Building a Go Community in Edmonton: Teacher Li’s Story

At the beginning of 2024, a small message posted two months earlier quietly appeared on the Chinese social media page of the Canadian Go Association. The author was Teacher Li, a retired Go educator from Qingdao. Holding an Amateur 4-dan certificate and a national Level-2 referee license, he had devoted the past four years of his retirement to teaching Go.

What he didn’t know was that this message would soon lead him to a new chapter—one that begins in Edmonton, thousands of kilometers away from home.

A Teacher Without a Classroom… For a While

Settled in the southwest corner outside Edmonton’s ring road, Teacher Li longed to continue his Go-teaching journey. Yet for months, he couldn’t find any active Go organizations in the city.

When we came across his message, we immediately reached out. Within days, he was connected with Edmonton’s small but passionate Go community. And from there, everything began to unfold naturally—like the quiet opening moves of a well-played game.

A Class Passed On, A Mission Continued

By coincidence, Teacher Cai from the Western Canada Cultural Centre was preparing to relocate to Toronto. His newly formed Go class needed a successor. That’s when Teacher Li stepped in.

The class had opened just a few months earlier, in September, with ten enthusiastic students. The teaching resources were modest—certainly not what one might find in China—but Teacher Li saw it differently. In countries where Go is far less widespread than in China, Korea, or Japan, having any space for learning and exchange is already a gift. He poured his passion into this room, turning it into a home for beginners and young players alike.

Thank you, Teacher Li, for bringing your love for Go to Edmonton.

Summer, Dominik, and the Coolest Grandpa Ever

Teaching Go wasn’t the only pleasant surprise in his new life abroad. At home, Teacher Li began teaching his 7-year-old granddaughter, Summer, how to play. One day, Summer’s classmate Dominik showed interest in the strange black-and-white stones he saw.

And so, with Summer acting as a tiny translator, Dominik became Teacher Li’s newest student.

A Go-playing grandpa who teaches your best friend too—does it get any cooler than that?

Go in the Park: Learning Under the Open Sky

When the weather turned warm, Teacher Li took Go outside.

He drove 5.7 kilometers to the park at Esther Starkman School and taught an open Go lesson for children—right there on the grass, with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Edmonton might not have many Go classrooms, but Teacher Li proved that anywhere—a park, a playground, even a picnic table—can become a Go dojo.

A New Classroom at Master Academy

Teacher Li officially opened his Sunday Go class at Master Academy in March 2025.

But what makes this classroom even more special is what the students play on:

A Go board handmade by Teacher Li himself.

Since teaching boards were not available locally, he rolled up his sleeves and crafted one. Passion, after all, is the best teaching tool.

Beyond One Classroom: Camps, Kindergartens, and Community

Teacher Li’s energy seems limitless. Besides teaching at the Western Canada Art Center and his own home studio, he also:

Hosts public Go lessons in parks

Visits local kindergartens to introduce Go

Collaborates with Teacher Xue’s Chinese School to run weekly Go summer camps

Slowly but steadily, Go is taking root in Edmonton—one child, one classroom, one park at a time.

Edmonton’s First Go Promotion Tournament

On May 11, 2025 another milestone was reached:

The first Edmonton Go Rank Promotion Tournament, successfully organized by Teacher Li.

For many students, this was their first taste of official Go competition—nervous faces, proud smiles, and the joy of receiving their first certificates. The local Go community has never felt more alive.

Where the Story Goes Next…

As we share these moments, Teacher Li is temporarily back in China. He is now volunteering as a Go instructor at a primary school in the Daliang Mountains—another story of passion, culture, and the power of Go.

We will share more about his experience there soon.

Until then, Edmonton continues to feel the imprint of his dedication. And beyond the board, the stories keep growing.