PM Justin Trudeau gets rock star's welcome at Woodbridge community centre
PM meets with bingo players, bocce players, members of local seniors club

YorkRegion.com
Feb. 27, 2017
Adam Martin-Robbins  

Throngs of Vaughan residents, young and old, packed Father Ermanno Bulfon Community Centre hoping to shake hands and, in some cases, snap a selfie with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Monday afternoon.

Trudeau dropped by for a quick meet-and-greet with local residents at 3 p.m. Feb. 27 after spending a day in the GTA that featured stops at Brampton city hall and Mississauga city hall, followed by a round-table discussion on the automotive industry at the Automotive Parts Manufacturer Association Head Office in Toronto.

Dozens of people packed in the main lobby of the community centre, bursting into loud cheers as Trudeau made his entrance shaking hands and posing for photographs.

One group held a hand-written banner that read: PM Trudeau thanks for keeping Canada great.

During the tour, Trudeau visited a room filled with bingo players before heading to the bocce courts where he posed with players.

His tour wrapped up with a visit to the West Woodbridge Seniors and Pensioners club, where a group of men were playing cards and watching soccer.

“I know better than to play with you,” Trudeau said to one man who asked the PM to join in their game.

Salvatore Manganaro was thrilled to get a chance to shake hands and have a brief chat with Trudeau. “He does a lot of good things for us,” he said. “We supported him the best we could. My family likes him so much, even my grandkids. … It was my pleasure to see him.”

Oriente DeAmicis echoed those sentiments.

“I like his approach toward, not just Canadian people, but people outside Canada,” he said. “And for his young age, he’s doing very well.”