ASSINIBOIA - It was another highly successful celebration of culture at the Prince of Wales Centre on Oct. 28. After a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the famous Assiniboia Ethnic Jubilee wowed attendees with the fourth edition of the event.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our diversified cultures today with food and entertainment,” said Shelly Dahlman, co-chair of the Assiniboia and District Chamber of Commerce during the opening ceremonies. She said planning the event was the culmination of 10 months’ work from the organizing committee.
Entertainment proved to be a jam-packed eight-plus hours, including performances from around the globe. A large number of food vendors were also on hand with samples of delicious ethnic dishes.
A colourful parade kicked off the official opening ceremonies, led by bagpipes and RCMP members carrying the Canada flag.
“This is one of my favourite community events,” said Mayor Sharon Schauenberg. “Where else can you take a trip around the world and never leave your community?”
In her comments during the opening ceremonies, Mayor Schauenberg emphasized the welcoming community spirit in Assiniboia, and how events such as the Ethnic Jubilee play an important role in commemorating that inclusiveness.
“Our community encompasses, embraces and welcomes all,” she said. “On special days like today, we celebrate one’s culture and ethnicities. We celebrate our differences, we celebrate our similarities, and we celebrate each other.”
Ethnic diversity plays a far greater role than simply having a variety of backgrounds in our social fabric. Province-wide, significant growth has been achieved thanks to new friends calling this place ‘home’. This influx of population growth translates to new ideas, more people filling employment gaps, and stronger communities.
With a higher standard of living and abundant employment opportunities, Saskatchewan is seen as one of the best provinces to immigrate to for new Canadians.
“We’re pretty privileged in the province of Saskatchewan,” said Wood River MLA and provincial Agriculture Minister David Marit. “We’ve grown by over 200,000 people since 2007 with people from over 150 countries around the world.”
He also echoed Mayor Schauenberg’s excitement about the Ethnic Jubilee in Assiniboia. “I see it growing every year that I come here,” said Marit. In fact, over the past year alone, the province grew by 30,685 people for a total population of 1,209,107 (as of July 1, 2023).
The event - which began in 2015 - draws on average around 800 people, with food from countries including Greece, The Philippines, France, Germany, Vietnam and India. Performances scheduled throughout the day included hoop dancer Terrance Littletent, the Raks Azhar Belly Dance Troupe, Desperate for Haggis, and the Carribean Diaspora Assemble - to name a few.
