Toronto Desi news — 2026-10-28
Toronto's South Asian community marks a full Diwali season this week, with community centres, parks, and cultural organisations across the Greater Toronto Area hosting one of the largest festivals of lights programmes in North America — even as the community navigates complex currents in politics, diplomacy, and social safety.
Diwali festivities light up the GTA with fireworks, markets and drone shows
CityNews Toronto reported that Diwali festivities are set to illuminate the Toronto sky this weekend, with drone shows, fireworks, food markets, and cultural performances planned across the GTA. NOW Toronto has published a comprehensive guide to Diwali festival events across the region, covering everything from large public celebrations in Brampton and Mississauga — home to some of the largest South Asian populations in Canada — to smaller community evenings in Scarborough, North York, and downtown Toronto. The scale of GTA Diwali programming has grown substantially over the past decade, reflecting both population growth in the South Asian community and broader mainstream Canadian interest in the festival. Major malls, community centres, and cultural spaces are participating, and the city's South Asian restaurants and sweet shops have reported strong demand for traditional Diwali mithai boxes and special menus. For families with young children and new arrivals to Canada, the GTA's Diwali calendar offers dozens of ways to participate in the festival without travelling back to India. [1]
Canada and India resume high-level dialogue in Toronto
iPolitics reported that Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne hosted India's visiting counterpart for a high-level bilateral dialogue in Toronto, marking a significant resumption of diplomatic engagement between Canada and India after a period of elevated tension. The Toronto talks addressed trade, the Indian-Canadian diaspora, and broader areas of cooperation. The meeting in Toronto — a city with a substantial Indian-Canadian population — carries symbolic weight, signalling both governments' interest in rebuilding a relationship that has been strained by political and security-related disputes in recent years. Community advocates have welcomed the diplomatic re-engagement, noting that the Indian-Canadian diaspora has been caught in the crossfire of government-level tensions that have at times affected consular services, travel advisories, and bilateral trade flows. The Ontario Construction News separately reported that Toronto's Tamil community centre has moved closer to construction following planning approvals, an example of the diaspora investing in permanent community infrastructure as it reaches multigenerational maturity. [4]
Anti-Sikh stabbing case highlights hate crime concerns in Toronto
CTV News reported that a suspect made anti-Sikh utterances and racial slurs before stabbing a victim in Toronto, with police confirming the hate-motivated dimension of the incident. The case has raised fresh concern within the Sikh community in the GTA and across Ontario, coming at a time of elevated sensitivity over hate crimes targeting South Asian Canadians. Community organisations have called for stronger law enforcement responses to hate-motivated violence and for greater awareness programming in schools and public institutions. The Pointer separately reported on a legal case involving former federal MP Raj Grewal, who is being sued by lenders after $15 million in loans were taken out using two GTA gurdwaras — Sikh temples — as collateral as he faced significant personal debt. The case, which involves community religious institutions, has drawn particular scrutiny from within the Punjabi-Canadian community, raising questions about governance and accountability in institutions that occupy a central place in Sikh community life. [5]
Sources: [1] CityNews Toronto · [4] iPolitics · [5] CTV News