850. November 18-25+Affordable Events in Multicultural Toronto -2018

This week, we have an opportunity to hear about some outstanding Arab-Canadian women. There’s a powerful 2002 film by distinguished photographer Edward Burtynsky worth seeing again. Look for music inspired by Africa and Christmas. Learn more about First Nations history, try Hungarian folk dancing and experience Sikh hospitality.

Enjoy outdoor ice skating and an Irish Christmas Market. Study an exhibit of Italian movie director Fellini’s own sketches. Nosh on Jewish snacks. Listen to stories of immigrants from Ethiopia and South Africa. At the Distillery Christmas Market, plan your visit to include school children singing German songs, and the arrival of the Dutch Sinterklaas on his white horse. Smile at the charming Lucia pageant.

As usual we try to include as many different cultures as possible and a wide range of different kinds of events. We hope you will find a venue close to your home. Most of the following are free or nearly free.

Africa. Canada. Waleed Abdulhamid & Friends: From The Nile to the Don. November 24. Doors open 7:30pm, show starts at 8pm sharp. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Small World Music Centre, 108 Shaw Street. This is a combination of the ancient rhythms of Africa with the jazz harmonies of modern times.” Videos on: http://smallworldmusic.com/shows/waleed-abdulhamid-friends-nile-don/.

Image from Waleed Kush African Jazz Ensemble Facebook

 

Arab. Egypt. Nile Club’s 31st Gala Dinner. Celebration of 10 nominated Terrific Women and announcement of 2018 Scholarship Award winners. Saturday, November 24. Reception 6:30-7pm; Dinner 7:30pm; Ceremony 9:15pm. Price for adult members $50 and Non-members $60. Children 6-13 $35, and children under six are free. Entertainment. Grand Victorian Convention Centre, 175 Derry Road East, Mississauga. Family and friends of The Nile Association of Ontario are encouraged to attend as well as sponsors, supporters and non-members. http://www.nileclub.org/eventdetail.aspx?id=97.

Asia.

Christian. Christmas in the Square. Friday, November 23. Free. Yonge-Dundas Square, 1 Dundas Street East. https://salvationarmy.ca/ontariocentraleast/home/events/christmas-in-the-square/

From live music to sing-a-longs, Christmas in the Square is an annual celebration hosted by The Salvation Army to celebrate the Christmas season as well as to kick-off the CTV Toy Mountain Campaign. https://salvationarmy.ca/ontariocentraleast/home/events/christmas-in-the-square/

Image from Salvation Army Website

 

Christian. Ian Sadler, Organist in Recital. November 25. 4pm. Free. The “Twilight Recital”, Cathedral Church of St. James, 106 King Street East. https://stjamescathedral.ca/sadlernov25/.

First Nations. Tkarón:to and Turtle Island: The Remarkable Indigenous Trade Networks. Thursday, November 22. 6pm. Free. Toronto Media Arts Centre, 32 Lisgar Street (Dovercourt and Queen). http://www.myseumoftoronto.com/programming/tkaronto-turtle-island/

Image from /www.myseumoftoronto.com

 

Hungary. OFDA Hungarian Dance Cafe and Potluck Supper. November 24. 6-10pm. Potluck supper at 6:30pm. $10 non-members. Featuring live music of Csángó Unchained. Ralph Thornton Community Centre, 765 Queen Street East. For this and other participatory dances of the Ontario Folk Dance Association, see: http://ofda.ca/wp/

India. Sikh. Guru Nanak Gurpurab – Guru Nanak’s Birthday. November 23. This is a good time to visit any of the Sikh temples in our city as hundreds of worshipers go to pray, meditate, and feast. Free vegetarian food is available to all. My favourite Sikh temple is the beautiful Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar Sikh Temple, 4555 Ebenezer Road, Brampton. But there are many other Sikh temples around our city.

Please take off your shoes at the door. Look in temple basements for food. For information about the founder of Sikhism, see: https://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/guru-nanak-biography.html

Image Copyright ©2016 Ruth Lor Malloy

 

Ireland. Christmas Market. November 24. 9:30am–2pm. Irish Club of Mississauga, 4120 Ridgeway Drive,  Unit #39, Mississauga.   Bake sale and unique gifts.  Crafts, gifts, health, fashion, raffle etc. For more information contact: kellyirishclub@yahoo.ca. https://www.irishclubmississauga.ca/

For other Irish events, subscribe to Maureen Oleary’s newsletter at: moleary2001@rogers.com.

Italy. Food in Federico Fellini’s Drawings. Public opening of exhibition. Sunday, November 18. 5pm. Free. Columbus Centre, 901 Lawrence Ave West. Exhibition continues to January 13, 2019. “Childhood, dreaming and food are at the root of Fellini’s work. The drawings of the exhibition… consists of 19 works of art produced by the director at different stages of his career, not all of which were made to explain a scene or a costume to the people he was working with.” Fellini’s films include: La dolce vita (1960) and La strada (1954). For other Italy-inspired events in Toronto: https://iictoronto.esteri.it/iic_toronto/it/gli_eventi/ (and click on “eng”).

https://www.villacharities.com/culture-community/art-gallery/upcoming-exhibits/

 

Jewish. Noshfest. Channukah Market. November 25. 10am–4pm. $0-$18. The Warehouse at Downsview Park, 35 Carl Hall Road, Unit #2. “A celebration of Jewish food and culture, with vendors selling Chanukah gifts, Judaica, toys, decor, and more. Entertainment and cooking demonstrations.” For more information: https://bit.ly/2QP6XTN.

