TORONTO, May 24, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Nine thousand people representing nearly every creed and nationality in Canada crowded into Queen’s Park yesterday to stand for traditional marriage. Echoing similar rallies around the country in recent months which have collectively gathered some one hundred thousand Canadians, pro-family and religious leaders spoke strongly of the need to protect the institution of marriage from radical redefinition to include homosexual couples.
Along with rally organizer, Presbyterian minister Rev. Tristan Emmanuel, several evangelical ministers including Ron Mainse, son of 100 Huntley Street founder David Mainse, and Rev. Al Bezuyen (the emcee) took part in the rally.
While weather reports threatened rain, the sometimes cloudy but mostly sunny and warm weather was perfect for the rally.
Toronto Catholic Bishop Emeritus Pearce Lacey spoke at the rally as did Ontario Knights of Columbus Life and Family Values Chairman leader Dan Heffernan. Jewish Rabbi Mendel Kaplan and Muslim Imam Suleiman Yacoob were crowd favourites at the gathering. Toronto Ukrainian Orthodox Bishop Yuriy Kalishchuk and Coptic Orthodox priest Fr. Rueiss Awad also addressed the huge crowd. Other faith leaders included Angican Tony Copples, Janet Epp Buckingham of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Dr. Graham Scott of the St Ignatius of Antioch Antiochian Orthodox Mission Station in St Catharines.
Youth were dominant in the crowd, representing at least fifty percent of participants.
Pro-family leaders including Campaign Life Coalition President Jim Hughes, Dr. Charles McVety of Defend Marriage Canada, Jim Duffy of Witness, Jewish leader Joseph Benami made brief remarks.
Cultural community leaders including Rev. Dominic Tse of the Chinese Christian community and Mr. Masood Khan, president of the United Front of Pakistani Canadians were well represented at the rally. Rev. Tse also introduced a man from Hong Kong who was a former homosexual and is now happily married. The man and his wife now carry out a Christian ministry to homosexuals giving them hope to alter their sexual orientation.
Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament Jim Flaherty and Saskatchewan Federal Member of Parliament Maurice Vellacott also addressed the crowd.
Above all, the youthful crowd was wowed with the awesome music of the David MacDonald Band with their feature song on the subject, “One Man, One Woman.”
JIm Hughes addresses the Rally
Some of the many youth at the rally
Dave MacDonald Entertained the crowd