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One of the items on the agenda at the annual Kurdish Heritage Festival was a fashion show which displayed traditional Kurdish dress, Toronto, Canada, Aug. 18, 2019. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)
TORONTO (Kurdistan 24) – Hundreds of Kurds and non-Kurds gathered on Sunday to celebrate an annual Kurdish heritage festival in Canada’s largest city.
The evening was filled with song and dance and showcased the diversity of Kurdish heritage across all four parts of the Greater Kurdistan.
Members of the Canadian Parliament, City councilors, and other distinguished guests joined Toronto’s Kurdish community in their celebrations.
The night began with the Canadian and Kurdish national anthems as well as a moment of silence for all those who have sacrificed their lives for the Kurdish cause.
Vendors sold Kurdistan memorabilia, and there was an array of Kurdish cuisine and sweets available.
On the agenda was a fashion show which displayed the traditional Kurdish styles and dresses.
Musical performances by local Kurdish artists got the crowd on their feet as they locked fingers and arms in Kurdish dance.
Chato Wany, the president of the Greater Toronto Kurdish House, a local non-profit organization that hosts the festival every year, said the event is “a signature” of the group.
“The annual Kurdish festival had started 13 years ago, right after the establishment of the Greater Toronto Kurdish House in 2005,” Wany told Kurdistan 24. “We decided to present and introduce Kurdish culture to the Canadian society.”
The venue, Mel Lastman Square, was chosen because it is in the heart of the city, and attracts lots of different multicultural people, he noted.
“We found that it’s the best opportunity to show Kurdish culture in order to make our people known by everybody else in this country.”