Multicultural. South Africa, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia. From Around the World We have Come to Canada to Find a Home. November 23. 7-10pm. Free. 14th Session of The Tartan Turban Secret Readings. Barrett and Welsh, 577 Kingston Road, Suite #301. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tartan-turban-secret-readings-14-tickets-51621408021?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Multicultural.Netherlands. Toronto Christmas Market. Distillery District, Mill Street. Singers and dancers. Scroll through its calendar for multicultural performances inspired by Italy and Germany (November 24), Estonia (December 1), Sweden (December 2) and Ukraine (December 22). On December 4 at 6pm, the Dutch St. Nicholas/Sinterklaas will arrive riding a white horse and “the gathered children will learn who has been good all year”.

This Market is closed on Mondays. $6 admission fee on weekends, starting at 5pm on Fridays. Children under 2 are free. Admission is free of charge on weekdays until Friday at 5pm. Historic Distillery District, Mill Street. http://www.torontochristmasmarket.com/entertainment.html#nov21

Sinterklass Arriving at Christmas Market. Copyright ©2017 Ruth Lor Malloy.

 

Palestine. Lunch and Learn. Conflict Transformation in Palestine. November 25 after the 11am service. Snell Hall, St. James Cathedral, 65 Church Street. A light lunch will be provided.

We have the privilege of welcoming Tarek Al-Zoughbi from Wi’am: Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center, Bethlehem, as part of KAIROS Ecumenical Justice Initiatives and Global Affair’s Canada’s ‘Women of Courage Project.’ Wi’am in Arabic means “cordial relationships.”

Wi’am is a peace and reconciliation building organization, which seeks to use Indigenous Arab forms of mediation and conflict resolution to build bridges and healing in their community. “Wi’am works to address violence by providing counselling for Palestinian women throughout the West Bank who are victims of abuse, and by offering employment training. Wi’am is helping empower victims to become voices in their own defense and for community justice and peace. Come and learn about Palestine, reconciliation, and healing from this important and grassroots Palestinian voice.” www.stjamescathedral.ca/lunch-learn-palestine

Sweden. Swedish Christmas Festival. Lucia Pageant and Toronto Folk Dancers and Singers. November 24 and November 25. Free. Harbourfront York Quay Centre, 235 Queens Quay West. “Children singing carols at the Lucia Pageant, discover the story behind IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad, and participate in folk dancing, craft making and more. Scandinavian food and a drink of glögg. Imported handmade crafts, unique Christmas décor, textiles and tasty Swedish delicacies.” http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/swedishchristmasfair/.

Toronto. Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks. Open for the season and operated by the City of Toronto, these can be a lot of fun. Weather permitting, most will open November 24 for the season. A few will commence on December 1 and all will continue until February 24 or March 17, 2019. Free. Ice skating is a traditional Toronto sport that helps us enjoy our cold winters, a joy we share with many other countries.

If you just want to watch before you try to learn, the rink at Nathan Phillips Square is worth a visit. The rink at the Evergreen Brick Works at 550 Bayview Avenue “weaves through snow-covered gardens under exposed beams from the roof of the old brick factory.” The most beautiful rink is the Natrel at Harbourfront Centre which has been available since November 16.  You can start skating at The Bentway Skating Trail after December 21.  It offers skate rentals and lessons, “curated food and beverage options on select dates; and an expanded winter village full of snuggly blankets, warming lounges, and fire pits.”

Many rinks rent out ice skates and provide lessons for a fee.

For a list https://www.toronto.ca/data/parks/prd/facilities/outdoor-rinks/index.html.

World. Film screening. Manufactured Landscapes. November 24. 5pm-7pm. $10-$14. Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas Street West. https://bit.ly/2RVyFyh

In this 2006 film Edward Burtynsky focused on our urbanizing world and makes some of us wonder if we have much of a future on this planet. His latest exhibition Anthropocene is continuing at the AGO until January 6 and is worth seeing.

Image of Sudbury, Ontario, by Edward Burtynsky from the AGO website.

Note from Ruth: TorontoMulticulturalCalendar.com chooses to promote events that encourage a feeling of community in our culturally diverse city. Mention doesn’t mean endorsement as we try to include events we think readers will find stimulating in the cultures of other groups. If you go to any of our mentioned events, please send us corrections or an account of your impressions so we will know whether or not to mention these events in future.

Let us know the kind of events that interest you. Please continue to send us posters. We don’t charge to post them and we don’t accept paid advertising. Please post comments on “Leave a Reply” below. Email us at: ruthlormalloy@gmail.com. Please subscribe to our Newsletter above.

1 Comment

  1. A fabulous selection, Ruth. Thanks for doing the search and providing the list of these intriguing opportunities.

    Ann B.

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