society; and to foster the spirit of friendship and understanding between the people of Taiwan and Canada;
- To serve as a medium of communication between the members and Government authorities;
- To encourage an awareness in the members of their responsibilities in the national and international community;
- To engage and assist in charitable activities.
The World Federation of Taiwanese Association was formed in 1974 in Vienna by the Taiwanese Canadian Association, the Brazil Taiwanese Association, the North American Taiwanese Association, the European Taiwanese Association, and the Japan Taiwanese Association. These are the five largest members of the World Federation of Taiwanese Association. The associations in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Costa Rica have also joined this organization.