The crisp January breeze ushered in the Year of the Rabbit and helped to dispel the haze of the pandemic. The Lunar New Year brought unseasonably warm and sunny weather to Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto, where over fifteen thousand people came to pray to the Buddha, and families of all ages and ethnicities filled every corner of the temple. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion, and International Trade of Canada, Mary Ng, recorded videos in advance with congratulatory
letters and to give New Year greetings. This highlights that Lunar New Year is not only an important festival for the Chinese community but also for Canada's cultural diversity and its emphasis on traditional Chinese culture.

On the evening of January 21st, after New Year’s Eve Dharma Service, Venerable Chueh Fan, the abbess of Toronto FGS, gave a speech that conveyed the blessings from Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, for the year 2023. "May Benevolence and Harmony Bring Peaceful Well Being. Let Abundance and Joy Yield Auspiciousness in Our Lives." In Venerable Master Hsing Yun's New Year blessing video, he taught, "New Year is a new start. We must take good care this year to correct our shortcomings. We should make pledges, and serve more. Gaining wealth means more than financial gains. Health, safety, peace, joy, relations, and wisdom are also considered wealth. Making a New Year aspiration is also a way to become wealthy; promoting Humanistic Buddhism leads to happiness and peace.”

Most Venerable Hsin Bao, the Abbot of Fo Guang Shan, also taught in his New Year greetings video, “The past is in the past, so we must face the future with great enthusiasm. The Master’s blessing for 2023 is for us to value harmony and each other. With harmony, we can create wealth, and when everyone cares for and helps each other, we have auspiciousness."

In Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's New Year's greeting video, he wished everyone longevity and a peaceful Year of the Rabbit. He affirmed that Chinese immigrants had injected rich culture, customs, and traditions into Canada. The Hon. Mary Ng, MP, and Senator The Hon. Victor Oh, and MP Dong Han, have all sent greeting videos endorsing the Lunar New Year celebrations organized by Toronto FGS and Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) of Toronto. The New Year celebration welcomes everyone to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with joy.

On the evening of January 21st, more than 20 notable guests joined the crowd coming to Toronto FGS to pray to Buddha, ring the New Year’s peace bell, and give New Year’s greetings to other guests. The notable guests include MP Rechie Valdez, MP Iqra Khalid, MPP Nina Tangri, Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Councillor Martin Reid, Councillor Alvin Tedjo, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Director Chen Jinling, and Taipei Cultural Center Director Sun Guoxiang.

At noon on January 22nd, MP (Richmond Hill) Leah Taylor Roy, Councilor (Markham) Isa Li, Councilor (Richmond Hill) Castro Liu, Peel District Police and more than 10 notable guests came to pay respect to the Buddha and celebrate New Year. In their speeches, MP and city councilors expressed their excitement and appreciation for being invited and wished everyone a happy and auspicious Year of the Rabbit.

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