Introducing the Inaugural Vietnamese Elder & Cultural Heritage Advisor (Edmonton)

Dr. Hoàng Đình Trí has been selected by Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau Vietnamese-Edmonton Cultural Society, as the first Vietnamese Elder and Cultural Heritage Advisor.

This two-year role recognizes an Elder whose contributions have helped shape and strengthen the local Vietnamese community and provides opportunities to share cultural knowledge across generations while supporting community heritage initiatives for current and future generations.

Watch the announcement and recognition video below, which was first unveiled on September 1, 2026, at the Vietnamese Heritage Month Kick-Off Event held at Edmonton City Hall.

Dr. Tri Hoang announced as Inaugural Vietnamese Elder and Cultural Heritage Advisor in Edmonton on Sept 1, 2026.

Thank you to Van Tran for helping translate Vietnamese subtitles for the announcement video.

Tri’s contributions to the Vietnamese community in Edmonton are significant. His volunteerism has shaped the Vietnamese community in Edmonton.

Born in Hanoi, Vietnam in 1950, Tri graduated from Dental University of Saigon in 1974. In 1980, Tri escaped with his brother by boat to Pulau Bidong (Malaysia). He was accepted into Canada July that same year and passed the Canadian National Dental Examination Board in 1983.

Tri practiced as a respected dentist in Edmonton for nearly 40 years until his retirement in 2021. Over decades, Tri has volunteered countless hours with the Edmonton Viets Association, and other Canadian Vietnamese Associations. Tri set up the first-ever Vietnam Pavilion at Edmonton Heritage Festival in 1984. He led the establishment of the Viet Nam Centre in 1991. He organized a series of Vietnamese Cultural shows to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the EVA in 2003. Tri has not only served as EVA President and other Board roles multiple times, but has also helped organize and continues to volunteer his time and share his knowledge for ongoing events even into retirement. He has led large fundraising efforts for the Viet Nam Centre in Edmonton and has contributed to the Vietnamese Boat People Museum in Ottawa. Tri was involved in the Hearts of Freedom project preserving Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees.

In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and in 2022, he received Queen Elizebeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal, for his significant contributions to the Vietnamese and Boat People Community. Dr. Tri Hoang’s volunteerism supporting the Edmonton Vietnamese Community continues into 2026, when he began working with the City of Edmonton Archives and Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau to donate, catalogue, and preserve Vietnamese-Edmonton history in the official city records. His work involves documenting community activities from the 1978-2026s.

Tri believes that preserving and advancing Vietnamese Edmonton heritage matters and is an important part of multiculturalism in Canada. He wants the next generation to be proud of what they have inherited from their parents, while maintaining their own identity.

As he passes on knowledge to the next generation, Tri says youth are the key to the survival and success of the Vietnamese-Edmonton community. He is excited to see individuals and groups such as Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau working together to help build the community.

The Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau Vietnamese Edmonton Elder and Cultural Heritage Advisor works closely with CTCN for a 2-year term (2026-2028).

Our non-profit group is proud to honour Tri and grateful for the wisdom he continues to pass on to the younger generation.

Thank you, Bac Tri.

Cảm ơn nhiều.

Thank you for your decades of volunteerism and support of the Vietnamese-Edmonton & Canadian community, Bac Tri!

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About the Role

The Edmonton Vietnamese Elder & Cultural Heritage Advisor serves as both a guardian of community memory and a bridge between generations, helping ensure that Vietnamese stories, traditions, and experiences are preserved, celebrated, and passed on to future generations.

The role recognizes a community member whose contributions have helped shape and strengthen the local Vietnamese community and provides opportunities to share cultural knowledge across generations while supporting community heritage initiatives for current and future generations.

Established by the Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau Vietnamese-Edmonton Cultural Society, the Edmonton Vietnamese Elder & Cultural Heritage Advisor Program supports the Society’s mission to preserve the past, celebrate the present, and shape a shared future by recognizing Elders whose knowledge, leadership, and lived experiences have contributed significantly to the Vietnamese community in Edmonton and surrounding areas.

Objectives

The Edmonton Vietnamese Elder & Cultural Heritage Advisor will:

• Help preserve and share Vietnamese cultural heritage, traditions, stories, and community history.

• Provide guidance and cultural context for community projects, exhibits, events, educational initiatives, and heritage activities.

• Support efforts to document and archive local Vietnamese histories and experiences.

• Foster intergenerational understanding and connection between Elders, youth, and emerging community leaders.

• Serve as a respected representative and ambassador for Vietnamese culture and heritage within the broader community.

• Contribute to initiatives that celebrate the contributions of Vietnamese Canadians and Vietnamese refugees in Edmonton and Alberta.

Term

The Edmonton Vietnamese Elder & Cultural Heritage Advisor is appointed for a two-year term. At the conclusion of the term, the appointment may be extended for up to two additional years at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau Vietnamese-Edmonton Cultural Society, for a maximum consecutive service period of four years. The Edmonton Vietnamese Elder & Cultural Heritage Advisor may step down at any time.

Eligibility

Candidates should:

• Be recognized as a respected Elder, knowledge keeper, or community leader within the local Vietnamese community.

• Demonstrate significant contributions to preserving, promoting, or strengthening Vietnamese culture, heritage, language, history, or community life.

• Possess lived experience and knowledge of Vietnamese traditions, history, and cultural practices.

• Be willing to share knowledge and engage with diverse audiences and generations.

• Reside in the Edmonton region or have a demonstrated connection to the local Vietnamese community.

Appointment Process

The inaugural Edmonton Vietnamese Elder & Cultural Heritage Advisor will be appointed by the Board of Directors of Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau Vietnamese-Edmonton Cultural Society in recognition of their longstanding contributions to preserving and strengthening Vietnamese culture, heritage, and community life in Edmonton. 

Future appointments may be selected through a community nomination and review process administered by the Society.

The Society intends to recognize appointments during Vietnamese Heritage Month (September), reinforcing the program’s role in preserving and celebrating Vietnamese culture, heritage, and community contributions.