Canadian Multicultural Festival

June 27 is Canadian Multiculturalism Day. It is a day to celebrate the contributions of the diverse cultures that make up our home on Turtle Island, Canada. The day was first commemorated in 2003.

From June 23 to 30, the New Canadians Centre (NCC) will be organising the second Canadian Multicultural Festival in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough. Each year, the NCC supports over 1000 clients hailing from over 90 countries and speaking more than 60 different languages. Each of them brings unique customs, music, dance, food, sports, and stories contributing to a vibrant community.

We invite you to join us for a week of programming that tells a story of our multicultural Peterborough through dance, sport, food and crafts.

Multicultural Food Crawl & Sampling Day

Taste the flavours of the world at our 10 featured international restaurants in downtown Peterborough!

Pick up a Multicultural Food Passport at any of these participating restaurants or at the New Canadians Centre! For every $10 you spend from June 1 to 30, you'll earn a stamp on your passport. Collect six stamps, and you'll be entered into a draw to win one of three $100 Boro Gift Cards!

On Saturday, June 24, visit each of these participating restaurants to try free samples of some of their menu items (12 to 7pm, while supplies last).

Vote For Your Favourite Restaurant of the Crawl
Vote here from June 1 to 30! We will draw 2 votes at random to win a $25 Boro Gift Card!

Share Your Experience on Social Media
Tag us to share your experience @newcanadianscentre #multiculturalfoodcrawlptbo on Instagram or Facebook! We will draw 2 posts at random to win a $25 Boro Gift Card!

Edited 7 July 2023: We have contacted all the winners - thank you for your participation and support!

Click here to access the Food Crawl Map

Bhojan Indian Cuisine and Bar

Bhojan is an authentic family-run Indian restaurant. Bhojan is a vegetarian establishment, and the proteins used in their dishes are enhanced with various spices and decadent flavour. They offer an extensive menu that includes authentic Indian street food, momos, Indian burgers, a variety of curries and even some fusion options such as Indo-Chinese. They also have a grocery store across the street where you can find all the ingredients you need to prepare Indian food at home. On June 24th, they will be sampling the Indian drink Jal Jeera which is a special cumin-spiced lemonade.

Restaurant Located at 427 George St. N.
Grocery store located at 428 George St. N

Hours of Operation
Monday from 5pm - 10pm
Tuesday - Saturday from 11am - 10pm
Sunday from 2pm - 10pm

@bhojan_ptbo

Brothers Pizza

Brothers Pizza is owned by brothers Faheem and Fardos Mohammadzada and offers a wide variety of homemade pizzas, burgers, wings, wraps, salads and more! On June 24th, they will be sampling a variety of pizza dishes, including their famous Mighty Caesar, Chicken Wings, Salads, Wraps & homemade Baklava.

Located at 402 George St. N

Hours of Operation
Monday – Saturday
11am - 10pm
Sunday - Closed

@brothers_pizza_ptbo

Curry Mantra

Curry Mantra offers traditional South Indian Cuisine. Their dishes are made from authentic ingredients, some specially imported from Mangalore, where their ancestors first made them. Everything is made fresh to order with vivid colour and beautiful aromatic smell and flavour.

On June 24th, you can try a delicious sample of their samosa stuffed with potatoes, veggies and spices, as well as their veggie spring rolls filled with rice noodles, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, ginger and garlic.

Located in Peterborough Square at 360 George Street in Downtown Peterborough

Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday from 11am - 8pm
Saturday from 2pm - 8pm

@currymantra

Dirty Burger

Dirty Burger brings a fresh take on Indian-American fusion to Peterborough's downtown core. Their menu has everything from fresh and delicious burgers to items influenced by Chef Om Patel's Indian/Ugandan Heritage. Dirty Burger will be offering samples on June 24th of their specialty Vadas, a fried potato patty made with a chickpea batter chock-full of spices, topped with garlic roasted peanuts and served with chutney.

Located at 211 Hunter Street West, Downtown Peterborough

Hours of Operation
Monday - Wednesday from 11am - 9pm
Thursday to Saturday 11am - 11pm
Sunday from 11am - 8pm

@thedirtyburgercompany

La Hacienda

La Hacienda is an authentic Mexican restaurant located on Hunter Street. Everything in the restaurant is prepared fresh every day. The ingredients come from many local farms, including a sustainable agriculture operation at Trent University, which provides everything from tomatillos and cilantro to radishes, lettuce and even squash. Dishes are kept as faithful to their original form as possible. They also have a store (Mercado La Hacienda, located just steps from the restaurant), so you can bring the flavours of Mexico right to your home.

On June 24th, they will sample Esquites, Mexican street corn, in a cup. This dish is also known as elote en vaso, and is a popular Mexican snack which is creamy, salty, tangy and with a hint of spice.

