Nepalese communities across Canada cancel Teej festivals as glacial collapse kills hundreds

Nepalese community organizations across Canada cancelled their annual Teej festivals this weekend in response to devastating floods in Nepal triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayan region.

Teej, a Hindu celebration of womanhood traditionally held across the Nepalese diaspora, would normally draw community gatherings in cities including Toronto, Brampton and Calgary. But with flash flooding on Wednesday killing some 800 people and leaving roughly 3,000 missing after a glacier collapsed in the border region between Nepal and China, organizers decided to redirect their energy and resources.

Punam Dhungel, president of the Nepali Canadian Women's Society of B.C., said her organization cancelled their event for the first time in its history. "We decided to redirect $15,000 in ticket sales to humanitarian relief efforts," she said. The decision reflected the scale of the disaster unfolding in real time. Authorities in Nepal warned Sunday of possible fresh flooding, urging residents in flood-affected districts to remain on high alert.

Canada's federal government announced it will provide $5 million in urgent humanitarian aid to support Nepal. As HOC reported in July, Ottawa is familiar with major flooding impacts — the city was drenched in record rainfall when a Canada Day storm cancelled celebrations across the region.