Mayor Bevilacqua meets with Canada’s Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
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Strengthening Vaughan’s social, economic and cultural
connection with Vietnamese Canadians
Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua issued the following statement after meeting with Pham Cao Phong, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Canada:
“I was pleased to meet
Pham Cao Phong, Canada’s newly appointed Ambassador of the Socialist Republic
of Vietnam to Canada. Ambassador Phong officially began his new role on July 16.
I offered my warmest and sincerest congratulations on behalf of all Vaughan
citizens.
“In our virtual
discussion, we exchanged views on our respective efforts to combat the
universal health, social, and economic impacts that have resulted from the
global COVID-19 pandemic. As the City of Vaughan continues to take a
disciplined, responsible and measured approach to reopen the city, Vietnam has
been recognized globally for its successful approach to containing the virus
through a proactive containment strategy based on comprehensive testing,
tracing, and quarantining, among other factors.
“Ambassador Phong and I
spoke about Vaughan’s active and engaged Vietnamese community that continues to
grow and strengthen its activities throughout the city and York Region. Their
contribution is seen in many aspects of our city life, including socially,
economically and culturally.
“Last year, I was
pleased to welcome members of our city’s Vietnamese business community to Vaughan
City Hall for a meeting to discuss our role as a leading destination for
business and trade activities in the GTA and throughout North America.
“In 2014, I was
honoured to officiate the groundbreaking for the construction of the new main
Buddha Hall for the Cam Lo Vuong Temple. When fully complete, the new space
will be a welcomed addition to the congregation and all followers of Buddha.
The Temple will continue to serve as a gathering place for worship, meditation
and religious instruction as well as a sanctuary for Buddhist followers here in
Vaughan and beyond our borders.
“Vaughan is blessed and
enriched by the diversity of our citizens, and we are thankful for the
important presence Vietnamese Canadians have in our city. People from around
the world choose Vaughan to build a better, more promising life for their
families. Nearly half of our population was born abroad, and our residents
speak 105 different languages. Multiculturalism allows us to further strengthen
global connections, both culturally and economically. As we look toward our
community’s promising future, we will continue to unleash Vaughan’s potential
as a world-class city.
“I want to thank
Ambassador Phong for his commitment to further growing the relationship between
our communities and commend his role in preserving and fostering Vietnamese
heritage in Vaughan.”
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