By: Eric McCarthy – Journal Pioneer
Event calls everyone ‘neighbour’
ELMSDALE, P.E.I. —
In his role as Community Navigator for West Prince, Scott Smith says he will be focused almost exclusively on one project for the next two months.
He’s co-ordinating a Neighbour to Neighbour celebration planned for Saturday, Feb. 8 at Westisle Composite High School. The 11 a.m to 4 p.m. event follows up on a similar event held in West Prince almost two years earlier.
He wants everyone in West Prince – those who have lived in the area all of their lives, those who have moved to the region to work and those who have retired there – to view West Prince as their home.
He told of recent activities, like a Pinoy Festival in Alberton, a very musical Community Welcome in O’Leary and 10 countries in 10 nights community school events as demonstrations that West Prince is welcoming and diverse. He feels it is even more diverse of a region than it was two years ago.
“It has grown from even two years ago and it’s set to grow even more exponentially,” Smith said.
“I think we identified back two years ago, some of the different cultures that were here,” said Maxine Rennie, executive director of CBDC West Prince Ventures, who is returning as one of the organizers.
“I think we’ve identified even more within the community navigator project.”
She says the 2020 event will be even bigger and with more partnerships.
Health P.E.I., through its healthcare services in West Prince, has signed on as a partner.
Paul Young, administrator of Community Hospitals West, anticipates 100 or more health care professionals in the region will want to take part in the special day.
“The work that was happening here with Neighbour to Neighbour just lent itself to that perfect opportunity for us to partner,” he said, seeing it as a fitting replacement to the physician welcome events held in the past. This event, he said, helps welcome all newcomers to the region.
“The family always has to be included,” said Christina Phillips, manager of Primary Care Services in West Prince, adding Neighbour to Neighbour welcomes all members of the family.
“We support new employees, and all our employees in the workplace, but we need to look beyond that now and integrating into the community and supporting that integration as best we can.”
And it’s not just newcomers, Smith said, pointing out he is counting on people who have always been from West Prince attending and taking advantage of the opportunity to meet new residents.
Neighbour to Neighbour, Young said, achieves some of the goals of a Here2Stay forum the West Prince Community Partnership on healthcare hosted earlier this year. The creation of a Community Navigator position was also a recommendation from that forum.
Food, demonstrations and keynote speakers will be part of the Feb. 8 celebrations.
“It’s not just a spotlight and shining a light on one particular culture; one particular ethnic group; it’s all [of them]” Smith said.
“When you intermingle, one booth is a local employer, local organization and the next is a different country, it’s a weaved-in relationship. So I think that way everyone will feel they are represented, both local and new people too, who call here ‘home’ now.”
The Western Region Sport and Recreation Council will be organizing games in the gymnasium for youth during the day.
Tareq Hadhad, who came to Canada as a Syrian refugee in 2015, will be a keynote speaker. Hadhad is CEO and founder of the Peace by Chocolate company in Nova Scotia.
Smith said subcommittees are still being formed to help finalize plans for Neighbour to Neighbour.
In his role as Community Navigator for West Prince, Scott Smith says he will be focused almost exclusively on one project for the next two months.
He’s co-ordinating a Neighbour to Neighbour celebration planned for Saturday, Feb. 8 at Westisle Composite High School. The 11 a.m to 4 p.m. event follows up on a similar event held in West Prince almost two years earlier.
He wants everyone in West Prince – those who have lived in the area all of their lives, those who have moved to the region to work and those who have retired there – to view West Prince as their home.
He told of recent activities, like a Pinoy Festival in Alberton, a very musical Community Welcome in O’Leary and 10 countries in 10 nights community school events as demonstrations that West Prince is welcoming and diverse. He feels it is even more diverse of a region than it was two years ago.
“It has grown from even two years ago and it’s set to grow even more exponentially,” Smith said.
“I think we identified back two years ago, some of the different cultures that were here,” said Maxine Rennie, executive director of CBDC West Prince Ventures, who is returning as one of the organizers.
“I think we’ve identified even more within the community navigator project.”
She says the 2020 event will be even bigger and with more partnerships.
Health P.E.I., through its healthcare services in West Prince, has signed on as a partner.
Paul Young, administrator of Community Hospitals West, anticipates 100 or more health care professionals in the region will want to take part in the special day.
“The work that was happening here with Neighbour to Neighbour just lent itself to that perfect opportunity for us to partner,” he said, seeing it as a fitting replacement to the physician welcome events held in the past. This event, he said, helps welcome all newcomers to the region.
“The family always has to be included,” said Christina Phillips, manager of Primary Care Services in West Prince, adding Neighbour to Neighbour welcomes all members of the family.
“We support new employees, and all our employees in the workplace, but we need to look beyond that now and integrating into the community and supporting that integration as best we can.”
And it’s not just newcomers, Smith said, pointing out he is counting on people who have always been from West Prince attending and taking advantage of the opportunity to meet new residents.
Neighbour to Neighbour, Young said, achieves some of the goals of a Here2Stay forum the West Prince Community Partnership on healthcare hosted earlier this year. The creation of a Community Navigator position was also a recommendation from that forum.
Food, demonstrations and keynote speakers will be part of the Feb. 8 celebrations.
“It’s not just a spotlight and shining a light on one particular culture; one particular ethnic group; it’s all [of them]” Smith said.
“When you intermingle, one booth is a local employer, local organization and the next is a different country, it’s a weaved-in relationship. So I think that way everyone will feel they are represented, both local and new people too, who call here ‘home’ now.”
The Western Region Sport and Recreation Council will be organizing games in the gymnasium for youth during the day.
Tareq Hadhad, who came to Canada as a Syrian refugee in 2015, will be a keynote speaker. Hadhad is CEO and founder of the Peace by Chocolate company in Nova Scotia.
Smith said subcommittees are still being formed to help finalize plans for Neighbour to Neighbour.