Friday 4 November 2022

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Up North

I came down the ramp from a pleasant flight after a tense long lineup at the Toronto airport, to arrive at a signage indicating “Small city, big opportunities.” The place is Thunder Bay with a population of 108,000 and is unique in Canada because, as a walker across this vast country, all roads and trails appear to channel through this place. Being situated at the head-point of massive Lake Superior, it can make that claim as a fairly remote northern destination.

Prem Kishor, who has successfully landed a marvelous project; Vedic Cultural Center (ISKCON), in the city, picked me up to prepare for a presentation at their Sunday program. Prem’s wife, Suniti, is 50% of the powerhouse behind the project, which is not only a place for mantras and worship but the building houses Fairway Physiotherapy, making it a wellness center for cancer patients and yoga students. Imagine that, you have all this wellness/goodness under one roof.

I met Brian, 75, who remembers me from 1973, when I first joined ISKCON and became a monk in Toronto. I also met Myles, born in the north, from Wawa, and having a knack as a horticulturist, who brings flowers for Krishna for every visit. There is also Gaurav and a host of his friends, either international students from India or settled down employees from India, some of them are here to stay in the city of opportunities.

Seeing that most of these regulars at the Sunday feast are young, bright and energetic I engaged them in bhakti song-and-dance after a talk on the fundamentals of the Bhagavad-Gita; the dialogue that enriches lives.

May the Source be with you!

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