General

I have lived in the Pleasant View area since I came to Toronto. There are lots of events and activities provided by the municipality of Toronto. Six years ago, our family received an invitation to the Pleasant View Community Centre for Chinese New Year’s celebrations. We were very happy and decided to go and have fun with our neighbors, meet new people, and learn about the traditions of celebrating Chinese New Year.

When we arrived, we were very surprised to see how many traditional treats there were. The hall was decorated festively and looked stunning. The food was unusual for us, but it smelled and tasted delicious. The program included performances of artists as well as traditional Chinese songs and dances. My favorite performance was the Dragon dance. The traditional Dragon dance combines unique colors, sounds, and the spirituality of the Chinese culture. It was an amazing performance.

We were surprised when Mayor John Tory and some of the members of his city council entered the community center. I was happy to meet the mayor and some of his staff up close. It was my first time. The mayor spoke about the city’s plans to expand parks in the area. The mayor wished everyone a happy New Year. The ‘cherry on the cake’ for me was when I could talk to the mayor personally, and we wished each other a Happy New Year.