From September 13 until September 22, the County of Huron will celebrate Welcoming Week with a series of seven events held throughout the area.
Welcoming Week is an annual opportunity to recognize and celebrate the people, places, and values that help everyone feel welcome, and give a sense of belonging no matter where they come from.
“New residents of Huron County are a vital part of our community,” said Mark Nonkes, Immigration Partnership Manager.
“They bring fresh perspectives and new ideas, starting businesses, and contributing to the vibrant diversity that we all value.”
Four Huron County Library branches will host Meet Your Neighbour events throughout September.
Meet Your Neighbour events are an opportunity to meet new people in the community and learna bout some of the community’s organizations.
• Brussels: Thursday, September 12 from 7-8 p.m.
• Wingham: Saturday, September 14 from 2:30-4 p.m.
• Clinton: Tuesday, September 17 from 6:30-8 p.m.
• Seaforth: Wednesday, September 18 from 7-8 p.m.
The Huron County Museum will host a film screening of the movie Ru, a film about a Vietnamese refugee family who moves to Quebec’s countryside in the 1980s.
The film will be followed by a panel discussion reflecting on the local response to the Southeast Asia refugee crisis of the 1980s.
Panellists include Suvany Pravong, whose family arrived in Brussels in 1980 from Laos, Wendy Martin who formed close social ties with a Lao family upon their arrival in the community, and Dave and Sally Walker, who hosted Lao refugees at their home.
This movie and panel discussion will take place on Thursday, September 19 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Huron County Museum in Goderich. Sign up is encouraged as seating is limited.
The Goderich Community Garden and Huron County Immigration Partnership are teaming up to organize a cooking demonstration, where food lovers will learn how to turn tomatoes into tomato chutney and kale into kale chips.
The event will be led by Immigration Partnership co-chair Pam Somers, who will share a recipe her grandmother imparted before her family left Pakistan. This will take place on September 14 in Goderich from 1-3 p.m.
The Township of North Huron and the Huron County Economic Development department are organizing a job fair to help connect job seekers and employers as part of Welcoming Week.
The event is planned for Wednesday, September 18 from 3-7 p.m. at Wingham Columbus Centre.
“During Welcoming Week, I invite all residents of Huron County to welcome new neighbours,” said Glen McNeil, Huron County Warden.
“By working together, we can achieve greater prosperity and make Huron County the kind of place where diverse people from around the world feel valued and want to put down roots.”
Welcoming Week is an annual campaign and celebration to showcase the movement of communities striving to be more welcoming for all, including immigrants. Huron County has celebrated Welcoming Week annually since 2021.
For more information about these events and Welcoming Week in Huron County, visit: https://www.huroncounty.ca/welcoming-week
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