The Celebration Canada 2025 outdoor festival, featuring Canadian music, food and games, is to be held at Hakka Cultural Park in Taipei on June 28, with people of all nationalities and ages invited to join the free event, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (CCCT) said yesterday.
The annual event is held ahead of Canada’s national day on July 1, and is organized by the CCCT, in partnership with the Canadian Trade Office in Taiwan, with the support of the Taipei City Government.
CCCT chairman Brandon Thompson told a news conference in Taipei that Celebration Canada is not only a chance to honor Canada’s national day, but also for “people to come together as a diverse, vibrant, and inclusive community in Taiwan.”
Photo: CNA
“What we can look forward to is a full day of live music and cultural performances, with a fantastic lineup of local and international artists, a very friendly zone packed with games and activities for children, and a delicious selection of Canadian food, he said, adding that “yes, there will be poutine.”
The event is free and open to the public from 1pm to 9pm on June 28, and includes a live music stage, Canadian and international food market, a kids’ zone with interactive workshops and games, a Canadian sports zone for attendees to try out ice hockey, curling or cornhole, and lucky draw giveaways, it said.
“We invite you all to bring your family and friends to this unforgettable event,” Thompson said, as the chamber also encourages attendees to wear red and white to join in the summer celebration.
Canadian Trade Office in Taipei executive director Jim Nickel said Celebration Canada is Taiwan’s biggest foreign national celebration event, and it is also the largest Canada Day celebration outside of Canada, attracting more than 10,000 attendees each year.
“It’s obviously more than just a national day party,” he said. “We see it as an opportunity for us to celebrate our shared values — community, inclusion and diversity — that we respect, and the cooperation we enjoy between Canada and Taiwan.”
“This is an event which we get to showcase the growing friendship between Canada and Taiwan, and how it’s getting deeper and stronger every year,” Nickel said, adding that everyone is invited to join the event for non-stop entertainment and fun.
Asked about the Canadian dish poutine, Canada’s top representative to Taiwan said it originated in Quebec and became popular nationwide.
Poutine is considered a “comfort food” for many, and consists of French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds, which is “very tasty and filling,” he said.
Asked about US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on US trading partners and their impact, Nickel said Canadian companies and the government have realized that they need stronger commercial, economic and trade relationships with other countries and entities.
“We see Taiwan as an important partner for us in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said. “We understand and recognize Taiwan’s key role in global supply chains for many industries, such as microelectronics, semiconductors, sensors, vehicle parts, and information and communication technology.”
Canada has been putting a lot of effort into having a closer relationship with Taiwan, particularly in commercial, economic, trade and innovation, and with new US policy decisions, Canada has realized that it is even more important to further strengthen ties with Taiwan, which seems to be a shared view with many Taiwanese businesses, Nickel said.
Grant Sundal, principal of TCS Experimental Education, a sponsor of the event, said the first time he attended the event five years ago had “brought him home” by being around Canadian people, food, music and traditions at the event, so the institute has become fully committed and would have teachers, parents and student volunteers come together to join in this “community experience.”
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