CANADA Taste of
Canada Day event brings unique flavours to celebrations
Canada has long been praised for its “mosaic” of different cultures.
But we don’t always get the opportunity to explore the vast influences that make up the mix.
Mashood Max Ali and Ravi Singh wanted to change that — even if for only a day — and they decided Canada Day would be the perfect time to do it.
“It started with a simple conversation between two friends on how to bring South Asian cultural vibrancy, filled with dance, music, mouth-watering food — and of course, colour — to the mainstream,” he explains.
“That vision morphed into a dream to put on a Canada Day festival in Vancouver, where people of all backgrounds could come together to celebrate the one thing that unifies us, at least for a day, and that is the fabulous country that we live in.”
Singh and Ali approached Granville Island with their idea to put on a community festival that highlighted culture and the connection to Canada.
“Celebrating diversity is what our festival has always been about, and Canada Day on Granville Island is the perfect day and venue to bring all of us together,” Ali says.
“Our festival supports the idea that, although Canadians are very diverse, we all love to celebrate each others’ uniqueness and encourage it.”
Fast-forward 12 years, and the MELA! Festivals has expanded to include dozens of vendors, thousands of visitors and, for the first time in 2017, two days of events.
The word mela is Sanskrit, meaning a gathering or fair, and can be used to explain virtually any type of group event — from a religious gathering to a sporting-related affair.
So, it’s safe to say the moniker has been a good fit for the event as it has continued to expand and evolve.
“We intend to be at the forefront of creating new and unique cultural collaborations that transcend the barriers of language, race and religion,” Ali explains.
“We source-out the city’s top exhibitors who are eco-friendly to fit with Granville Island’s mandate of conservation and sustainability.”
This year’s two-day festival will include a wider range of cultures, according to Ali, in addition to the various vendors, cultural displays and musical acts longtime attendees have come to look forward to during Granville Island’s annual Canada Day celebrations.
“Around every corner you’ll find multicultural entertainment, artwork and food,” says Lisa Ono, manager of public affairs and programming at CMHC-Granville Island.
“We are continuing our traditions with a community parade, lively music on four stages presented by the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and an official ceremony with-a-view at Ron Basford Park.”
There will also be a new public space, dubbed Under the Bridge, that will be home to artisans, Canada Day temporary tattoo application, children’s art activities and more.
But, perhaps the most enjoyable element of the event is the chance it provides to taste and sample cuisines from all over the globe (Indian, Vietnamese, Lebanese food, to name a few) — all in one place.
After all, what better way is there to celebrate Canada’s cultural flavours — than to literally taste-test it?
And that’s exactly what the event’s organizers hope people will do when they set out to round up a curated (and ever-growing) group of food vendors they felt best represented the abundant cuisines that Canada has to offer.
“We are super-excited about the variety of mouth-watering food offerings available this year,” Ali says. “MELA! 2017 will be showcasing cuisine from all corners of the globe: spring rolls, samosas, naan, butter chicken, vegetable curries, Vietnamese sandwiches, deli meats, sausages, cheeses, pastries, cookies, olive oils, mustards, seasonings and spices with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes for all diet types.”
Tony Mrock, owner of the New India Buffet & Restaurant, who has been a vendor at MELA! Festivals for five years, says the food serves to feed the crowds — and to unify them.
“Food can bring all cultures together,” he says.
“When exploring the different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, food is the common link.”
Mrock says spices are an easy example of this commonality of global cuisine.
“Every culture uses spices, but every one has their own flare for cooking,” he explains. For this year’s events, Mrock will be serving up a selection of some of his favourite Indian dishes, including a few specials, too.
“Special to the event, we prepare tandoori chicken and masala fries, butter chicken, jeera chicken curry, chana masala and spinach paneer,” he says. Vegetable pakora, basmati rice, naan, mango Lassi and mango lemonade will also be on offer.
In addition to dining discoveries, attendees can expect to experience a wide variety of live performances, according to Ali.
“There will be lots of grassroots performances, diverse music bands/performers and local DJs,” Ali says of the planned entertainment. “It’s a two-day world rhythm festival — everything from classical Indian, to (flamenco) dance, to reggae, to blues, to contemporary folk and much, much more.”
Ali says, if nothing else, visitors will get the sense they’ve gone on an adventure after attending the Canada Day long-weekend festival at Granville Island — without ever leaving their city.
“When you walk through our entrance, it feels like you have entered an international bazaar filled with sounds and smells from all over the globe,” he says.
No passport required.