Okotoks’ cultural diversity will be honoured and celebrated during a Heritage long-weekend festival at the Okotoks Public Library.
Foothills Community Immigrant Services (FCIS) is hosting Okotoks Cultural Mosaic: Celebrating past, present and future on Aug. 4 to celebrate Okotoks’ newcomers and the community’s heritage.
“This was a chance for the community and residents to celebrate and learn about cultural diversity and to meet new friends,” said event organizer Lisa Degenstein. “That’s why it’s held in conjunction with the Heritage Day weekend because it does embrace that and celebrate Alberta’s cultural identities.”
The event kicks of at noon and runs until 3 p.m. at the Okotoks Public Library and Rotary Park.
There will be displays on each culture represented, with food, aboriginal dancing and a drum circle everyone can participate in.
As well, there will be samples of food from around the world, including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Mexico, French Canadian and Middle Eastern.
“We will have foods from various different countries represented,” said Degenstein. “It’s a little taste.”
There will be 11 different food tents and the samples will be free.
Degenstein said there’s a great diversity of cultures in Okotoks with people from all over the world calling the town home, with immigrants from a number of different countries, including the Philippines, Mexico, Trinidad, India and the United Kingdom.
“That has certainly changed in my living in the community in the last 15 years,” she said. “There were few newcomers 15 years ago.”
One recent immigrant to Okotoks said the event allows newcomers to Canada to share their culture and meet other immigrants from around the world to discuss the challenges of adapting to life in Canada.
“It allows us to help out and show some things that came from Britain,” said Yvonne Studley, who moved to Okotoks from the United Kingdom last year.
She will be making mini Victorian Sponge Cakes as her contribution to the food samples at the cultural event.
She said the light, fluffy cakes were easy to make in the United Kingdom. They’re a little trickier to make in Okotoks because of the altitude and the recipe has to be adjusted for the cakes to come out just right.
Her family moved to Canada from Yorkshire for the weather and to give their children better opportunities for their future.
