June 21, 2016
Toronto's celebration of the 22nd annual National Aboriginal Day, hosted by the City of Toronto and the Toronto Aboriginal City Celebration Committee, began this morning with a sunrise ceremony and flag raising on Toronto City Hall's podium roof.
For generations, many Aboriginal peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near June 21 to recognize the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.
With many in attendance, including Mayor John Tory, Aboriginal community members, members of the public, City councillors and staff, Elder Cat Criger led the ceremony, which concluded with a flag raising. Mayor Tory read the proclamation for National Aboriginal Day in Toronto.
“Toronto joins cities across the country in celebrating National Aboriginal Day,” said Mayor Tory. "Today we recognize the unique culture, history and significant contributions made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to our city and to Canadian society."
A reception was held for the participants following the sunrise ceremony and flag raising.
The City of Toronto and the Toronto Aboriginal City Celebration Committee are hosting related events that continue until June 23. More information is available at
http://www.toronto.ca/diversity.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit
http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
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Media contact: Chris Fernandes, Strategic Communications, 416 397-5211, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
