(Minghui.org) On the afternoon of May 11, 2024, practitioners from Quebec and Ontario, Canada, held a grand parade in Montreal, Quebec, to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the world and the 25th World Falun Dafa Day and to congratulate Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, on his birthday. Federal legislators from the province of Quebec sent congratulatory letters to celebrate the occasion.
Practitioners’ grand parade in Montreal on May 11 to celebrate Falun Dafa’s public introduction and World Falun Dafa Day
Members of Parliament Commend Falun Dafa
Richard Martel, a Member of Parliament for Sicoutimi-Fjord in Quebec, sent a letter. congratulating the 32nd anniversary of Falun Dafa Day.
In his congratulatory letter, Richard Martel, a lawmaker from Quebec’s Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, praised practitioners for defending the universal value of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and freedom of belief:
“On the occasion of celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the propagation of Falun Dafa, I am very pleased to express my heartfelt wishes to you, and I commend you for your efforts to uphold universal values such as Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and religious freedom, as well as your resistance to all forms of discrimination and intimidation.
“Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to live in a free country that respects diversity and protects the integrity of its citizens, so it is all the more important to protect that sense of security and stop persecution.
“Congratulations on the 32nd anniversary of the propagation of Falun Dafa, this is a sign of hope, please accept my sincere wishes.”
MP Pierre Paul-Hus from Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Quebec, praised Falun Dafa for benefiting thousands of people.
In his congratulatory letter, MP Pierre Paul-Hus wrote, “On the day of celebrating Falun Dafa Day on May 13, I extend my best wishes to Falun Dafa practitioners in Canada and around the world with great enthusiasm. Now, more than ever, we need to cultivate the values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Thousands of people in Canada, China, and around the world have benefited and continue to benefit from practicing Falun Dafa, which is why I am more than happy to launch a petition in the House of Commons condemning those who persecute Falun Dafa practitioners.”
Grand Parade in Montreal
Practitioners held a grand parade in Montreal to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction and the 25th World Falun Dafa Day.
At 2 p.m., the procession set off from Cabot Square in downtown Montreal and followed the main streets in the center of the city, such as Avenue Saint-Catherine and Avenue René-Levisk.
Police cars cleared the way for the five teams that followed: the Tian Guo Marching Band, a phalanx of banners that read “Falun Dafa Is Good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Is Good,” practitioners demonstrating the exercises, flags and banners exposing the persecution and expressing solidarity with the 430 million Chinese who have withdrawn from the CCP, and practitioners carrying colorful balloons to celebrate the grand occasion.
People took pictures, gave practitioners a thumbs up, and even bowed. Some Westerners shouted in Chinese: “Falun Dafa is good!” People said they liked the message of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Emanuelle Bertrand praised Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Emanuelle Bertrand, a school principal, said, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance—we need to keep it. It will make our society more tolerant and it will reduce conflicts around the world. If people can do this, society will really change for the better.”
The parade ended at Zhongshan Park in Chinatown, where practitioners concluded the day’s celebrations by doing the exercises together.
Practitioners Express Their Gratitude
Falun Dafa practitioners from all over Quebec and Ontario thanked Master and wished him a happy birthday.
Son Chu from Vietnam said, “Practicing Falun Dafa was a watershed moment in my life, and I suddenly enlightened.”
Son Chu is an AI engineer who earned his master’s degree in computer science from Ensimag, a top engineering school in France. His mother-in-law told him about Falun Dafa, but he was an atheist. During the COVID pandemic, his father died suddenly of a heart attack, international flights were grounded, and he was unable to return to Vietnam. In the midst of pain, he and his wife picked up a copy of Zhuan Falun, which became a turning point in his life.
He said, “Before cultivation, like many young people, my wife and I worked hard for material things: We wanted a nice house, we wanted good jobs, we wanted a good salary. I now understand that having money cannot solve the problem of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and that, according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, striving to be a good person every day and constantly improving is the purpose of life.”
Before he started to practice, every time he and his wife had a conflict, it took a few days for them to get over their anger. Now, both are able to look inward. Their conflicts are quickly resolved, and family life is happy.
He said gratefully, “On the occasion of World Falun Dafa Day and Master’s birthday, words are not enough to express my gratitude to Master. Master has given me the cosmic principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and I am trying to follow them and become a diligent true cultivator. Thank you, Master! Happy birthday, Master!”
Sylvia Liu is grateful to Master for introducing Dafa.
Sylvia Liu works as a supply chain manager at a company. She said that practicing Dafa has helped her eliminate Party culture, and she’s learned how to treat others with kindness.
She also understands the truth of loss and gain and can maintain an open-minded attitude in doing business. When she sees competitors lower the quality in order to keep costs down, she doesn’t get anxious about losing business because she insists on quality and understands that taking the right path is the most important thing.
She said, “Falun Dafa’s teachings guide me—I’m no longer confused or waver. I have the courage to persist in being a good person and strive to assimilate to the guiding principles of the universe. Thank you, Master!”
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