27 Feb
Another potpourri of stimulating events reflecting Toronto’s diverse cultures awaits you. Several are free.
Baltic. Opening of the exhibition “Sharing Our Stories: The Baltic Diaspora at Home in Canada”. Saturday, March 4. 2pm. Free but donations appreciated. The Baltic Imprints Snapshot Stories collaborative project exhibit. The Canadian Baltic Immigrant Aid Society, Lithuanian Museum-Archives, Latvian National Federation, and Estonian Studies Centre/VEMU are the collaborative team behind this project. Open from March 4th-29th, M, T, TH, and F from 10am-5pm, W from 10am-7pm, and Sunday from noon-4pm. In English. RSVP and info: piret.noorhani@vemu.ca. Tel. 416-925-9405. Hall of Tartu College, 310 Bloor Street West. http://vemu.ca/index.php/en/events-events/1327-march-4-2017-opening-of-the-exhibition-sharing-our-stories-the-baltic-diaspora-at-home-in-canada#.WLCpLDhKVgs.
Christian. Philippines. World Day of Prayer 2017. “The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement which brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year. The motto of the World Day of Prayer movement is Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action. Through our participation in the World Day of Prayer, we affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence on the world.” http://www.wicc.org/world-day-of-prayer.
In Toronto, the World Day of Prayer is being commemorated on March 3. 3:30pm. Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen Street East: https://www.metunited.org/jmv4; 1-3pm. Calvin Presbyterian Church. 26 Delisle Ave, http://pccweb.ca/calvinchurchtoronto.
Japan. Haru Matsui Spring Festival. March 4 and 5. 12-5pm. $4-$6. Family rate $14. “Anime. From Astro Boy to Pokemon; from Studio Ghibli to Disney; from books to films and toys, demonstrations of Ikebana (flower arranging), Bunka Shishu (embroidery), Sumi-e (brush painting), Aikido, Karate, Jodo, Iaido, Naginata, Kyudo and Kendo (martial arts), traditional Japanese dancing. Japanese food for sale. For a small fee visitors can dress in traditional costume for photos.” Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 6 Garamond Court http://jccc.on.ca/event/haru-matsuri-spring-festival-6/
Jewish. Purim Groove at the MNJCC. March 5. 10am-1pm. $5. “Expect the Unexpected! A Purim Celebration for the whole family. Featuring: live entertainment: bubble show, magic show, clowns and jugglers. Make Hamentashen, masks and Mishloch manot. Indoor carnival, face painting, balloon animals, jungle gym, photo booth, costume parade! Come in costume! Kosher snacks! Bring your own lunch! Miles Nadal JCC, 750 Spadina Avenue. Contact Tamar Levi 416-924-6211×389. tamarl@mnjcc.org.
“Please bring a non-perishable food item for our Purim Food drive – food will be donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank.” http://us11.campaign-archive2.com/?u=c251fb55ecb480ca18cacd5de&id=c09d39ef39.
Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from destruction in the ancient Persian Empire, a story recorded in the Biblical book of Esther.
Mongolia. Mongolian Ethnic Balled Group Khusugtun’s Canada Tour. Sunday, March 5. 2pm. $45-$60. Greenwin Theatre, Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St. At North York Centre subway station. This fee is above our usual criteria for “affordable” prices, but we mention this wonderful event of unique singing because of its generous amount of performances on YouTube which you can see and hear for free:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQkrsdjJB2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCpuMPtaGFk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_5yt5IX38I
Throat singing imitates “the sounds of nature, such as flowing water and animal calls. One legend of the vocal tradition’s origins tells of how a sensitive man first sounded throat-singing by imitating the ceaseless crying of a mother camel that had lost its calf.” Judge for yourself about this art that you can find also among Canada’s Inuit.
Multicultural. Toronto. Launch of the second annual Myseum Intersections Festival. One Toronto. Infinite Perspectives. Monday, March 6. 6:30-8pm. Free. City Hall, Rotunda, 100 Queen Street West. March 6-31. http://www.myseumoftoronto.com/intersections
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/myseum-intersections-festival-launch-event-tickets-32328344950
Muslim. The Seerah Trail: Live Theatrical Performance. Friday, March 3. 7pm-9pm. $15. “Experience how the Prophet and his Sahaba lived, what motivated them and how they transformed their lives. Absorb important lessons from the Seerah through an inspiring drama performance by home-schooled students from the Understanding Islam Academy. “Understanding Islam Academy. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Lane, Brampton. Tickets and more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-seerah-trail-live-theatrical-performance-2017-tickets-31352157146
Muslim. Women. Book Event: The Muslimah Who Fell to Earth. March 5. 2-4pm. $5. The Muslimah Who Fell to Earth is a new collection of twenty-one personal stories from a diverse group of women, revealing in their own ways what it means to them to be a Canadian Muslim woman. Meet the book’s editor, Saima Hussain, and some of the contributors. Haroon Siddiqui, editor emeritus at the Toronto Star, will be the guest speaker. Books will be available for purchase. Auditorium, Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Dr, North York.
