torontomalayaleesamajam.com

Toronto Malayalee Samajam;
The Beginnings, the Past and its Growth

Toronto has been home to Malayalees as early as 1960s. By mid sixties the Malayalee population began to grow due to the surge in immigration of Malayalees for work, higher studies etc. During the period, between 1965 and 1967 Toronto Malayalees got together once a month at the parish hall of St. Michaels Cathedral on Bond Street in Toronto. Initially the meetings were hosted by one family/person that provided refreshments. But as the number of Malayalee immigrants increased resulting in larger attendance in the get-togethers, members started contributing towards meeting the expenses for those meetings. In 1967 a committee was formed to organize Christmas celebrations for the Malayalees in Toronto and all the attendees had a great time with a sumptuous dinner followed by a Malayalam Kadha Prasangam. At this point Toronto Malayalees seriously started thinking about formalizing an organization, and in 1968 Toronto Malayalee Association was formed with a clear organizational structure and with a mandate for bringing all the Malayalees living in and around Toronto together, catering their social and cultural needs. Monthly get-togethers continued as usual many more years. In mid seventies, a constitution was drafted for the association and the Association was registered as a non-profit organization under the name ‘Toronto Malayalee Samajam”. By this time Samajam was conducting many regular programs and activities for the community such as picnics, Onam and Christmas celebrations, Movies, Dramas and Ganamela etc.