Located at 190 Hunter Street

Hours of Operation
Monday - Wednesday 11:30am - 9pm
Thursday - Saturday 11:30am - 10pm
Sunday 12pm - 8pm

@lahaciendaptbo

La Mesita

La Mesita Restaurante is an authentic Mexican restaurant and catering business that offers fresh and traditional Mexican dishes using local ingredients whenever possible, and they’re never afraid to add a bit of heat to their dishes. They will be sampling their Mayan cupcakes on June 24th, a decadent and delicious chocolate cupcake topped with chipotle and maple cream cheese icing (with a hint of heat).

Located at 247 George Street North in Downtown Peterborough

Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday from 11am - 8pm
Friday & Saturday from 11am - 9pm

@lamesitarestaurante

Levantine Grill

Taste Syrian delicacies right at home in Peterborough at the Levantine.

Grill, serving up a variety of Middle Eastern favourites in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The menu is vast, with everything from classic chicken shawarma to veggie bowls and traditional Mediterranean pies, kebabs, and a large variety of salads and appetizers, including hummus and Baba Ghanouj. On the sampling day, Levantine will be providing samples of their shawarma and falafel with an assortment of dips and appetizers, including hummus, baba ghanouj, muhammara, eggplant salad, olive salad, tabbouleh, and stuffed grape leaves.

Located at 356 Charlotte St

Hours of Operation
Monday - Saturday from 11am - 9pm
Sunday - 12pm - 7pm

@levantinegrill

Milk and Tea Shop

Bubble Tea, also known as Boba, Pearls Milk Tea, or BBT, originated in Taiwan and has taken over the world. Milk and Tea Shop is Peterborough's first dedicated bubble tea location. It is iced tea but can also be served hot, with tapioca pearls, fresh juice loaded with jelly or as a beverage without pearls. Milk and Tea will offer samples of their pineapple lemonade and Hokkaido Milk Tea.

Located at 360 George Street in Downtown Peterborough

Hours of Operation
Tuesday - Thursday from 11am - 7pm
Friday - Sunday from 11am - 9pm

@milkandteashop

Naka Japanese

Naka Japanese is a new restaurant on Hunter Street that features authentic ramen dishes, yakitori, sandwiches, an oyster bar, as well as cocktails and draft beer in a warm and inviting atmosphere right at the heart of downtown, in the old Hanoi House location.

On June 24th, they will be sampling their karaage chicken sliders. Karaage is a Japanese cooking technique in which food (often chicken, but not always) is marinated prior to deep frying for an extra flavourful and perfectly crispy culinary experience.

Located at 213 Hunter Street West
at the former location of Vietnamese restaurant Hanoi House

Hours of Operation
Wednesday and Thursday from 12pm - 9pm
Friday and Saturday from 12pm - 10pm

@naka.japanese

Poco Burro

Poco Burro crafts a delicious variety of Tex-Mex cuisine, including burritos, tacos and quesadillas. The restaurant’s name translates as ‘little donkey’ in Spanish, which also means burrito, and just happens to rhyme with Peterborough! They offer customizable burritos, quesadillas and tacos with 9 different proteins, including vegetarian and vegan options. Their signature protein, Spicy Chicken 65 is a homemade recipe that involves marinated chicken in curry leaves, ginger, garlic and a variety of other fresh ingredients. They have recently launched their new venture, Poco Gelato, which is available at their restaurant location. This gelato bar consists of a variety of freshly made gelatos to cool off after enjoying one of their delicious homemade burritos! They will be offering samples of their gelato on June 24th, as well as some of their staple burrito fillings, such as the Spicy Chicken 65.

Located at 343 George Street North

Hours of Operation
Monday - Thursday from 11am - 9pm
Friday - 11am - 11pm
Saturday - 11:30 - 11pm
Sunday - 12pm - 8pm

@pocoburro.ca

June 23 Launch Day - Family Zumba Party!

Join us and the City of Peterborough to celebrate the launch of the Canadian Multicultural Festival 2023! Bring the family to join us for a Zumba Party. Free face-painting, henna tattoos, giveaways and more! Registration is not required.

Friday, June 23, 5:00 - 7:00pm
In person at Quaker Foods City Square (215 Charlotte Street, Peterborough)

Rain location: Peterborough Square (by the escalators)

Try It Series...

Try your hand at dance, cooking, sports, and crafts from across the world facilitated by experts in the community and newcomers who share a love of their cultural traditions.

Cricket - June 26 @ 6.30pm

Vietnamese Cooking - June 28 @ 6:00pm - FULL!

