Bob Marley.
Toronto’s new Mayor, Rob Ford, has continued the trend of his predecessors by proclaiming Sunday, February 6, as Bob Marley Day.
This is the 20th year, and Mayor Ford, who was elected in October 2010, is the sixth Toronto Mayor to officially proclaim the day.
The Proclamation was read at a ceremony held on Thursday, at Toronto City Hall, and attended by Jamaica’s Consul General to Toronto, Seth George Ramocan, Canadian government officials, and members of the public.
According to the Mayor, Bob Marley, through his music, became an advocate for human rights, and an international ambassador for peace.
Mayor Ford said Bob Marley's courage to speak out against oppression, poverty, slavery, and apartheid earned him a Peace Medal of the Third World from the United Nations, and the Order of Merit from his home country of Jamaica.
Mr. Ramocan noted that the name Bob Marley has brought distinction to Jamaica, and having Bob Marley Day proclaimed each year, in Toronto, is one way of keeping his memory alive.
The Diversity Business Network, headed by Jamaican-born attorney, Courtney Betty, requests the Proclamation, each year, from the Mayor.
The group also presents the annual Bob Marley Awards to Canadians who have “demonstrated their commitment to diversity, while helping to build bridges between communities.”
This year’s awardees include Jamaican-born Member of the Provincial Parliament and Minister of Health Promotion, Margarett Best.
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