As millions around the world celebrated the first day of Diwali on Monday, those marking the festival in Toronto had an additional reason to celebrate: the city's mayor officially proclaimed Oct. 20, 2025 to be Diwali Day.

Rinku Shah, CEO and founder of the Diwali Festival of Lights in Toronto, said she is thrilled with the proclamation.

"For the past two years, we've been waiting for this proclamation, and finally she accepted, the mayor accepted. We are very happy, the whole team is working very hard for this," Shah said.

Chow told a gathering at city hall that the proclamation of Diwali Day in Toronto is a first in the city's history. Diwali, also known as the Hindu festival of lights, is a five-day event that people around the world celebrate with gatherings, lights, fireworks and f

See Full Page