Canada’s Tallest Tower Lit Up With Egypt’s Flag, Marking Egyptian Heritage Month

Canada’s CN Tower adorned with Egypt’s flag colors
Photo via Egyptian Ministry of Emigration on Facebook

On Friday 2 July 2021, Canada’s most popular national icon and the country’s tallest building, the CN Tower, lit up in the colors of the Egyptian flag to mark the beginning of the Month of Egyptian Civilization and Heritage. The government of Ontario had designated the month of July to comment and appreciate the contributions of Egyptian-Canadians to Canada.

For the third year running, the event was organized by the Canadian Authority for Egyptian Heritage (CEHA), under the patronage of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and with the support of Minister of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs Nabila Makram, and Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, Ambassador of Egypt to Canada, as well as Ambassador Hossam Muharram, Consul-General of Egypt in Montreal.

To kickstart the celebratory month, the lighting of the CN Tower was followed by live flute and table performances by two young Egyptian-Canadian musicians: Natalie and Essam.

“This event highlights the strong relations between the Egyptian and Canadian people,” said Makram in a statement by the Ministry of Emigration on Facebook. “Egyptians in Canada are ambassadors of Egypt,” she added.

In 2019, Member of Parliament Sheref El Sebawy submitted Bill 106 to the Parliament of Ontario, requesting to dedicate a month to celebrate the Egyptian community in Canada and their culture. Shortly afterwards, the Egyptian Heritage Month became a “permanent celebratory month for generations to come”.

(1/l3) July marks 3rd annual #EgyptianHeritageMonth,
Since my Bill 106, The Egyptian Heritage Month Act has received royal ascent and become a permanent celebratory month for generations to come. The Canadian-Egyptians are able to share their culture, heritage and traditions… pic.twitter.com/dPUM9DlmUA

— Sheref Sabawy, MPP (@SherefSabawyPC) July 3, 2021

According to The Canada Magazine of Immigration, in 2016, 64,620 Egyptian immigrants resided in Canada, with most of them staying in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta.