The Dawoodi Bohras of Calgary marked Canada Day – 1st of July – by hosting a flag-hoisting ceremony, and reflecting on the lives of all citizens and residents of the country.
Some families congregated at the community centre in northeast Calgary, while the majority of local Bohras chose to participate in the occasion remotely via a video conference link.
This year’s Canada Day was one with mixed emotions. The Bohras of Calgary exchanged stories about the pioneers who migrated to Canada over forty years ago. The Bohra community has steadily grown over the decades and now numbers over one hundred families living in Calgary. Many are pursing professional careers, including pharmacists, businesspeople, doctors, engineers and many others in different sectors. Two of the things they have in common is a love of Canada and a gratefulness for the opportunities that this country has offered them.
Canada Day was also accompanied by a sense of euphoria that the state of Alberta entered stage three of reopening on 1st July. It has been a long and hard fifteen months enduring the pandemic, but there is now a sense of hope and relief that life will begin to return to normal.
Canada Day was also a day of reflection for all Canadians. The Indigenous community has recently experienced great pain and sorrow following the findings of many unmarked graves of Indigenous children. The Dawoodi Bohras of Calgary – including those gathering at the community center, as well as those participating online – observed two minutes of silence in remembrance of the lost children. This was followed by the children of the Dawoodi Bohra community sharing plants will all attendees for them to take home and care for. As part of the Bohras global Project Rise initiative, this was a gesture to remember the indigenous children as well as to promote the wellbeing of our planet and environment.
Canada day 2021 was a day of reflection, a day of hope, and of making new resolutions. The Dawoodi Bohras of Canada are proud to be part of the fabric of this wonderful country, striving always to contribute positively towards society.