The Nigerian community from Bradford and surrounding areas took the initiative to gather and celebrate their culture in a festive Jollof picnic at Lions Park on Sunday.
Jollof is a staple in West Africa, primarily Nigeria, and is essentially a rice dish made with vegetables, meat or fish. It’s a delicacy reserved for parties in Nigeria with friends and family.
Dozens of attendees of all ages were treated to food, dancing, and games for the kids. It was a lively event under the park’s canopy, with the backdrop of other residents enjoying the park amenities in the late summer afternoon.
Upon arrival, each family was asked to stand up and introduce themselves so that they could learn more about one another. The purpose of this was to find if there were any connections between the families, whether they shared friends or otherwise. The idea of this event grew organically after two Nigerian families at a birthday party were introduced to one another, finding they both lived in Bradford, they thought it would be a great idea to reach out to all Nigerians in the area for one big gathering.
Joel Emuan, one of the organizers of the event, said “This event is meant to bring Nigerians in Bradford together."
This event is the first of its kind in Bradford and will likely be an annual occasion to bring in more people as the population grows.
“Africans, in general, love community. We are warm, happy, excited, fun-loving people. And so, wherever we find ourselves, we want to put together a sense of community. We also want the people of Bradford to feel our sense of warmth and joy," said Emuan.
Emuan has a wife and two children. His family came to Bradford in 2017 after living in Richmond Hill for 11 years. He confessed that he hadn’t heard of Bradford prior to living here and stumbled upon the town accidentally while house hunting.
Emuan, who calls himself an ambassador of Bradford, explains, “If you’re looking for a peaceful, safe, and quiet environment, Bradford is for you. Many places have expanded exponentially, and although Bradford has a lot on the horizon, it still has the in-between feeling of small town and busy city.”
His self-proclaimed title is accurate, because, through Emuan, five other families have moved to Bradford in the last five years.
Deputy Mayor James Leduc was in attendance on Sunday, greeting everyone, taking photos and answering questions about the town. One of the major concerns that came up was traffic congestion, to which Leduc reassured that it’s being reviewed and planned for improvement.
He says, “There is nothing better than a community group gathering to laugh and dance with each other, to just have fun. That is a reason why I support it, and I hope other members of Council would support events of this nature. This way we can also learn about each other’s cultures.”
Leduc is running for mayor in the upcoming election, and is very familiar with Bradford’s demographics and growth, having served four terms already.
“It was a great pleasure to meet the Nigerian Community and other Nations today and have an opportunity to speak with them and ask what they would like to have in Bradford West Gwillimbury. You can’t be a great leader if you don’t first learn to listen, and that was what I was there to do today," he said.
The Jollof event was well attended, but Emuan explains that this crowd was only a fraction of the Nigerian community in Bradford. He hopes that future events will have more people in attendance as word gets out.
