By spreading their cultural values, a local group celebrated its first fiesta downtown Timmins.
Today, Filipino Association in Timmins held its inaugural Filipino Fiesta. There was a parade downtown, traditional dancers, authentic Filipino foods and desserts, and more.
Timmins MPP George Pirie inaugurated the event and led the parade along Balsam Street. Unfortunately, heavy rain disrupted the part of the celebration.
"It is a celebration of Filipino culture. So, rain or shine, the party is on," said Estela Chow, association president.
Chow thinks that as the Filipino community grows locally, that will help the city.
"It is nice to have multiculturalism here in town. I love to see everybody celebrate their own culture," she aid.
Celebrations like this, she said, make people "feel like home."
She said the community is based on the idea of sharing.
"If you got one piece of bread, share it if some people need it," she said.
This is the first fiesta for the newly formed association and is a celebration for everybody.
Pirie said he was delighted to be a part of the celebration.
"They have been a vibrant part of the community since they arrived here. They have been involved with every major industry in the community," he said.
Pirie also expressed his gratitude toward the different multicultural communities in town.
"The City of Timmins is based on a large percentage of immigrants," he added.
Helen Watson, a participant at the fiesta, thinks festivals like this bring more people together, which is crucial for the multicultural fabric of the community.
"This is wonderful, and it hasn't happened in Timmins before," she said.
The Schumacher Lions Club is also associated with the Filipino Fiesta.
"We help each other in different ways.
"We helped them to improve all the gardens in Schumacher. We helped them to beautify the garden," Chow explained about the association's relationship with the club.
Lions Club members were also selling tickets at the event to support Sports for Kids Timmins.
The Filipino association is planning to bring more charitable works to the town.
Chow says they are already helping many people to find accommodation. Though different programs are available to startups, many people are unaware of that, and they help them connect with the right people.
