It marked the third straight year of Ismaili CIVIC, an annual event established during  Canada’s 150th birthday to bring Canadian Ismaili Muslims together to improve quality of life in their communities.

“Ismaili CIVIC is a great way to get involved,” said Rahmat Kassam, one of the organizers of Ismaili CIVIC in Ottawa. Seventy-five volunteers in Canada’s capital helped clean seven parks and made over 1000 sandwiches at shelters.

In B.C., participants planted trees, cleaned parks, and helped at food banks.

Nine-year-old Arsh Pirani, who helped clean up Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, was happy despite the hard day of work.

“It’s fun because you are helping all the creatures on the water and on the land,” said Arsh.

Elsewhere in Canada, volunteers worked with cancer patients, at rehab centres and blood services centres, at hospices and seniors centres, and with the Women in Need Society and Habitat for Humanity.

Safira Teja, a fourth-year University of Ottawa student, said she joined Ismaili CIVIC because giving back to the city and country where she lives is important to her.

“We want to contribute to the communities that have helped us,” she said.

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