Toronto warmly welcomes Lunar New Year

Ahmed D. Hussen, Canada's minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, along with Canada's Ambassador to China John McCallum, ring the peace bell on the Chinese New Year's Eve at Cham Shan Temple in Toronto. [Photo by NANCY YAN/ FOR CHINA DAILY]

John McCallum, nominated to be the new Canadian ambassador to China, sent his greetings, as did other members of the Parliament and Senate.

"I wish everybody a very happy Year of the Rooster," said McCallum. "My wife and I are very much looking forward to this exciting job in which we will work very hard to strengthen the ties between Canada and China."

Tolling the bell and attending services at Cham Shan Temple on Lunar New Year's Eve is a big event for Chinese-Canadians in Toronto. Each year, thousands of people gather there to celebrate, among them government officials in Canada and representatives from Chinese the community.

Ahmed D. Hussen, Canada's minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, along with McCallum rang the peace bell, with a blessing by Ven. Sing Hung and Ven. Dayi Shi.

On Lunar New Year's Day, the 28th Dragon Ball, a fundraising gala hosted by the Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation, was held in downtown Toronto. As the first major "Canada 150" celebration in the Chinese New Year, the event attracted some 1,100 guests, including political, business and community leaders.

Joe Clark, former Canadian prime minister, and former foreign minister Joe Clark, who received a Global Humanitarian and Leadership Award at the gala extended their best wishes to the Chinese community.

"Connection represents the deepest principles of China's culture and community, and I have the highest confidence in the bilateral relationship between Canada and China," Clark said.

renali@chinadailyusa.com