JASON SETNYK
Cornwall’s Centre Charles-Émile-Claude was busy as the City of Cornwall and the Communauté francophone accueillante hosted “Holiday Spirit,” a free event at 146C Chevrier Ave. to welcome newly arrived families. Céline Baillargeon-Tardif, a consultant with the francophone welcoming community project and former executive director of ACFO SDG, said the gathering was the second of four newcomer events in a community action plan. The goal, she said, is to welcome families, connect them with local partners, and “create relationships” in their new home. Children and parents rotated through crafts, winter story readings, face painting, cookie decorating, aromatherapy, and a sewing workshop, with hot chocolate and Santa photos adding to the draw. “We have invited many of our partners to collaborate and offer activities,” Baillargeon-Tardif explained. Organizers said newcomers are from across the globe, including the Ivory Coast, Togo, Cameroon, Morocco, Iran, and Haiti, with many experiencing their first Canadian winter. One child even told Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, he didn’t want snow.
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