Panelists will explore when symbolic gestures empower communities—and when they slip into tokenism. This panel will discuss accountability and ethical representation within and beyond the Asian diaspora in Canada.
Free admission. Reserve your seats here: SHOWPASS
Panelists: Clr. Lily Cheng, Joanne Wong, Melanie Fernandez
Moderator – Charlie Wu
Lily Cheng, City Councillor (Toronto)
Lily Cheng is a long-time Willowdale resident, City Councillor, and dedicated community builder who has spent more than a decade bringing neighbours together in moments of crisis, healing, and collective action. She founded North York Moms, co-founded We Love Willowdale in the aftermath of the Yonge Street tragedy, co-founded a local food bank with a holistic approach to care, and led the Willowdale COVID Response Network to support vulnerable residents.
At City Hall, Lily serves as the Mayor’s Champion to Eradicate Intimate Partner Violence and Gender-Based Violence. Her top priority is empowering residents to participate in local democracy. She keeps the community engaged through twice-weekly newsletters, regular surveys, accessible events, and her signature Spaghetti Town Halls, creating space for open dialogue and ensuring residents’ voices help shape decisions.
Lily champions thoughtful planning, innovation, and stronger community services, including advancing participatory budgeting across Willowdale and securing a future Willowdale Intercultural Hub. Her leadership is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to listening—because a stronger community starts with engaged residents.
Joanne Wong, Educator:
Joanne Wong is a second-generation Chinese Canadian educator who is passionate about building cultures that connect people through humanizing, relational approaches. Grounded in intercultural communication, her work is especially attentive to those often overlooked and the “invisible” qualities within individuals that shape new connections, meanings, and possibilities.
Across professional and community contexts, Joanne draws on her lived experience, relational networks, and the practice of working resourcefully with those already present to support people in navigating complex systems and diverse spaces. She is a co-creator of “A Story of And,” a resource that invites reflection on the interconnectedness of all things, using East Asian racism as an entry point for conversation and collective learning.
Outside of her advocacy for systemic change, Joanne can often be found running, spending time with her kids, or doing what she does best—creatively making something out of “whatever happens to be there,” including random leftovers in her fridge.
Melanie Fernandez, Arts & Cultural Leader and Educator :
Melanie Fernandez has over 25 years of leadership experience in the arts and cultural sectors with a focus on exploring innovative frameworks for producing and learning through community-engaged intersectional practices. Her work is rooted in inclusionary platforms that ensure postcolonial representation of racialized and Indigenous stories.
Leadership positions include; Interim Executive Director, Woodland Cultural Centre, Director Cultural Engagement & Activation Department and Artistic Producer at Harbourfront Centre; Community Arts Officer at the Ontario Arts Council, Director of Education at the Art Gallery of Ontario Currently, Melanie teaches and consults.
Panel Info:
Date: Thursday, August, 27 2026
Panel Time: 5:15 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Small World Music
