On July 1 the Sunshine Coast is invited to witness a powerful document being adopted in Sechelt that will proclaim the entire Coast as a welcoming community.
Leading up to that momentous occasion, on June 12 at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt, more than 50 people wrestled with definitions of inclusiveness the accord should include. Some of the attendees at this latest forum of WelcomeBC were repeats from the meeting held in Gibsons in early May. And many were new faces, at the meeting because of a vested interest in either providing services to newcomers to Canada or B.C. or because they are folks in need of those services.
Convened by Fon Pawakanun, cultural co-ordinator for Capilano University (CU), the meeting started with a great display of diversity. First, Andy Johnson from the Sechelt Indian Band greeted the assembled with a welcoming song in his language. Next, Lakkhana Menzies performed a dance from her native Thailand. Enter-taining and enlightening, both Johnson and Menzies brought faces to inclusion for the audience.
In an interesting start to the day, Pawakanun had everyone line up according to where they were born - a human map of the world. Surprisingly, there were almost as many people in attendance who were born in Ontario as native B.C. residents. A full third of the attendees were born outside Canada. The United Kingdom was well represented with former citizens of Wales, Scotland, England and Ireland. Of those representing the Far East, most had come from Thailand.
Information was shared on some of the hurdles new immigrants to Canada face, particularly those whose first language is not English. An important component of the local university is the English as a second language (ESL) program. Volunteer based, currently there are 26 students and 16 tutors.
Sandy Middleton, CU's literacy co-ordinator, spoke of the value of the program. There is no judgment, no rules to the way English is taught to newcomers. The primary goal appears to be practical fluency. And although the benefit to the students is readily apparent, the tutors also reap rewards, she said.
For Menzies, now a Canadian citizen, learning English meant she was no longer afraid to go shopping by herself. She could converse well enough to get the necessary groceries for her family.
For her tutor, Barbara DeMott, a university professor for 25 years, the level of participation and integrity were impressive. She urged anyone thinking of tutoring to do so.
In the main session of the forum, the audience was divided into three parts. Each of the facilitators, Middleton, Heather Gordon of Chatelech Sechelt Community School and Kerry Mahlman from School District No. 46, had a topic for their group to brainstorm. Ultimately the groups were charged with the responsibility of picking three words that would define an inclusive community for the Sunshine Coast.
And although the topics - creating awareness, resources and embracing diversity - were different, a surprising number of the ideas brought forward were the same. In most instances, breaking down barriers such as language, ethnicity or culture came to the forefront of the discussion.
For the group dealing with creating awareness, one stellar idea that came forward was a "Day of Welcoming" on the Coast. The group studying the issues of resources and services thought it important to have a hub for immigrants and locals to exchange information, services and programs. Not surprisingly, they felt that many opportunities already exist. The key is to increase awareness of the assets the community has. For the group assigned with embracing diversity, it was felt necessary to include all people under that umbrella, particularly the First Nations peoples living here. They also felt it would be useful to have a tool kit assembled to provide tips on how to make newcomers welcome in the community.
To find out what words were chosen for our accord, plan to attend the proclamation of the document at 10 a.m. on July 1 at Spirit Square next to the District of Sechelt municipal hall. It promises to be an historical occasion for the Sunshine Coast.
