THE Guyanese-Canadian diaspora kicked off their celebrations for Guyana’s Golden Jubilee last Wednesday with a media launch hosted by the 50th Republic Planning Committee at Guyana’s Consulate in Toronto.

Led by a dynamic and diverse group of Guyanese Canadians, under the auspices of the Consulate, the programme and events slated to mark the 50th anniversary of the republic are committed to being inclusive, non-partisan, and geared towards bringing together Guyanese in the diaspora to celebrate the achievements of Guyana as a nation, to mark this important milestone.

In his opening remarks, the Planning Committee’s chairperson, Brandon Cheong, disclosed that the Guyanese-Canadian community looks forward to celebrating the occasion under the theme of the Guyanese national motto: One People, One Nation, One Destiny. These sentiments were also echoed by Consul General of Guyana to Toronto, Anyin Choo, who called for Guyanese across the world to foster a sense of unity and togetherness during celebrations.

According to the consul general, “The consulate’s focus throughout the planning process was the mobilization of the Guyanese community in Canada and uniting the community across the ethnic, religion and political spectrums to celebrate and reflect on our achievements as one united country.”

Choo added that the diaspora community in the General Toronto Area (GTA) is the second largest Guyanese-diaspora community and that there will be a number of events to mark the Golden Jubilee Anniversary celebrations, which will reflect the uniqueness and diversity of the Guyanese people.

The Planning Committee and the consulate took the opportunity to invite members, allies and friends of the Guyanese community in Canada to join in marking this auspicious occasion by way of partnerships and supporting the events which are planned for the coming months.

The events include: Flag Raising Ceremony and Interfaith Service on February 22 at the Scarborough Civic Centre; GUYTALK (Guyana-Talk) on Sustainable Development in the Oil and Gas era, which is being held in partnership with the University of Toronto on March 28 at the George Ignatieff Theatre, University of Toronto and Golden Jubilee cocktail reception, cultural evening and awards ceremony on March 29 set for the P.C. Ho Theatre.

The Planning Committee also strongly encouraged the public to submit nominees for consideration as recipients of the Republic Golden Jubilee Awards of Recognition.

The Consulate and the Planning Committee extended their appreciation to all those who attended the media launch, especially the sponsors which include e-Magic & SmartWorX, Citrus Personnel Inc., Caribbean Airlines, Victor’s Collection Agency, Pine Point Banquet Hall, Arts Mortgage Camp Inc., Demerara Distillers Limited and their agent in Canada Woodman Wines & Spirits, the Give Help To Kids Foundation and Westway Medical Clinic for their support and sponsorship of the planned events.