Red Deer’s annual Welcoming Week starts now

“Welcoming Week reminds us to build more meaningful opportunities for people to connect and feel that they belong.”

Activities begin Friday, Sept. 11 at 1:30 p.m. in the Snell Auditorium (downtown public library) with Courage to Tell Through Stories, Song and Prayer, an Indigenous sharing event featuring storytelling, song, prayer and drumming.

The event, along with the Courage to Share Photo Exhibit, will create space for Indigenous and newcomer community members to explore what home means to each of us and share those experiences with the broader community.

On Monday, Sept. 14, residents are invited to participate in Journey to Active Citizenship, a follow-up to last year’s workshop encouraging community members to become more engaged citizens.

Welcoming Week will conclude with a Citizenship Ceremony on Sept. 21, starting at 1 p.m. at RDP’s Cenovus Learning Common.

The ceremony will bring together new Canadian citizens, their families, community partners and residents to celebrate the journeys that have brought them to where they are.

Welcoming Week events are made possible through funding from the City of Red Deer Community Culture Development Fund, the Government of Alberta Ethnocultural Grant, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

A separate event is happening in Three Hills on Sept. 17, starting at 5:30.

International Discovery Night will feature cultural displays, international snacks and games, and other activities.

It’s being hosted by Kneehill Adult Learning and Newcomer Services at 499 3rd Avenue.

This past March, rdnewsNOW journalist Josh Hall, host of The Everything Red Deer Podcast, spoke one-on-one with Alberta Citizenship Judge James Clover. Listen below:

by Josh Hall

Red Deer’s annual Welcoming Week starts now

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