TORONTO, Feb. 21 -- Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, is planned, executed and celebrated in Toronto, the biggest city in Canada, with as much gusto as the festival deserves.

"Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year)," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper greeted a group in Chinese Mandarin at Toronto Fo Guang Shan Temple in Mississauga Friday evening, extending his wishes and paying his tribute to the Chinese community in the country, which hosts 1,487,580 Chinese, according to Statistics Canada.

Harper recalled the history from 150 years ago when Chinese laborers helped build the Pacific railway to modern days that the Chinese made contributions to the country's development in industry, commerce and social life.

"The hard work, the creative genius and rich cultural heritage of this community, helped make Canada what it is today the best country in the world," he said.

Receiving a jade name stamp with his Chinese name inscribed by the temple founder Master Hsing Yun, the prime minister was delighted, "Now that I have an official Chinese name, I feel like as if I am a Chinese." The joke brought joyful laughters.

"This celebration is also a fitting time for Canadians to reflect on the tremendous contributions that members of the Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian communities continue to make to our country," Harper said in a statement marking the Lunar New Year.

Earlier Friday noon, Toronto Mayor John Tory hosted a Chinese Lunar New Year luncheon reception, the first in the history of Toronto's City Hall.

"Canada has benefited in many ways through its friendship with China politically, economically and culturally," said Tory, " Toronto is the most diverse city in our nation, and the Chinese- Canadian community is a cornerstone of this diversity."

"I wish all the viewers a very happy new year, Xin Nian Kuai Le, Gung Hay Fat Choy (Wishing you a great prosperity in Cantonese)," the mayor said.

He told Xinhua in an interview that "The relationship between Canada and China, and between Toronto and a number of Chinese cities, is very very important, as is the presence of Chinese- Canadian community in Toronto, they contribute in so many ways, and I am happy and proud about that and look forward to making even better."

Tory, who is to take his first mayoral trade trip to China in 2015, is regaling in his new-found role as the informal ambassador to all things Chinese.

As the guest of honor at the City Hall reception, China's consul general in Toronto, Xue Bing, said that 2015 will be the 45th anniversary of China-Canada diplomatic ties, the 10th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership, and the 30th anniversary of the twinning of Ontario and China's Jiangsu Province.

The Year of Sheep is expected to see more cultural exchanges and increased trade between Canada and China.

On Saturday evening, a New Year concert featuring Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Canada's Goodwill Ambassador to China " Dashan" is to be held at the prestigious Roy Thompson Hall.

Besides the above-mentioned activities, the preparations to welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year, the most important holiday for Chinese family reunion, were well underway ever since the beginning of February.

On Feb. 11, the iconic CN tower in Toronto was lit up in red to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

On Feb. 13, Toronto's Canadian International AutoShow, one of the top five North American shows, was opened by its new president, Benny Leung, who was born in Hong Kong. Leung, also the president of Ontario's Trillium Automobile Dealers Association, was the first Chinese autoshow president in 100 years.

The autoshow program was written in Mandarin and the lion dancers were there setting the tone for this prodigious year of the sheep.

The Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Toronto are expected to end with a Lantern Festival on March 5.