Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Aga Khan Park to welcome Pan Am flame Sunday, July 5

File Photo/Andrew Lahodynskyj

A woman walks some newly planted trees before the official opening ceremony for the newly constructed Aga Khan Park in North York on May 25, 2015. Photo by Andrew Lahodynskyj
North York Mirror

By Clark Kim

The Pan Am flame will be making its way to the recently opened Aga Khan Park on Sunday, July 5 with the community invited to attend the celebratory event.

The private park located at 77 Wynford Dr., which encompasses the Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, is open to the public and will also be hosting Reflections – Celebrating our Cultures and Communities, marking the launch of programming in the park.

“We really see this as a community event,” said Arlene Madell, head of marketing and communications with the Aga Khan Museum, noting Reflections is inspired by the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that connected India and China to the Mediterranean Sea.

The festivities start at 4 p.m. with plenty of things to see and do including dance, poetry and music performances inspired by the Silk Road.

“And we got a whole section for kids,” added Madell, including such activities as lantern-making, face-painting and story-telling sessions.

There will also be a souk bazaar highlighting culture from the region. There is no entry fee to the park for the event and most activities, including the mainstage performances, are free.

The Pan Am flame is scheduled to arrive at 8:15 p.m. carried by Leila Keshavjee, who lives in Ward 26 (Don Valley West) and also works as a tour guide at the park.

“I am honoured to be selected as the Pan Am Flame Bearer to be part of the first event of the Aga Khan Park,” she said in a statement. “This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity fuses my passion for sport with my love for the park.”

Inaugurated by Premier Kathleen Wynne and His Highness the Aga Khan on May 25, the Aga Khan Park will serve as a hub for educational programs, community art exhibitions, performing arts events, film screenings, and cultural festivals.

For more information, visit agakhanpark.org