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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS More than 200 people attended Kemptville District Hospital’s 50th anniversary Serving Kemptville, Merrickville, Winchester, Osgoode and surrounding area
ART FESTIVAL AT SOUTH BRANCH
Volume 155 Issue No. 25
www.yourottawaregion.com
10 Thursday, July 1 , 2010
Proud to be Canadian
Students at the South Branch Elementary School share their creativity with community. 3
KRISTY WALLACE kristy.wallace!metroland.com
METCALFE’S FEATHERED PAL A five-foot long peacock named Mr. Pea is just another member of the Metcalfe community. 5
CANADA DAY Check out the Canada Day events happening in your area this year. 13
In Iran, Shahrooz Yazdani was persecuted because of his Baha’i faith. With his grandfather killed and Baha’i schools stormed and destroyed, he had to leave Iran with his family at only five yearsold. Now, the Kemptville dentist owns his own business and has great reason to celebrate Canada’s birthday – the country that opened its arms to him and his family. “Canadians view everyone as human beings. As proud as we are to be Canadian, we’re always concerned about the welfare of others,” he said. “No other countries embrace that vision as much as Canada does.” Upon leaving Iran, his family moved to Kenya and lived there for seven years. But Yazdani’s family wanted more opportunity for him and his brothers, so they tried twice to immigrate to Australia where they had some family members but weren’t accepted. When they chose to immigrate to Canada next, the country let them in immediately. “It was an indication of Canadian mentality and psyche in terms of wanting to help us,” he said. “It reflects the culture and it’s something I love and respect about Canada.” Since arriving here, Yazdani
K. Wallace/ Advance staff
Dr. Shahrooz Yazdani has his own dental practice in Kemptville. He says living in Canada gave him opportunities he wouldn’t have had in his former country, Iran. said he only has good memories of growing up in Ottawa and receiving the opportunities he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. More opportunities also meant meeting friends in high school and spending Canada Day with them on Parliament Hill. “One of my fondest memories is painting my face and going down to the hill with everyone,” he said with a smile. Baha’is in Iran weren’t allowed to graduate high school but in Canada, Yazdani had the
opportunity to graduate high school and dental school. “Those certain rights we take for granted here aren’t in other countries,” he said. “For me, the sky was the limit. The only limitations are the ones we place on ourselves.” Today, Yazdani has decided to give back to his fellow Canadians while still keeping the memory of his grandfather alive. Yazdani has set up scholarships and awards to each a male and female graduating from St. Michael’s Catholic High School
and North Grenville District High School who have contributed the most to the community and to humanity at large – naming the awards after his grandfather. “I think that the biggest thing for me is I do feel a lot of gratitude towards Canada. I do feel that Canada embodies ideals that I believe in,” he said. “Canada is a wonderful example to the world of the attitude we should all have towards each other. We’re one humanity.”
Helping you is what we do! Kemptville Office INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED, BROKERAGE
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