The mayors of the cities of Toronto and Brampton in Canada praised the Tamil Canadian community, wishing them a warm and happy Thai Pongal this week.
"Thai Pongal vaazhthukkal! As you gather with your families to celebrate this traditional festival at the end of the harvest festival it is a great time to appreciate and be thankful for the many blessings we enjoy," said the Mayor of Toronto, John Tory in a special video message.
"Diversity is one of those blessings. It is one of the reasons why Toronto is such a dynamic city, and a big of that is our Tamil community, with strong values of family and hard work. Thank you for the many ways you make Toronto a better city."
Thai Pongal wishes were also expressed by the mayor of the Canadian city of Brampton, Linda Jeffrey.
"On behalf of my Council colleagues and all City of Brampton staff I wish to extend our greetings to Brampton’s Tamil community as they gather with friends and family to celebrate Thai Pongal," Mayor Jeffrey said, also marking the first ever 'Tamil Heritage Month' being held in Ontario.
"January 2015 also marks the first Tamil Heritage Month in Ontario. I would like to encourage all Brampton residents to embrace the rich Tamil culture and discover the many contributions the Tamil community has made to Brampton, Ontario and Canada," she added.
See her message here.
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