TORONTO—Shen Yun’s dedication to excellence and authenticity is truly inspiring, Conservative MP Anna Roberts said at a reception celebrating the Canadian tour of the performing arts company in Toronto on March 28.
“Shen Yun is a celebration of values that resonate across cultures and generations, showcasing compassion, courage, integrity, and faith,” added Ms. Roberts, who represents King-Vaughan.
Fellow Tory MP Amarjeet Gill, who represents Brampton West, noted Shen Yun’s 20th anniversary this year, and congratulated the company and local organizers for putting on the show.
“For 20 years, Shen Yun has captivated audiences around the world with performances that celebrate culture, artistry, and religion through classical dance, music, and storytelling,” Mr. Gill said.
“Shen Yun brings to life thousands of years of cultural heritage and shares it with audiences from all backgrounds.”
“There’s no better expressive way to view history than through the understanding of culture and to see traditional Chinese culture celebrated tonight and transmitted to us through this performance,” Mr. Guglielmin said.
“It’s truly a great honour to be able to witness this with all of you.”
Conservative MP Rhonda Kirkland, who represents Oshawa, said she lived in China at one time and saw firsthand how the Chinese regime suppresses freedom of belief.
“I was working with Christian missionaries who experienced some of the persecution that is now taking place, and it was good for me to be there and see how that was,” she said.
Ms. Kirkland added that while in Beijing, she also had a chance to visit Tiananmen Square and was reminded of the Chinese Communist Party’s tragic massacre of students demanding democracy in 1989.
“When I lived in China, I witnessed firsthand individuals expressing their beliefs, how they were treated. I saw practitioners taken away and admonished, something that stayed with me and reinforces just how important freedom of belief and expression truly is,” Ms. Kirkland said.
“As the member of Parliament for Oshawa, moments like this prompt reflection. We are fortunate to live in a country where freedoms of belief, expression, and assembly are protected, but those freedoms require constant care, and we should never take them for granted.”
Ms. Kirkland said the evening’s performance is not only an occasion to celebrate, but it also provides an opportunity to reflect.
“I have deep respect for those who continue to persevere in the face of adversity, to hold on to their beliefs, their culture, their faith. And performances like this tonight will remind us not only of the beauty of culture, but also the importance of protecting fundamental human rights,” she said.
“We recognize again that traditional culture was lost or suppressed under communist rule, making this evening not just artistic, but a meaningful act of preservation.”
Following Ms. Kirkland’s remarks, Ms. Roberts told Shen Yun and organizers that the Conservative Party stands with them because “we believe that your rights are just as important as everyone else’s rights in the world.”
Other MPs also presented proclamations to Shen Yun at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto on March 28.
