In Brampton, Ontario, Canada, a bust of Jose Rizal that was recently built adorns the park that bears his name. Important figures from the city of Brampton, including Mayor Patrick Brown, Councilor Rowena Santos, Member of Parliament Rechie Valdez, and others, unveiled the monument in honor of Filipino Heritage Month.

Coun. Rowena Santos described the little job that Filipinos have been doing in Canada for many years. "We're really reserved. But because several generations, including myself, MP Rechie Valdez, and our children, now make Brampton home, we have been working hard in this country and are now beginning to grow quickly, she said in a speech at the ceremony.

The first Filipino Canadian woman elected to the House of Representatives, MP Rechie Valdez, is a significant figure in Canada who is advancing progress for both Canadians and Filipinos. She congratulated the city of Brampton for hosting such an important event in a tweet. "We are grateful to the city of Brampton for embracing resilience and celebrating diversity."

Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton City, applauds the monument as evidence of his respect for the Filipino people in Canada and around the world. His legacy includes the incredible success of the Philippines and Filipinos around the world, Mayor Brown said in his speech.

The park where the bust is now situated was given the new name Dr. Jose Rizal Park in 2021 to honor the expanding Filipino population in Peel.

In the late 1800s, Rizal, a physician and author, took part in the Philippine independence struggle. His writings, such as Noli Me Tángere (1887) and El Filibusterismo (1891), reignited Philippine nationalism in opposition to the horrors of Spanish colonialism.