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Multicultural birthday bash held at arena

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.

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."


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