It was a packed house on September 26th as more than 300 people turned out for the Grand Opening celebration of MOSAIC’s new headquarters, toured our new office space and learned about our services.
The new 23,000 square foot facility is a community amenity that is owned by the City of Vancouver, and provided to MOSAIC as the operator.
The day’s programme opened with remarks from Board Chairperson Mehran Kiai, followed by the Traditional Welcome and Blessing from Elder Larry Grant of the Musqueam Coast Salish.
Click here for a backgrounder and to learn more about our new facility.
Mayor Gregor Robertson then took to the podium, expressing that “celebrating others’ cultures is essential to who we are”. He noted the effort that went into preparing the facility, saying it took “a mosaic of partners, and MOSAIC at the heart of that” to make it happen, adding that developer Wall Financial contributed over $11 million to create the space and make it suitable as MOSAIC’s headquarters.
The Mayor stated the importance of MOSAIC’s work with newcomers, helping “people who we really, really need to welcome and help support” and lauded the organization’s board, staff and volunteers, saying “you so deserve this – you deserve a great space. It’s an honour for us to help enable this.”
Jenny Kwan – MP Vancouver East, and Shane Simpson – Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, MLA Vancouver-Hastings, also spoke of their long association with MOSAIC and their support for the organization’s work with newcomers and immigrants.
Bruno Wall of the Wall Financial Group unveiled a plaque in the reception room which acknowledges the collaborative effort between the Wall Financial, the City of Vancouver, the Collingwood Community and MOSAIC.
Eyob Naizghi, Excecutive Director, acknowledged the work of the many people who contributed to the lengthy process of securing the site, worked with the design and aesthetic of the space, and attended to the many details of the construction and finishing. Appreciation awards were handed out to two City of Vancouver staff who acted as liaisons, developer Bruno Wall, architect Stu Lyons, and board members Adam Policzer, Jeff Brooks, and Yijin Wen. MOSAIC was sent greetings & congratulations from:
- The Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship: Video | PDF
- The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada: View
- Terry Beech, Member of Parliament (Burnaby North—Seymour): View
