The Ghana Association of Ottawa is inviting all Ghanaians resident in Ottawa, Gatineau-Hull, and surrounding areas to attend the 46th Ghana independence celebration as a platform to revive the Ghana Association of Ottawa. Based on last year’s preliminary meeting to revive the long-running catnapped Ghanaian community in Ottawa and its surrounding areas, the impending 6th March celebration is to be used to awake the small but growing Ghanaian community. No doub, Ottawa is abuzz with posters of the impending gala, as I saw one at Grace Ottawa, which sells African-Canadian foodstuffs, and at Sandy Hill Community Centre, when I attended Council of African-Canadians meeting. According to Mr. Evans Ehui, a senior community member, an interim committee was set up last year to plan the revival of the Ghanaian community in Ottawa.

To this end, Mr. Andy Kusi Appiah, the former president of the community and chair of the interim committee, will brief the community about the history of the Ghana Association of Ottawa and plans to revive it on the March 8 dinner and dance. Ahead of the festivity, Mr. Appiah is expected to inform the Ghanaian community that a functional Ghana Association is in their own interest and progress and anything short is counter-productive to their progress.

While for long the Ghana Association of Ottawa and the Ghana High Commission have celebrated Ghana’s independence separately, according to Mr. Ehui, the community is planning to bring the High Commission on board this time around in order to help whip up Ghanaians resident in Ottawa interest in the Ghana Association. However, Hon. Samuel A. Odoi-Sykes, the Ghana High Commission, said his mission is yet to receive formal invitation from the Ghana Association of Ottawa in this regard. The Toronto-based Ghanaian-owned Africa Entertainment Television (AETV) is expected to cover the Ottawa celebration. Mr. Jose Aggrey, a long-time Ottawa resident, will be the master of ceremony.