Calgary city hall recorded the biggest every organized Independence Day celebration in August 2022 with a footfall of over 5000 Indo-Canadians.

With Calgary Hindu Foundation (CHF), Indo-Canadians created a history by celebrating India’s 76th Independence Day in city of Calgary, in Alberta province of Canada. Over two dozen organizations joined hand to showcase our unity in diversity.
Several volunteers and sponsors made this celebration a possibility. Many dignitaries were also present at the event while the Indian Ex-Servicemen Immigrant Association of Calgary raised and hoisted the Indian tricolour. The whole City Hall plaza was full of tricolours, the flags fluttered as the Indian and the Canadian National Anthem were sung. “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Vande Matram” echoed throughout the area very frequently for those three hours of the evening.

Calgarians were able to live Indian culture again with patriotic singing and all kinds of Indian dance performances such as Shanti Path, Kathak, Bollywood, and folk dances from the Indian states of Rajasthan, Odia, Himachal, Gujrat, Punjab, Haryana, Telugu, Kannada last but not the least Malayali. Dressed in vibrant traditional Indian clothes, Indo-Canadians from all walks of lives gathered to celebrate India, their motherland.

Volunteers did a commendable job by organizing such a huge event in short time. The Premier of Alberta, Mr. Jason Kenney conveyed his best wishes to all the Indians across Calgary and acknowledged the contributions of Indians towards the province of Alberta. The program was attended by some other Indian-origin dignitaries Mr. Prasad Panda (Minister of Transportation, Alberta), MLA Peter Singh, MLA Leela Aheer, MLA Devinder Toor, Muhammad Yaseen (Associate Minister of Multiculturalism, Alberta), MLA Rajan Sawhney, Councillor Raj Dhaliwal, and the Mayor of Calgary Mrs. Jyoti Gondek.

The attendees were addressed by Indian-origin Mayor of Calgary, Mrs. Jyoti Gondek. She proclaimed 15th August as 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence Day. She said “When I see so many different organizations gathered here today, representing the diversity of the Indian people, it should serve as a reminder to all of us that Indians historically lived side by side without a thought to the differences based on culture, religion, or language”.

Attendees were seen enjoying famous Indian snacks of samosa, ladoo and pakora. The program winded up with open DJ stage for the public and allowed all to dance and celebrate to express their joy on this auspicious occasion.

Jai Bharat, Vande Matram