The Word on The Street Festival made its comeback to Queen's Park in downtown Toronto on May 27th and 28th, 2023.This annual event, which has been held since 1990, is Canada's largest free outdoor book and magazine festival in downtown Toronto. It was recognized as one of Toronto's Best Local Festivals in the 2022 Toronto Star Reader's Choice Awards. With over 100 participating book and magazine publishers, artists, andvendors, this year's festival was a great success. 

Venerable Miao Hsi, the executive director of Buddha's Light Publications in the US, flew in from Los Angeles to provide guidance to the Toronto volunteers during the event. Her infectious positivity and lighthearted humor created a welcoming atmosphere, drawing many individuals to the booth to learn more about Humanistic Buddhism. 

For almost 20 years, Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto continuously participated in the Word on the Street Festival. This year, Venerable Miao Hsi, Venerable Ru An, Wilson Yau, the leader of the FGS Toronto localization team, alongside five members from the BLIA English subchapter, also participated in the festival held at the beautiful Queen's Park. Volunteers engaged with individuals from all walks of life, attentively listening to their stories and sharing their love for the Dharma. Through the volunteers' insightful introductions and recommendations, people happily discovered their favourite books written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The Buddhism in Every Step booklets proved to be invaluable resources for everyone, as almost every person who visited the booth found at least one booklet that resonated with them. 

The highlight of this year’s booth design was a captivating photograph featuring the bronze Buddha statue at FGS headquarters in Kaohsiung. This image sparked numerous conversations and generated interest in visiting FGS branch temple in Mississauga. Many expressed a desire to take part in the weekly temple tours and learn more about Humanistic Buddhism. For many of the volunteers, it was their very first time at Word on the Street, and the experience was truly wonderful. They are eager to participate again in the future.

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