Governments In Canada Declare August 5, 2023 As Igbo Day Of Arts And Culture

At the request of the Igbo Cultural Association of Saskatchewan (ICAS) Inc., the Government of Saskatchewan has issued a proclamation designating August 5, 2023 as Igbo Day of Arts and Culture in the Canadian province.

“We invite all Igbo people, our friends and well-wishers, to join us as we celebrate our cultural heritage in Canada at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at Regina Performing Arts Centre, 1077 Angus Street, Regina,” said Dr. Chidi Igwe, President of the Igbo Cultural Association of Saskatchewan.

The proclamation was issued by the Saskatchewan Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, who writes in the Certificate of Recognition that “I, Laura Ross, Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport in the Province of Saskatchewan in exercise of the powers conferred upon me, do hereby designate the day of August 5, 2023 to be ‘lgbo Day of Arts and Culture’ in Saskatchewan.”

In issuing the proclamation, Minister Ross also enjoined the citizens of the Province of Saskatchewan to recognize Igbo Day as proclaimed by their government.

In the same manner, on behalf of the municipal government of Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan, Mayor Sandra Masters and the City of Regina have designated August 5, 2023 as Igbo Day of Arts and Culture. They also encouraged the residents of the Queen City (as Regina is known locally) to dedicate this day for the celebration of culture with the Igbo community of Saskatchewan.

In a goodwill message addressed to all Igbo people in Regina, Mayor Masters writes that “the diversity of our community is something that Regina takes great pride in. We believe that this blend of different cultures is what makes not only our city, but our country, unique on the world stage.”

Mayor Masters encourages the residents of Regina “to recognize August 5th, 2023, as Igbo Day of Arts and Culture here in Regina.”

She highlights that “this year’s theme of Oganihu Asusu na Omenala Igbo (Preservation of the Igbo Language and Culture) is a universal concept that numerous cultures can relate to. Language preservation is imperative for many of those that call Regina home, and we commend the work that Nigerian Canadian people of Igbo descent are engaging in to bring awareness to their language and culture.”

Below are electronic copies of the proclamation certificates:

Government of Saskatchewan designates August 5, 2023 as Igbo Day of Arts and Culture: https://www.icassask.ca/images/pdf/gos-igbo-day-proclamation-2023.pdf

Municipal government of Regina designates August 5, 2023 as Igbo Day of Arts and Culture: https://www.icassask.ca/images/pdf/proclamation-regina-2023.pdf

Recall that in what became the first official designation of a day as Igbo Day of Arts and Culture by a provincial and a municipal government in the whole of Canada, both the Government of Saskatchewan and the City of Regina issued a proclamation recognizing Igbo Day in 2019. Below are electronic copies of the 2019 certificates of proclamation:

Government of Saskatchewan designates August 3, 2019 as Igbo Day of Arts and Culture: https://www.icassask.ca/images/pdf/gos-igbo-day-proclamation-2019.pdf

Municipal government of Regina designates August 3, 2019 as Igbo Day of Arts and Culture: https://www.icassask.ca/images/pdf/proclamation-regina-2019.pdf

“Ndi Igbo (Igbo people) in Saskatchewan are delighted to receive this level of support from the Government of Saskatchewan and the City of Regina. By recognizing Igbo Day, the two levels of government are encouraging our people to practice our language and culture in our new country,” ICAS President Dr. Chidi Igwe said. “We invite everyone to join us for a celebration of culture, a taste of Igbo cuisine, artistic displays, dance and performances, as Igbo people in Canada,” he said.

ICAS was founded in 2002 to preserve the Igbo Canadian heritage through events, workshops, language and culture education. Every two years, we celebrate Igbo Day, dedicating the day to promoting awareness and use of the Igbo language, art, as well as the Igbo Nigerian-Canadian cultural heritage in Saskatchewan. The 2021 edition of Igbo Day was canceled due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

The theme of the 2023 Igbo Day, “Oganihu Asusu na Omenala Igbo (Preservation of the Igbo Language and Culture)”, was selected to increase the awareness and use of the Igbo language, art and culture in Saskatchewan, as well as honour the contributions of the Nigerian-Canadian people of Igbo descent to the cultural, professional and economic development of Saskatchewan in particular and Canada as a whole.