MOSAIC’s Multicultural Settlement Fair was held February 18th at Burnaby Byrne Creek Secondary School. The event was attended by over 200 people, which included ethnically diverse groups and residents of Burnaby and nearby areas.
The Moving Ahead Program, which serves mostly refugees and immigrants with multi- barriers, organized and hosted the event.
Highlights of the day included a series of colourful multicultural performances including African drums, Chinese folk dances, Tigrinya and Amharic dances, and Afghan and Kurdish interactive dances. A multicultural fashion show featuring a “mosaic” of various cultures living in the Burnaby municipality was also extremely well-received.
Organisations performing at the fair included the Super Fun Singing Group, Vancouver Phoenix International Academy of Dance, Vancouver Afghan Traditional Attan, Great Love Dancing Group, Peach Dancing Group, Nuba Mountains Sudanese Canadians, and Society of British Columbia.
Also onsite were Burnaby Community Services, Edmond’s Community Centre, and Fraser Works Employment Services Centre Burnaby. ICBC provided an exhibition of their services to newcomer clients.
Sav Dhaliwal, Acting Mayor of Burnaby spoke about the ethnic diversity in Burnaby, and commented that it is now one of the most diverse cities in Metro Vancouver. Also in attendance was Raj Chouhan, MLA for Burnaby –Edmonds, who spoke about Canadian governance and the role of MLAs.
Ronnie Law, Manager of the Moving Ahead program, said he was very happy with the event. “Clients and guests enjoyed the performances and appreciated all the information that was provided by our partner organizations, guests, and MOSAIC staff. It was a wonderful afternoon for everyone.”
Are you new in Canada? Dealing with health issues, poverty, a lack of English, or feel isolated? We can help. Moving Ahead clients will be paired with a Case Manager who will provide services at the Burnaby Family Life Institute, in the community or in client homes. To learn more, please visit: mosaicbc.org/moving-ahead.