Switzerland. Canadysli Morgestraich. March 4. Fun outdoor parade starting at 7am. Usually more performances later that morning indoors and on the street. Free entry. Pay for food. Swiss snacks on sale. Also Carnival dance on March 11. $10-$12. The Musket Restaurant and Banquet Hall, 40 Advance Road, Etobicoke. http://www.canadysli.com/News.html
Our Blog about this event: https://www.torontomulticulturalcalendar.com/2012/02/26/233-report-on-saturdays-swiss-morgestraich-parade
Taiwan. Republic of China. Return to Innocence. March 4. 6pm-9pm. Most Munk School of Global Affairs are free of charge. This film is about the Taiwanese Amis cultural group and “the Work to Return, Recover and Reclaim their Heritage”. It should be of interest to people concerned about dominant cultures and first nations in Canada too. Afterwards, Professor Scott Simon will draw on his two decades of ethnographic work in Taiwan to discuss issues of indigenous rights and cultural change. Innis College, Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue (at St. George, south of Bloor). http://us9.campaign-archive2.com/?u=cc21cbc5d4c8c24a0346edd24&id=28ab5cb9d7&e=7e947b9754
Tibet. Community Losar New Year Celebration. March 4. 10am-6pm. Usually a fee. Phone 416-410-5606 for information. Cultural performances. Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre, 40 Titan Road, Etobicoke. info@tcccgc.org. http://www.tcccgc.org/contact-us.
http://www.tcccgc.org/events/list
https://www.tcccgc.org/events/community-losar-celebration
Toronto. Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival. March 4 – April 2. Hours vary. $5.75 – $8.85 per day. If you haven’t done this one yet, here’s your chance. Learning how maple syrup is made is an Eastern Canadian tradition. Bruce Mills Conservation Area, 3291 Stouffville Road, Stouffville, Kortright Centre, 9550 Pine Valley, Kleinburg, and two other locations. http://www.maplesyrupfest.com.
Toronto. Multicultural. Celebrate Toronto. Festival honouring Toronto’s 183rd Anniversary. March 5 and 6. 12 noon-12:30am. Nathan Phillips Square. http://toronto.carpediem.cd/events/2405527-celebrate-toronto-at-nathan-phillips-square/#m
Toronto. Multicultural. Several conflicting demonstrations at Toronto City Hall. 11am-whatever. On one side is the Canadian Coalition of Concerned Citizens (CCCC) that is promoting “…Freedom, Liberty & Justice that stands against Sharia Law & Globalization”. https://www.facebook.com/CanadianCCC/videos/vb.712135832297963/729360157242197/?type=2&theater.
The Communist Party of Canada and several other groups will be counter-protesting about the same time in the same place. The Facebook message of the Church of St. Stephen in-the-Fields says: “We, along with many other groups and individuals, intend to be present before they (the CCCC) arrive, with messages of support, inclusion, and love… supporting our Muslim neighbours…”
I hope this will lead to dialogue. Shouting slogans at each other is not usually productive. https://www.facebook.com/events/1144030005708346.
Ukraine. Feature film Bitter Harvest. In English. “On March 3, the film “BITTER HARVEST” will be released in theatres across Canada, portraying a love story set against the backdrop of the 1932-33 Holodomor in Ukraine. Produced by prominent Ukrainian-Canadian Ihor Ihnatowycz, the film brings the tragedy of the famine-genocide to audiences around the world.” UCC. See trailer: http://www.dfilmscorp.ca/bitter-harvest
“BITTER HARVEST” will be at the Humber Cinema, 2442 Bloor Street West, near Jane subway station. March 3-9. Tuesday $7. Otherwise $8 to $13. http://www.humbercinemas.com/.
Ukraine. Canada. Book Launch. A Canadian Hero. Corporal Filip Konowal and the Battle of Hill 70. March 5. 3pm. Launch of a new book by Prof. Lubomyr Luciuk. Filip Konowal was a Ukrainian immigrant, Great War soldier, Victoria Cross recipient for valour, and patron of Branch #360 of The Royal Canadian Legion in Toronto. UNF Hall, 145 Evans Avenue. For information: 416-925-2770. See: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/filip-konowal.
Please send us notices of free or almost-free events that are expressive of Toronto’s famous multiculturalism. Share our blog with your friends. Follow us on Twitter.com/torontomulticul, and join our subscriber list above. Contact us at: ruthlormalloy@gmail.com.
Our Featured Image is courtesy of the Myseum Intersections Festival website.– Ruth