Sri Lankan dancers. | Photo courtesy of SLFA

he Sri Lankan Friendship Association (SLFA) has been supporting the Vancouver Sri Lankan community for over 30 years. With a focus on unity, the goal of the organization is to share and conserve the cultures, history and traditions of Sri Lanka.

The 2011 census shows that Canada is home to 132,130 people of Sri Lankan descent, with 4,430 choosing to settle in B.C. Clifford Weerpass, president of the SLFA, says that Canada and Sri Lanka both share a striking defining characteristic: multiculturalism. The Sinhalese demographic makes up the majority of the Sri Lankan population, although the minority groups of the Tamils, the Burghes, the Muslims and the indigenous are still a strong cultural presence.

Friendship through fellowship

Weerpass, born a Burghes, a people who have descended directly from the introduction of European bloodlines, points out that for someone who was born in Sri Lanka and has immigrated to Canada, there is definitely a stark contrast. He says the thinly spread population of Canada is not bound to bring up many memories of the busy streets of capital city Colombo. Sri Lanka is an island nation that is slightly bigger in area than two Vancouver Islands, but holds over 22 million people.

“One very important feature of Sri Lankan culture, there is always an extra place at the table,” says Weerpass of his heritage.

While all the different factions of Sri Lankans have not always had a peaceful past, Weerpass knows the importance of acceptance and ensures that every piece of Sri Lankan culture is represented by the SLFA.

Events and festivities

The SLFA carries out their mission of unity through a number of events each year, the biggest of which belongs to the Sri Lankan New Year. The event spans multiple days to symbolize the passing of the old to new and involves a variety of activities, games and traditional cuisine. Weerpass says the mid-April event draws up to 700 people and creates a strong sense of community through both cooperation and competition.

“Call it a pillow fight,” exclaims Weerpass, while describing New Year’s most notorious activity.

The game involves one-on-one combat of two individuals perched on wooden posts wielding only one feather-stuffed sack.

“Rivalries start here and end up at sports day,” says Weerpass, referring to another SLFA event in July.

He says a hallmark of New Year’s for many Sri Lankans is the boiling of the milk. This old tradition requires a pot of milk to be boiled in the middle of an empty room. The purpose of this ceremony is to watch what direction the milk boils over, as it could mean increased prosperity over the next year.

Another significant day for Sri Lankans is Feb. 4, the day representing their independence from British rule, and the SLFA hosts an annual event to celebrate this holiday. Weerpass says his motivation behind bringing these events to his community is clear.

“Friendship, that’s the main thing,” says Weerpass. “I love putting people together and seeing what flourishes.”

The next generation

The Sri Lankan Student Association (SLSA) is similar to the SLFA but has been mostly catering to students at Simon Fraser University (SFU). While the SLSA also hosts events for New Year’s and independence day, they have created a special event of their own to celebrate their Sri Lankan heritage.

Sanakeliya, a Sinhalese word meaning ‘festival,’ is exactly what its name would suggest. Traditional Sri Lankan food is complemented with a musical fusion that combines song and dance from Sri Lanka and other cultures.

Shinelle Devapriya, president of the SLSA, says that club enrolment is meaningful for members and gives them a chance to reconnect with their roots.

“There are members who have joined the club, who are just soul divers,” says Devapriya.

The SLSA will also be hosting an event near the end of this year to celebrate their second anniversary. The next SLFA event is a formal banquet in December featuring two Sri Lankan artists.

For information on the SLFA and their events, please visit www.slfabc.com and www.facebook.com/slfa.bc.