Vernon Ramesar

Members of the Tamil community in Nova Scotia came out in numbers on Saturday to celebrate Tamil Heritage Month at the Halifax Forum multi-purpose centre.

Organizers estimated&nbsp;that more than 800 people attended despite stormy weather.

January was proclaimed Tamil Heritage Month by Parliament in 2016. The month&nbsp;celebrates Tamil language and culture and the contributions Tamils have made to Canada.

Valarmathy Kaliaperumal, president of the Maritime Tamil Welfare Association, said the Tamil population in Nova Scotia was about 1,500 in 2016, but has tripled since.

Shot of a crowd, many dressed in traditional Tamil outfits, seated in front of a stage

Organizers estimate about 800 people attended despite the bad weather

Tamil heritage

A woman in Tamil dress wearing jewelry speaks to the camera

Valarmathy Kaliaperumal is president of the Maritime Tamil Welfare Association

Valarmathy Kaliaperumal

She said the event was not just about celebrating the community but a way of exposing more Nova Scotians to Tamil culture.

People sell Tamil clothing at two booths with many people examining their wares

One side of the hall was dedicated to booths selling Tamil clothing and accessories

One side of the room was dedicated to shopping booths and the other to people sampling and buying traditional Tamil foods.

Many people were drawn to the selection of Tamil foods available at the event.

The main stage featured a number of cultural performances, including children doing traditional Tamil dances.

Girls in Tamil dress wave yellow handkerchiefs during a dance performance.

Children performing cultural dances were prominent on the main stage

Tamil Heritage

According to&nbsp;Kaliaperumal, the event allows Tamil children who are away from their homeland experience the diversity and vibrancy of their culture.

Children performing a traditional Tamil dance on the main stage of the event.

Kaliaperumal&nbsp;said she was gratified by the turnout and the association wants to do even more next year.

"We are planning, hopefully, to have a two-day event next year with the population and with all the cultural performances that we have," she said.

Wind warnings issued for all of Nova Scotia

Yet another storm system will cross eastern North America over the next few days, bringing with it a mix of snow, rain, ice and strong winds.

there is sea weed on a road surrounded by water. The waves are rough and a boat is rocking. 

Waves and debris on a road in the Yarmouth area on Jan. 13

Yarmouth County Storm Surge Jan 13 

Waves and debris are shown on a road in the Yarmouth area on Saturday.

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rcmp royal canadian mounted police cruiser cop car vehicle crime enforcement

RCMP have arrested a 26-year-old man of Big Island Cree Nation in the death of a woman on the Cree Nation last week. 

RCMP cruiser

Police said emergency services responded to a report of a crash at 5:40 p.m. Friday.

Baby formula under lock and key at some Halifax-area drug stores

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Infant formula behind the glass at a Shoppers Drug Mart location in the Halifax area.

baby formula infant formula

Infant formula is stored behind glass at a Shoppers Drug Mart location in the Halifax area.

Nova Scotia Power wants customers to pay $1.7M interest on leftover Fiona bill, documents show

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Trees lean close to power lines and poles along a road in rural Cape Breton.

Trees lean close to power lines and poles on several stretches of Main-a-Dieu Road, which Ken Wadden says are the result of post-tropical storm Fiona in September 2022.

Main a Dieu Road trees

Trees lean close to power lines and poles on several stretches of Main-a-Dieu Road in Cape Breton after post-tropical storm Fiona in September 2022. 

The Macdonald Bridge is getting a $75M makeover

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Macdonald Bridge to be stripped, painted for first time in 70 years

A suspension bridge is seen over the harbour on an overcast day. The closest metal footing under the bridge is patchy with rust, while the one beside it is a lighter green

The Macdonald Bridge is seen from the Dartmouth waterfront. Fresh paint is on the second-from right support structure underneath the bridge, while the structure on the far right has yet to be painted.

macdonald bridge paint

Halifax’s Macdonald Bridge is gearing up for a $75-million makeover. The aging steel will be entirely stripped and repainted, in an effort to extend its life by decades. Haley Ryan has more.

The Tamil Heritage Month event featured many cultural performances.

Tamil Heritage Month celebrated at event in Halifax

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