By Jack Brittle, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On June 22, the Halton Multicultural Council Connections (HMCC) will host their annual Multiculturalism Day Event at the Milton Community Sports Park.

Leila Takei, a Community Connections Specialist at HMCC, said that this is the biggest event that the organization hosts.

Takei said that booths will be set up all over the event where attendees can learn more about different cultures and countries, as well as musical and dance performances by volunteers and outside guests. These performances usually involve traditional instruments or dance routines, that are native to a respective part of the world or culture.

“We have some staff and volunteers bringing things from their own country,” Takei said. “They also explain a little bit about their country in terms of festivities and food. So, they bring general information about their countries, and they usually bring things that they brought from there.”

Takei said that participants also often dress in their culture’s traditional garb when performing or just talking to event-goers.

Takei also said there will be plenty of activities for children, like a bouncy castle and an ice cream truck. HMCC has also booked an African food truck as well, in keeping with the theme of celebrating diversity.

“This is a very good opportunity for the family, it’s a very family-friendly event,” Takei said.

Attendees can also register on HMCC’s website or by calling 905-842-2486 for a spot on a bus that will take them directly from one of the group’s offices (in Burlington and Oakville) to the event and back home when the event is over. The buses are free of charge.

Takei expanded on the role the organization plays in the community.

“HMC Connections is a non-profit organization that provides free services for newcomers and refugees, preferably those who live in Halton Region,” Takei said. “For the online services, we can serve clients that are not residents in Halton, however, we will have some limitations in terms of resources.”

Takei said she started out at HMCC in the Wellness and Self-Care Program as a volunteer and then eventually began working as a staff member as a settlement worker and community connections specialist. She now only works as the latter.

Takei said that HMC Connections’ main funder is Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, but also receives employment funding from the Ontario government. She said that services for certain immigration statuses may be limited for the Community Connections program, but that the Settlement program is able to accommodate those with any status.

Takei said that while the services might sometimes seem minimal, she often is surprised at how important they really are.

“We offer English circles, informative sessions on getting a driver’s licence or finding a family doctor,” Takei said. “And sometimes we don’t realize how important those resources are for those families. So, once I was collecting those stories, I was kind of surprised by how those kinds of services impacts our clients’ lives.”

Takei also spoke about her own experience as a newcomer to Canada and how the supports that HMCC provides are vital to those who are new to the country.

“Although I have learned English my entire life, when I first arrived in Canada it seemed that they were speaking Russian. I couldn’t understand a word and I was super lost,” Takei said.

“Like you think, ‘Okay, we will have cultural differences,’ but when you are there in a different country, it’s more than a different country, it seems like a different world, like a different planet,” Takei continued. “So, you really need someone to kind of guide. Not only for providing resources but also in terms of, psychologically speaking, to have someone there, to support you and be there for you whenever you need.”

HMC Connections Multiculturalism Day Event takes place at Milton Community Sports Park on June 22 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.