It's been more than 11 years since the first New Westminster's DiverseCity Multicultural Festival, and with a decade of celebrating the city's diversity behind us it's time to ask just how diverse is New Westminster? According to John Stark - senior social planner for city - it's very diverse.
"One of the stats which was most surprising to me was between 2001 and 2006, 79.1 per cent of the population growth was due to immigration," he said.
This growth has only continued. According to the 2011 Census, New Westminster's population increased to 65,976.
The city's neighbourhood profiles report states the immigrant population is growing at a "slightly faster" rate than the rest of the Lower Mainland. The report also stated that between 2001 and 2006, more people emigrated from the Philippines than China.
Furthermore, almost 30 per cent of New Westminster's population identified themselves as a visible minority. The most common visible minorities included South Asian, Filipino, Chinese, black and Korean.
While the 2006 census reported that Punjabi was the most common mother tongue spoken in the city, that's now been surpassed by Tagalog (Filipino) spoken by 4.7 per cent of the population, followed by Punjabi, Mandarin, Chinese and Spanish.
But these statistics merely investigate the surface of multiculturalism in New Westminster. The city has been working hard to find out the concerns and challenges faced by newly immigrated residents, Stark said.
"The census gives you information as to numbers, period of immigration, source countries, but it doesn't get as specific as the challenges that are being faced," he said.
The city is in the process of conducting a follow-up survey to one sent out in 2007 to immigrants and refugees living in New Westminster. The survey covers a variety of topics including the immigrant's ability to access resources, find suitable housing, education and overall feelings regarding their move to New Westminster.
"I put about 200 into the database and we're hoping to get about 220 to 240 responses, which would be similar to the original survey," he said. "What we're trying to do is try to see (if) new immigrants and refugees more knowledgeable or aware of services; did they feel more of a sense of belonging to the community, are they getting involved in the community?"
The results of the survey will be released sometime in the next few weeks, Stark said. At that time, he'll share the information collected with local organizations and non-profit groups.
"So they can better tailor their services to new immigrants and refugees," he said.
According to Stark, of the surveys collected so far, most of them indicate people are feeling welcome in the city and have described New Westminster as a friendly place to live.
"But sometimes it's hard to make friends," he said. "One thing that's come out of the survey is just how difficult that transition is and sometimes it leads to feeling isolated and alone."
Events like the DiverseCity Festival allow residents from different countries and cultures to make connections within the city, he said.
"There's opportunities for interaction where people can get to know people from different cultures, maybe learn something about their culture," he said.
At a past multicultural festival, Stark had his head wrapped in a turban and he recalled how surprising it was to see just how much fabric is used and how heavy it really is.
"I didn't know was how tight it was," he said. "When I was getting that done I had a conversation with the person who was doing it and it was very interesting just how significant it is in their culture."
And that's the main goal of the festival, according to Kendra Johnston, executive director of the Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Association.
"We want to celebrate community," she said. "People can form connections and we can build community through a festival like this."
The festival kicks off at noon on Saturday, May 18, at the Quay and runs until 6 p.m., with welcoming ceremonies at 2 p.m. There will be lots of different foods and vendors spread out around the River Market as well as live entertainment from local artists all day long. For more information visit www.downtownnewwest.ca and follow the link to the DiverseCity Festival.
Sidebar:
There will be free all day parking on the Downtown Parkade as well as free live entertainment from noon to 6pm on the Thrifty Food Performance Stage including the following: Altyn Folk Dance Group, Ammara Dance Company, Total Martial Arts, Philippine Tapestry, Nahualli Folklore (Mexican Dance Group), Tzu Chi Foundation Canada, Sangre Morena, Indonesia Satoe on behalf of Consulate, General of the Republic of Indonesia, Kathleen Carlsen Dancers, Gradec Croatian Tamburica Orchestra and Choir, Burnaby International Folk Dancers, Netherlands Association "Je Maintiendrai" (NAJM), Bosnian And Herzegovinian Cultural Center, Royal City Youth Ballet, and New West Chinese Society.
There will also be games and activities for children all day inside the River Market, including free mask making workshops and free face painting. The boardwalk food vendors will include Japadog and Didi's Greek, among others.
