Ty Hildebrand, Gavin Anderson, Dan Styves and Kim Goodine pose with the Pembina Valley Local Immigration Partnership’s “I’m a Welcomer” frame.
Welcome Week is underway across the Pembina Valley, with the Pembina Valley Local Immigration Partnership (PVLIP) encouraging residents to think about what they can do to make their communities more welcoming.
The annual initiative focuses on welcoming newcomers and finding practical ways for people to build connections with others in their communities.
Elaine Burton-Saindon with PVLIP says the organization’s work looks at how people can help newcomers feel welcome and connected.
“Essentially we’re working around how do we welcome newcomers into our communities or into our region? And how do you demonstrate that?” Burton-Saindon said.6
This year, PVLIP is putting a new focus on its Courage to Connect campaign.
The campaign features a short, 10-question survey that encourages people to think about their own experiences connecting with people from different cultural backgrounds.
The questions look at things like whether someone has had a conversation that helped them learn about another culture, participated in activities that built a sense of belonging, or found other ways to experience a different culture.
Burton-Saindon says the idea is to give people simple opportunities to start conversations and become more curious about the people around them.
“Kind of like simple ideas that might spur on a conversation and create curiosity that kind of takes courage to take that step,” she said.
PVLIP is also continuing to use a social media selfie frame as part of its campaign, marking the third year of the feature.
Submissions for the Courage to Connect campaign are being collected, with PVLIP planning a draw for the final day of the Welcome Week campaign.
For PVLIP, welcoming communities are about more than simply saying hello.
Burton-Saindon says anyone moving into a new community can experience some uncertainty while trying to figure out where they fit in.
That can be someone arriving from another country, or someone simply moving to a new town.
“You always kind of hold back and you’re kind of waiting to see, where do I fit in?” Burton-Saindon said.
She says helping people develop a sense of belonging can ultimately lead to stronger connections with their communities.
“We really find that a sense of belonging is what helps people feel connected to their community and then ultimately give back,” she said.
Burton-Saindon says creating that feeling can start with something as simple as being kind and taking an interest in someone else’s story.
“It really ultimately comes back to kindness, and just taking that initial step of asking someone how they’re doing or understanding their process on their journey on how they got here,” she said.
PVLIP says creating welcoming communities can also play a role in the future of rural communities.
Burton-Saindon points to changing populations, declining birth rates and economic factors as some of the challenges communities are facing.
She says creating connections and common ground can help newcomers feel like they have found a place they can call home.
“If we’re kind and create friendliness and common ground with others that will help them feel like, okay, this is my new home now,” she said.
More information about PVLIP, Welcome Week and the Courage to Connect campaign is available through the organization’s website and social media channels.
-WIth files from Alexander Peters
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