One would not want to speak for other cities in the world where our country men and women have found home, however, from what I tasted of Toronto in Canada a few weeks back, the sweet aroma of Ghana was literally everywhere.
Shocked beyond belief in some of the encounters I had briefly had, plus what I was hearing, I decided to pick some areas and visit to back my experience.
Since the 2026 FIFA World Cup had just commenced and Ghana had just played its maiden match against Panama with a sweet victory at the Toronto stadium.
The excitement in victory was all over. I could not help but to get a feel of the stadium where it all happened. I visited and what a double sweet aroma I got.
Sankofa Square
Near to the stadium is the strategically located newly inaugurated Sankofa Square which had then been outdoored by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, just before the opening match against Panama.
As was described to me by some of those who attended, the extraordinary display of Ghanaian culture was witnessed by over 5,000 people, including Canadian dignitaries, tourists, Ghanaians in the diaspora, some business leaders and football enthusiasts.
The gathering, apparently, turned out to be a celebration of Ghanaian heritage as Otumfuo and his entourage of some Ashanti chiefs, sat in state to receive guests.
As the Square, formerly known as Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto gave way to Sankofa, a Twi word which when translated means going back (to one’s roots) is no taboo.
Whoever might have selected the name and with the blessings of the Toronto city authorities, hit the nail on the head.
Additionally, for the Asantehene to come down to inaugurate the renamed Square makes one even more super delighted.
The presence of Ghana in downtown Toronto has come to stay from that historic day and the aroma will linger on.
Scents of Ghana
Toronto, well and truly, has all the scents of Ghana which qualifies for it to be an extension of Ghana with the representations that transcend most aspects of our rich culture back home.
It took me all the way to a Toronto local eatery to learn that the food, Tuo Zaafi, is also known as Diehuo.
I had never heard of that name as the alternative for tuo zafi in Accra where I have lived for most part of my life.
Having been presented with the menu at the eatery, in ignorance, I asked embarrassingly what diehuo was.
Genuinely, I had never heard the expression used anywhere.
On the menu list featured foods like fried yam with tilapia and fresh pepper, waakye with garri and macaroni, banku and okro stew, fufu, jollof rice and kokonte, which I was told was the favourite of the many who patronise the place.
I was even told someone cooks and sells Hausa koko with all the accompaniments somewhere in the area.
During a drive around the market shops, I discovered market names like, New Asafo market, Kantamanto market, Makola, Central market and Adepa market.
In all those markets, Twi seems to be the lingua franca as one could hear transactions and conversations that went on.
On sale were fresh yams from Ghana, koobi, cocoyam, apem, Zomi, red oil, smoked fish and many other food items one could find in Kaneshie market back in Accra.
Interestingly, one shop I visited had then just taken delivery of fresh apem and koobi from Ghana that morning.
At the Ghanaian Presbyterian Church of Toronto where I joined for worship one Sunday, the atmosphere was not different from my regular church back home.
They projected the Presbyterian hymns in both Twi and Ga.
Their worship songs were mostly what one is used to back home and the dancing steps were no different.
Most of the worshippers were proudly clothed in their Ghanaian attire with modern styles featuring.
After the beautiful church service, I checked in at their book stall. In a corner on display were some Ghanaian newspapers, “The Ghanaian News”.
I picked a copy to read. About 60 per cent of the 56-paged newspaper had news from Ghana which was quite helpful.
The rest was on Toronto news with a lot of advertising.
Through the newspaper, I got to know that there were a lot of Ghanaian professionals in the Toronto area who had set up consultancy services from health care to legal assistance, finance and tax, insurance, shipping and cargo, as well as world travels and tours.
It was encouraging to note that Ghanaian professionals in Canada are doing well on the face of it.
Old student reunions also found spaces in the newspaper and so did the power packed herbal Bitters prepared with multiples of herbs.
Like they advertise back home, those Bitters heal thousand and one different diseases from low sperm count to fibroid, diabetes, hypertension and infertility.
At the end of my visit, I concluded that Toronto is a perfect Ghanaian settlement.
One can walk through there and feel very much like being on Ghanaian soil.
The gaping differences are their good roads, schools, health provision, cleanliness, environmental consciousness and responsible attitudes.
Otherwise, the sweet scents of Ghana very much prevail in the cosmopolitan city of Toronto.
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