The notion of our multicultural nation is built right into our anthem: “From far and wide, O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.”
Inspired by those words, the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association (BWGLHA) is hosting From Far and Wide to Bradford: A Panel Discussion with Local Newcomers, which everyone is invited to attend in the Zima Room of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library at 425 Holland St. W., from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 11.
Moderated by David di Giovanni, the library’s manager of cultural services, the event is set to include four to five panellists from the Philippians, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Portugal as they share their personal stories of making the town their new home.
“I really am excited about it because it’s going to bring us all together,” said association member Mikki Nanowski. “The more you get to know people from different cultures and share in their stories, that idea of a small town becomes more prevalent and more poignant. It makes us a family.”
Panellists are expected to discuss what they like about living in the community, what challenges they experienced coming to Bradford, and in what ways they’ve been able to preserve their culture.
Through those discussions, the BWGLHA is hoping guests will be able to participate in the experience of different cultures and share some common ground — both figuratively and literally.
“Your lifestyle and your philosophies — some of those things we don’t have in common, but the one underlying trait that we do all have in common is we call Bradford West Gwillimbury our home,” Nanowski said. “That’s our glue. That’s what holds us together.”
Snacks and refreshments will also be available for guests to enjoy, and the association has asked panellists to share some of their cultural cuisine as food is often one of the best ways to share culture, along with music, art and of course, discussion.
Those aspects could all become featured topics in future, if the panel is successful.
“I’m hoping that we get a good turnout, because this is sort of a pilot project and if it works, I’m hoping we can do it every year and draw from all the different cultures of the residents who call Bradford their home,” Nanowski said.
While the association is well versed in the history of English, Irish and Scotish settlers (among others) — including their traditions, how they came to and settled the area and what hardships they faced — Nanowski credits member Franz Aschwanden with developing the idea and pushing to promote the stories of “residents who represents rich cultures from far and wide.”
Both Nanowski and Aschwanden were themselves newcomers once, with Nanowski’s family coming from Belgium in 1959 and Aschwanden arriving from Switzerland.
Despite having their own tales to tell, the association decided to focus on more recent newcomers to help reflect the growing diversity that has come with Bradford’s growing population.
The panel is free to attend. For more information, contact the library at 905-775-3328.
