Toronto’s newest cultural district was officially opened Saturday in North York, bringing joy and excitement to the Iranian community in the city.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Coun. Lily Cheng (Willowdale) and Member of Parliament for Willowdale Ali Ehsassi joined Persian-Canadians in Center Park to unveil the Little Iran sign.
“On this Thanksgiving weekend, I want to show my gratitude to the Iranian community for coming together and celebrating,” Chow said Saturday. “Today is truly a historic day.”
Center Park was filled with live music, dancing, Persian food, desserts and art shows on Saturday afternoon. But soon the park will also be home to its own Persian garden.
Afkham Mardukhi, president of the settlement organization Iranian Canadian Intercultural Resource Centre, said the recognition is truly significant.
“We really feel like we have two homes,” he said. “It’s just another layer of belonging, another layer of recognition by Canadians.”
Maral Esmaeili, a volunteer with the Iranian Women’s Organization of Ontario, said Little Iran makes her feel like she’s at home.
“It’s the same feeling, the same language, the same culture,” he said. “I invite everyone and all cultures from all over the world to come celebrate this with us.”
Attendee Mahsa Mortazavi, who joined the celebration in the park at Yonge Street and Center Avenue, said she always thought about this possibility whenever she visited other cultural districts like Little Italy or Chinatown.
“Over the many years that I have lived here, I have seen the Iranian community prosper and grow,” he said. “I see that they have really become a very trusting community in Canada, which is helping the entire society to prosper.”
Sam Fayaz, whose family has owned a Persian grocery store for 35 years, said the only thing missing was the city’s designation: Farsi speakers already considered the area Little Iran.
“[This is] the closest you will be able to get to the real country,” he said.
“It will bring the community closer together and give us a little more recognition in the community and for people to learn more about Persian culture.”
