FORT FRANCES — Businesses and organizations in Fort Frances are preparing a special event to help welcome newcomers to the area and get them set up with everything they might need to know about living in Fort Frances or even in Canada.
Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre’s (FFPLTC) adult services co-ordinator Holly Angus has been hard at work organizing Welcoming Week, the local effort of a national initiative that will span Friday, Sept. 13, through to Sunday, Sept. 22.
According to the initiative’s website, Welcoming Week is a project that will bring together “neighbours of all backgrounds” to build local connections and “affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity.
Angus noted that when she received the email spreading word of the initiative, she got to work trying to get a local version organized here. Angus said she recognized the importance of welcoming new individuals and families to town, especially in light of recent economic struggles and a desire for new growth.
“This came to me by an email, a federal government email, but it intrigued me and I thought it was a valid point,” she said.
“A small community that’s lost its major industrial centre means the population is going down. To sustain the bulk of the population that remains, you need younger workers, and you need them to be trained in special areas. This population is 54 percent senior as of the 2021 census, so those seniors need care – and [newcomers need] other opportunities for work – but that is a fundamental one right away.”
Recognizing that there are many individuals new to Fort Frances, Angus said she approached the Rainy River Future Development Corporation (RRFDC) with the idea of coming on board the Welcoming Week initiative, which she said they were eager to do.
The week will include several different events, and though some are still in the planning stages, Angus confirmed the week will kick off with a special launch open house event to be held at the FFPLTC on Friday, Sept. 13, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
The open house is being designed to bring local businesses, organizations and service providers together to give newcomers to town a chance to get to know them a bit better, and for newcomers to the country to find out more about the different things they may need to adjust to life in Canada, including government services, licenses and more.
“What I had put together for a planning meeting was a question that I asked, ‘what does our community and region have to offer in terms of, one, being settlement... and two, being employment,’” Angus said.
“Does our local employment agency NCDS provide assistance for newcomers? In what way do they help newcomers clear employment hurdles? Do we provide the opportunity for newcomers to boost their opportunities in Canada with specialized and convenient LINC classes, Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada? What else is there?
"So I put together an open house with the idea of trying to bring in as much as I could, because the last on that list was ‘community’ and it really is a community that keeps people tied together. When you feel connected in part of the community, you don’t think about leaving it.”
While a full list of attendees hasn’t been finalized, Angus said that those attending so far will include NCDS, Confederation College, the Northwestern Health Unit, the Salvation Army, the Town of Fort Frances, Service Ontario, the Fort Frances Senior Centre and the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce.
Each attendee will aim to provide important and useful information to newcomers, from immunization requirements for children to things for new residents to see and do in town.
“I have a list of 26, and I have 14 confirmed,” Angus said.
“The tables will be in the adult portion of the library, some in the great space, some along the windows, just to encourage people to go through the whole library. I very much consider the library a community hub, and I’d like to have that hub connected here in real time and real space.”
In addition to the launch open house event, Angus said Monday, Sept. 16, will feature a special talk at the library that is being organized by RRFDC.
In a separate press release about Welcoming Week, RRFDC said the talk will feature two local business owners who have successfully participated in various immigration programs to talk about their experiences and stories. RRFDC said the talks will offer “unique insights into the positive impact that immigration has had on our local economy and community life.”
“Welcoming Week is a time to recognize the vital role that immigrants play in our communities,” said Angela Halvorsen Smith, executive director of the Rainy River Future Development Corporation.
“It’s about building connections, celebrating diversity, and ensuring that everyone feels they belong here.”
Angus also noted that on Tuesday, Sept. 17, Service Canada’s Mike Anderson will be at the library to give more information to newcomers on some of the various government forms and paperwork they may be required to do, as well as to answer general questions regarding the other ways Service Canada can help them.
While the Welcoming Week has taken a lot of work to get off the ground, and still has some planning yet to be done, Angus said the reception to the plans have been tremendous from all of the organizations and businesses she’s approached.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the response from the community,” she said.
“It’s been amazing and very welcoming. There’s been no hesitancy, which is phenomenal. That’s a very good positive. The response has been rapid and positive, and we’re getting great results.”
