Recently the Pakistani culture in Fort MacMurray was very visible, as the local Pakistani community celebrated several Pakistani holidays at once. On a recent Saturday many members of the local Pakistani community came together at Keyano’s Sport & Wellness Centre and more than 300 people attended the event. The event was put together by the Pakistan Canada Association of Fort McMurray, or PCA, and many in the community who came to take part wore white and green to honor the colors of their previous homeland. The Pakistani celebrations that were observed at the event included the 67th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence Day, Eid-ul-Fitar which marks the official end of the Ramadan holiday, and the 5th anniversary of the Pakistan Canada Association of Fort McMurray.
The Pakistani community celebrated the Pakistani culture in Fort MacMurray with traditional songs, dances, and foods. Asma Ahmad, who has been a member of the local Fort MacMurray community for over 33 years and who is the Fort MacMurray Islamic School head secretary, stated “I remember getting together in the basement of whoever had a house for Friday prayers and weekend afternoon prayers. When families with younger children moved here we started a weekend religion school – also in a basement, and that used to be sufficient. Now, we have a mosque which can’t accommodate our growing numbers, and on top of that our Fort McMurray Islamic School, which started about ten years ago, with 30 kids, and a current population of 350 students has a waiting list. What a change!”