By Alexandra Brothers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
September 8, 2023 Edition
Members of Mount Pearl city council teamed up this week with Sharing Our Cultures, a local group that fosters connections for socially diverse youth, to welcome recent immigrants.
Mayor Dave Aker proclaimed September 8-17 as Welcoming Week in Mount Pearl in keeping with similar celebrations that are being observed across the country.
Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe, the founder and CEO of Sharing Our Cultures, joined council for the proclamation. Quaicoe, a former Mount Pearl resident, received the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador and serves on the Board of Regents at Memorial University. She helped establish Sharing Our Cultures in 1999 with the mission of creating an organization that strives to build “inclusive, equitable, and cohesive communities” within the province.
“About 90 per cent of our friends and guests that we work with… are newcomers to Canada and we provide support and resources and information that they need to be able to thrive and to actually integrate into the society,” said Quaicoe.
Sharing Our Cultures is hosting an open house on September 15-16 at the Learning and Resource Centre at 319 Elizabeth Avenue to showcase some of the programs, events, and projects they offer for young people.
“Welcoming Week is an exciting time for us to bring together both newcomers and long-term residents and other locals to find out about each other, to get to know more about each other, to engage in conversations and activities,” said Quaicoe.
The event will feature live music and plenty of fun activities. Quaicoe extended an invitation to anyone who is interested to stop by and interact with the youths who are involved with the group.
Mayor Aker seconded that thought. “If you’ve got a little bit of time in your calendars, pop down,” he said. “I don’t think you’ll regret it. You’ll see something hopefully new, and I think that’s the whole point, that everybody sees a little bit of everybody else.”
That was a sentiment echoed in the wording of the proclamation itself. “Newcomers are a vital part of our community — bringing fresh perspectives and new ideas, starting businesses, and contributing to the vibrant diversity that we all value,” read the document.
“It is my pleasure to sign that on behalf of all of us,” said Aker. “And from all of us, to all of you, we (extend) a warm welcome.”
