FGS Toronto
June 8,  2023

The Word on The Street Festival made its comeback to Queen's Park in downtown Toronto on May 27th and 28th, 2023. This annual event, which has been held since 1990, is Canada's largest free outdoor book and magazine festival in downtown Toronto. It was recognized as one of Toronto's Best Local Festivals in the 2022 Toronto Star Reader's Choice Awards. With over 100 participating book and magazine publishers, artists, and vendors, this year's festival was a great success.

Attendees had the opportunity to listen to the authors' interviews and excerpts from their book (Photo by Wei Shan Qiu)

Venerable Miao Hsi, the executive director of Buddha's Light Publications in the US, flew in from Los Angeles to provide guidance to the Toronto volunteers during the event. Her infectious positivity and lighthearted humor created a welcoming atmosphere, drawing many individuals to learn more about Humanistic Buddhism.

For almost 20 years, Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto continuously participated in the Word on the Street Festival. This year, Venerable Miao Hsi, Venerable Ru An, Wilson Yau, the leader of the Fo Guang Shan Toronto localization team, alongside four members from the BLIA English subchapter, also participated in the festival held at the beautiful Queen's Park.

Venerable Ru An and volunteers from Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto promoted and introduced Humanistic Buddhism to festival attendees (Photo by Wei Shan Qiu)

The enticing book display attracted many individuals from all walks of life. Through the volunteers' insightful introductions and recommendations, people happily discovered their favourite books written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The Buddhism in Every Step booklets proved to be invaluable resources for everyone, as almost every person who visited the booth found at least one booklet that resonated with them.

Volunteers from Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto making recommendations to help people find their favourite books written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun (Photo by Wei Shan Qiu)

The highlight of this year’s booth design was a captivating photograph featuring the bronze Buddha statue at the Fo Guang Shan headquarters in Kaohsiung. This image sparked numerous conversations and generated interest in visiting the Fo Guang Shan temple of Toronto located in Mississauga. Many also expressed their desire to take part in the weekly temple tours and the Dharma study group "Lotus Mornings" to learn more about Humanistic Buddhism. For many of the volunteers, it was their very first time at Word on the Street, and the experience was truly wonderful.

Buddha's Light Publications participated in The Word On The Street Festival, the largest free outdoor book and magazine festival in Canada, held on May 27th and 28th in Queen's Park in downtown Toronto.  (Photo by Wei Shan Qiu)