K-Pop Dance - June 29 @ 1:00pm

Multicultural Crafts - June 30 @ 10:00am

Salsa Dance - June 30 @ 6:00pm

Panel Discussion

To mark World Refugee Day (June 20), join us for a community conversation on “Healing and Hope - Reflections on Refugee Experiences in Canada”. Engage in a conversation surrounding the challenges faced by displaced individuals, how they engage in the healing process, and the role of compassion and care in rebuilding lives.

Tuesday, June 27, 6:00 - 8:00pm
Peterborough Public Library

Click here to register!

Moderator: Jim Hendry

Jim Hendry was a journalist at The Peterborough Examiner for 32 years, retiring as managing editor. He continues to write two editorials a week for the Examiner. He and his wife, Judi, have attended all but two ReFrame Festivals, often with their children. As a journalist, Jim won several Ontario Newspaper Association writing awards and did a six-week study tour of England, Ireland and Scotland as a Harry Brittain Fellow. He currently chairs the Peterborough and District United Way board of directors and is secretary of the Kawartha Golf and Country Club board. He organized a group that supports two government-sponsored Syrian refugee families and is bringing a third family to Peterborough under private sponsorship. He and Judi enjoying hiking, canoeing and cycling whenever possible.

Panelist: Dr. Madura Sundareswaran

Dr. Sundareswaran is a family physician who has been working in Peterborough since November 2019 shortly after completing her residency training here. In January 2022, Dr. Sundareswaran, working closely with the New Canadians Centre and the Peterborough Family Health Team, started the Peterborough Newcomer Health Clinic - a pilot project aiming to bridge the gap in primary care for refugees in Peterborough. The clinic currently operates in a limited capacity providing primary care services to newcomers, helping many of them transition to a new healthcare system. Dr. Sundareswaran also works as the Research Site Lead for the Department of Family Medicine - Peterborough Kawartha site and is the Collaborating Physician for the 360 Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic in Peterborough and the Victorian Order of Nurses Nurse Practitioner Clinics in Lindsay, Keene, and Kirkfield.

Panelist: Khadija Warsame

Khadija Warsame, a resilient survivor, fled war-torn Somalia in 1994, seeking safety and a better future. After a challenging journey with her children, they found refuge in Malawi and later were accepted into Canada. Sponsored by two Peterborough churches, Khadija and her family embraced their new home, dedicating themselves to the community. With unwavering determination and empathy, Khadija supports and empowers fellow immigrants, making a positive impact on countless lives and fostering an inclusive society.

Panelist: Momin Rahman

Momin Rahman (he/him) (BA (Hons) Politics, Strathclyde, Glasgow: PhD. Sociology, Strathclyde, Glasgow)

Momin Rahman is a Professor of Sociology at Trent. His current research is on the conflicts between LGBTQ2S identities and Muslim cultures, and the experiences of LGBTQ2S Muslims, including a funded research project on LGBTQ Muslims in Canada. He has presented this work at international academic conferences and at private policy meetings such as the United Nations Human Rights Council. He has published over 40 chapters and articles and 4 books: The Oxford Handbook of Global LGBT and Sexual Diversity Politics (2020, co-edited with Michael Bosia and Sandra McEvoy, Oxford University Press), Homosexualities, Muslim Cultures and Modernity, (2014, Palgrave Macmillan), Gender and Sexuality (2010, with Stevi Jackson, Polity) and Sexuality and Democracy (2000, Edinburgh University Press). He has also published work on the difficulties of recognizing systemic racism in the academic profession, including a forum for the Millennium Journal of International Relations in 2021. He also serves as an Associate Editor for the journals, Global Social Challenges and Development in Practice.

Panelist: Samar Sallam

Samar Sallam is a dedicated Case Management worker at the New Canadians Centre, focusing on assisting displaced individuals with high needs in their integration into Canada. Her role involves creating personalized action plans for clients, which may include tasks such as booking medical appointments, arranging interpretation services, providing support for financial assistance program applications, completing immigration-related forms, and connecting clients with community agencies and services. Samar's main goal is to empower clients to take charge of their settlement process in Canada, a journey that typically spans several years. Additionally, Samar actively contributes as a member of the Patient and Family advisory committee within the Ontario Health Team East, where she shares her firsthand experiences as a newcomer accessing the healthcare system. With a background in Electronic and Communications Engineering and a decade of experience teaching Physics in Egypt, Samar brings a diverse skill set to her work. Currently, she is pursuing a certificate in Adult Teaching at Fleming College. Samar and her family migrated to Canada from Alexandria, Egypt, in August of 2020.

Cultural Fusions Video Series

This series brings dancers and musicians from different countries together in Peterborough to create unique pieces that showcase their craft and cultures. Read about their stories and enjoy the beautiful pieces!

Support for this Festival was provided by: