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Tricolour raised in Toronto as Canada marks India’s Independence Day
Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson participated in a ceremony at the Vedic Cultural Centre in the GTA township of Markham as the guest of honour
Toronto: As India’s Independence Day was celebrated across Canada on Friday, there was signs of incremental change in the bilateral relationship, as a Federal Minister hoisted the tricolour at an event in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA and functions were held at the provincial and municipal levels.
Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson participated in a ceremony at the Vedic Cultural Centre in the GTA township of Markham as the guest of honour. He hoisted the flag and later posted on X, “Happy India Independence Day! Honoured to join the Indo-Canadian community at the Vedic Cultural Centre for a vibrant celebration of music, dance, and pride. Grateful for the Indian-Canadian community’s rich history and contributions that continue to shape Markham–Thornhill for the better.” The post was shared by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand.
The Center is part of the Arya Samaj Mandir. Its president Yash Kapur said, “We were honoured to have him here today.” He said that Hodgon’s participation came about as a result of a request from the Minister’s office. Kapur described Hodgson, also the local MP, was a friend of the temple and the Indo-Canadian community.
Hodgson was the first Federal Minister to take part in an I Day event since 2022. Relations between India and Canada cratered in 2023 when then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, three months earlier. While those accusations came over a month after I Day, a chill was already evident as Ministers had stayed away from such functions that August. That absence continued in 2024.
Meanwhile, a celebration was organised at the rotunda of the Manitoba Legislative building and the flag raised by the city of Mississauga in the GTA. The Mayor of Fredericton, capital of the province of New Brunswick, joined the Indo-Canadian community in a celebration there. The iconic Ottawa sign in the Canadian capital was lit up in the colours of the Indian flag, which was also hoisted at the City Hall in Kingston, Ontario.
Unlike the previous two years, there were no large protests outside India’s missions in the country. While a handful of pro-Khalistan protestors gathered outside India’s High Commission in Ottawa, the official ceremony was held without any incident. No protestors were visible near India’s Consulate in Toronto and no untoward incident was reported from the Consulate in Vancouver.
The gradual thaw started with the formation of the Government under Mark Carney this year and was confirmed by his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the margins of the G7 summit in Kananaskis in Alberta in July.
