Toronto Report

Rev. Mitch Dixon
Toronto, Canada
September 4, 2006

For the 1st tour we had 3 months to prepare, for the 2nd tour we had 2 weeks.  But at midnight on August 27, I received a call from Dr. Jenkins stating that the tour was coming to Canada on September 4th to speak in 12 cities on the same day.  I could not believe what I heard and asked, “What did you say?” 

Twelve cities were identified for these events – Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Cobourg, Toronto, Hamilton, Sudbury, Windsor, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Richmond, and Vancouver.  This was Monday morning.  All we could do that day was to locate venues for the speeches in each city which were to occur the following Monday.  We actually could not start promoting anything until we had venues.  Then we made flyers, put ads in the newspapers, started making phone calls and visits.  We also had to print speeches and banners, but we had no speech or banner design to print. 

True Mother arrived in the morning of September 4th  at 10:10 am with Shin Bok Nim, just one week after we first heard about the rally plan..  We greeted her at the airport and brought her to the Westin Prince. During lunch True Mother got a fish bone catch in her throat.  Dr. Jenkins and I went to the emergency rooms of two hospitals to try to find a place where she could receive quick care.  However it was a holiday.  All clinics were closed and the emergency rooms were packed.  Mother Moon instead of going ate bread and tried to endure it speaking that night with a bone in her throat. 

The program went very well.  At the beginning the room was about 1/3 full but shortly filled up.  We had about 320 people.  It was small but considering we had 12 cities and only 100 member families across the 5000 miles of Canada, we were spread very thin.  Of the 100 who in speeches of the past could be comfortable behind the efforts of a few found themselves facing the cold reality that they had to do something.  We felt  showered down with love while at the same time stirring our bones to take responsibility for this nation. 

Mitch Dixon served as Master of Ceremonies.  Qamrul Khanson gave the VIP welcome, Anil Shringi and Mrs. Quereshe presented flowers.  Dr. Auckbaraullee and Terry Wickens, Korean War Veterans presented gifts.  Four appointments for Ambassadors for Peace were made – Councillor Suzan Hall, Bert Picotte KWV, Mr. Jun Kyung Suh, Korean Cultural Foundation, and DeGaulle Katema Sambao.