Arlene Lumb Chan (’71) will launch her fifth book, The Chinese in Toronto from 1878, on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at the Lillian H. Smith Library, 239 College Street (one block east of Spadina Avenue), 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. All are welcome!

A third-generation Chinese, Arlene used her librarian skills to dig deep for the stories of people and places that she remembered as a child growing up in Toronto’s Chinatown. The Chinese in Toronto from 1878 brings to life the past with first-hand stories, archival photographs; newspaper and magazine articles; and, excerpts from literary works that reflect on and describe Toronto’s Chinese community yesterday and today.

Arlene is the author of The Spirit of the Dragon: the Story of Jean Lumb (selected as a Choice Book by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre); The Moon Festival: a Chinese Mid-Autumn Celebration (shortlisted for the Silver Birch Award); Awakening the Dragon: the Dragon Boat Festival; and Paddles Up! Dragon Boat Racing in Canada. Visit Arlene’s website for more information about her books at www.arlenechan.ca. As a side note, Arlene just returned from Tampa, Florida, as a member of Team Canada at the Dragon Boat World Championships. Her women’s team won gold medals in all four race events.