'We all work together

Canadians new and otherwise gather at Mel Lastman Square to celebrate national holiday

- MAHDIS HABIBINIA

This year was Toshi Kaushik’s first Canada Day and it reaffirmed her and her husband’s decision to raise their two daughters here: It’s a mosaic of different cultures and backgrounds.

“You can be you here, and the variety of people around you make your world all the more richer,” said Kaushik, who emigrated from India three months ago and joined the red-and-white-clad crowd filling Mel Lastman Square on Monday.

“It’s all about experience and exposure,” Kaushik said of the move. “There were lots of countries available (to us) but Canada is unique because it’s got the right blend of diversity, not just people but thoughts and ideas.”

The square drew thousands to Willowdale — one of the city’s most diverse and bustling wards — under sunny skies and temperatures that hit 27 C. The variety of backgrounds of people there brought to life findings like the 2021 Census, which reported more than 450 ethnicities or cultures and more than 470 languages spoken in Canadian homes.

Simultaneously, the country makes it easy to learn that “we are more similar than we are different,” especially in Toronto, said Coun. Lily Cheng (Ward 18, Willowdale).

The Taiwanese-Canadian councillor, born in Canada, said while it can be easy to stick to social circles with people of similar backgrounds, Canada is a country where you can reach out to neighbours that “look different” and form “beautiful friendships.”