By Sean Coombs
Expo Reporter
OSAKA, Japan — The Canada Pavilion at the Osaka Expo is a gleaming white structure that juts four stories into the air, designed to represent ice floes during the transition from winter to spring.
That concept permeates the pavilion itself and focuses on the notion of regeneration.
The theme goes deeper than the physical structure and its exhibits. Pavilion organizers have found a way to use the concept of regeneration to promote a continuing Canada Pavilion tradition.
Promoted as a series of monthly talks and activities, RegenHERation is a pavilion initiative that takes a twist on the pavilion’s overall theme to celebrate the achievements of women and promote gender equality.
The initiative is being run in cooperation with the Cartier Women’s Pavilion at Expo, with events rotating between the two pavilions.
Commissioner General Laurie Peters, who leads Canada’s Expo delegation, said in an interview that RegenHERation is about uplifting the achievements of women and celebrating talent.
“It’s proven to be a really important monthly event where Canada can convene these conversations,” Peters said.
As a long-time Expo advocate, who’s been involved in many Expos in the past, Peters says that promoting gender equality and Canadian women has been a pavilion tradition that she’s proud to continue at this year’s Expo.
“Each nation here at the Expo was told to choose a UN sustainable development goal, and I’m glad we chose gender equality,” she said. “It goes to show how diplomacy is a core part of Expo participation.”
With the RegenHERation events being quite popular so far, Peters said that the Canada Pavilion has spread the message of regeneration well.
“This opportunity to bring together 193 nations in Japan has really allowed Canada and other players to demonstrate our values, our principles, what we stand for, and to have diplomatic conversations with other nations,” she said.
Another recent pavilion event that focused on gender was an awards ceremony and showcase of a local cooking competition that took place in Osaka.
The competition saw teams of mothers and daughters prepare dishes that included Canadian cuisine, which were then judged by experts who chose first, second and third-place winners who were later recognized at an award’s ceremony in the pavilion’s main hall.
In speeches given before the award ceremony, Peters talked about how the culinary excellence shown by the cooks represented the deep bonds Canada has with Japan.
Second place winners Ai Kotani and her daughter Yu can certainly attest to that, as they used ingredients such as Canadian beef to win over the judges.
Along with learning about Canadian cuisine, they said they’ve learned a lot about Canada itself by being hosted at the pavilion.
“Canada is a country that has such natural wonder,” Ai said. “It’s wonderful to meet all the Canadians here, and the food from Canada can really bring people from our two cultures together.”
“I really want to visit Canada now,” her daughter Yu said. “I want to taste more Canadian food there.”