Allah Hafiz in Toronto
By C. Naseer Ahmad
The welcome signs in Toronto can be seen hanging in Urdu – KhushAmdeed - as well as other languages near the City Hall on Queen Street, on the University Boulevard and other streets. People in the busy downtown area will patiently listen to lost travelers and help them get to their destinations.
There is an upbeat message emanating from lampposts in this thriving financial district. Opportunities abound as do cranes adding business and residential towers to the skyline which is visible from the sprawling Pearson Airport miles away.
Gerrard Street is now a shadow of its past ethnic identity, thanks to the gentrification affliction upending many interesting neighborhoods across North American cities like Toronto. Lahore still sells well in this historic neighborhood. There are a number of businesses generating a steady stream of revenue by including “Lahore” in their identity. The most famous and almost ever expanding, even after the death of its founder, is the Lahore Tikka House with several iconic rickshaws on display. Taking a bite of the delicious dishes presented tells the diner why people keep coming back for the spicy Kabob, spinach and more.
A chance meeting with one of the immigrant businessmen gives an opportunity to learn. By the time lunch is over, one learns about how immigrants succeed in a new country but also learn about his grandfather NaikAlam, a visionary leader and a man of many talents, who helped throngs of people migrate to distant places like Norway, instead of subsistence farming in arid areas of Gujrat district in Northern Punjab. In doing so, NaikAlam sought to help his country Pakistan get a steady and strong stream of foreign exchange through remittances. The toils of migrants’ labor replaced mud houses with luxury homes back home as well as education and a brighter future for the subsequent generations.
The search for greener pastures pulled immigrant businesses to expanding cities of Brampton, Mississauga and Vaughan. The Toronto Metropolitan area thrives with the increased prosperity of the immigrants; one feeds the other and vice-versa. As possibilities seem endless, next generations are creating more businesses and expanding into areas that their ancestors could not imagine before. And while the new arrivals might have driven cabs in yesteryear, now they could be owners of transportation businesses.
It helps when one comes across people who are in the know and who have knowledge about the movers and shakers of a city. One gets to learn about the zoning issues, roads design, subdivision planning and a whole lot of things that effect daily life in municipalities around Toronto.
It also helps to meet an archivist in Toronto who possesses vast knowledge not just about the documents but also the people and their history. As the archivist, Scott James can tell you much about the Arts and Letters Club on Elm Street in Toronto’s Garden District. Generations of confident immigrant children might find this iconic place both attractive and appealing in their intellectual pursuits.
The Honorable Ahmed D. Hussen, Canada’s Immigration Minister welcomed the participants at the 6th Hum Awards in Hamilton, Ontario - an hour’s drive from Toronto.
An immigrant from Somalia, his life story is one of community service and success. In 2002, he cofounded the Regent Park Community Council. With a collective effort that secured $500 million, the Regent Park Revitalization project succeeded in achieving the mission while preserving the interests of 15,000 residents
In his Hum Awards remarks, Honorable Hussen appreciated the inherent message in Imran Khan’s victory speech and spoke about strengthening relations between Canada and Pakistan.
Home is not just where you hang your hat or consume your “daal roti.” In reality, it is a place where you have friends who consider you family; it is where one gets a sense of belonging to a community. Dr Paul Nash, an investment analyst and a writer for Diplomatic Courier, talks affectionately of his Pakistani neighbors. He revels in learning Urdu from his friends and through videos on YouTube. Practicing his Urdu, Dr Nash says “Allah Hafiz” and waves with a smiling face as his friend boards the train in Toronto.
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