BY GIANNI UBRIACO
Greater Sudbury residents who dropped by the Sudbury Arena
Saturday got a little taste of the world at the city's
annual Canada Day multicultural festival.
The annual event is put on by the Sudbury Multicultural and
Folk Arts Association.
"I would like to welcome you all here for the 139th
birthday of this great country of ours, Canada," said Dr.
Rayudu Koka, president of the association. "I feel
fortunate to live in this multicultural society."
The president also talked about how proud he was to be Canadian
and to live in a country with such outstanding racial harmony.
"We are a very peaceful country," he said. "We
live in a city of peace." 
Mayor Dave Courtemanche added his comments as well and talked
about what makes Canada special and sets it apart from any
other country in the world.
"The thing that distinguishes all of us all over the world
is our diversity," he said.
"We celebrate our heritage, our diversity, our language
and our culture, and we celebrate it all as Canadians."
Sudbury MP Diane Marleau was also on hand to express her
national pride and reminded everyone that even though we live
in a dangerous world, it's important that we remain free
and accepting of others.
"Don't let anyone tell you that this isn't the
best country in the world, because it is," she said.
"We are the only country where we can be Canadian and we
can sing our song and we appreciate everything that comes with
that. Let's not let a few people change that."
The event also featured various multi-ethnic food and craft
booths for Sudburians to enjoy.
The multi-ethnic food booths included food from the Afro
Heritage Association, the Black Arrow Donino Club, the Caruso
Club, the Chinese Community Center, the Filipino-Canadian
Association, the Hellenic Ladies Society, as well as the
Hispanic Association.
Other booths included food presentations from the India Canada
Association of Sudbury, the Irish Heritage Club of Sudbury, the
Pakistan Cultural Society, the Polish Combatants Association,
the Sudbury Prarthana Samaj, the Sudbury Sri Lankans
Association, the Circle of Serbian Sisters, and the Ukrainian
National Federation.
Other festivities included door prizes, a giant Canada Day
birthday cake and continuous live cultural entertainment.
There were performances from the Academy of Dance, Alessandro
Costantini, Benoit Martial Arts, Nickel City Cloggers,
India-Canada, Sri Lanka Association, Sudbury Prarthana Samaj,
the Ukrainian Veselka Dancers, and acoustic music.
Other performances included Stewart Doran, Baladi National
Baladi, the Chinese Community, Happiness is Dancing, Irish
Heritage Dancers, The Boomers, and Hand Drummers Singer.
There was also face painting, cotton candy and various games
for the kids.
In addition, plaques of honour and certificates were handed out
to various businesses and individual for their community
service. Northern Life received one of the awards.
"In our community, we have hard-working community leaders
who are trying very hard to make Greater Sudbury greater,"
said Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci.
"I do know that Pakistani, East Indians, Chinese,
Italians, Ukrainians, Serbs, the Croatians. They're all
very nice people."