On Saturday, February 5, 2011, Thrangu Monastery was honoured to receive the Honourable Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney. Minister Kenney was received by Lama Pema Tsewang and Khenpo Karma Tashi, along with Ngawang Garie, and others. In addition, our kind neighbors from the Richmond Mosque were also in attendance.

After tea, a short discussion of the history of the monastery and a tour of the shrine room, Lama Pema presented Minister Kenney with a rupa of Shakymuni Buddha as a remembrance of his visit. Minister Kenney offered many kind remarks in the shrine room to the assembled monastic and lay community. In particular, he discussed the new Canadian initiative which has established a special class of immigration visas for 1,000 Tibetans from Arunachal Pradesh, India. Canada has undertaken this program at the specific request of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

Minister Kenney, clearly happy and at ease, commented that he has been in many hundreds of places of worship throughout Canada, but none more beautiful than Thrangu Monastery. It was a delight to have Minister Kenney in our monastery. We look forward to his return, and to working with him on this new Canadian initiative.

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