Seniors in Portage la Prairie are coming together to celebrate culture, tradition, and community through the first-ever Diversity Fair, hosted at the Herman Prior Activity Centre. The event, held September 16, is made possible by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Event organizer Bonnie Bieganski explains that the funding helped turn an idea into reality by giving seniors a chance to connect with resources and each other.
“The New Horizons for Seniors Program is what it's called. And so with that, it sort of has the initiative to highlight organizations and community resources for senior citizens,” notes Bieganski.
Interactive activities
The fair features storytelling, arts and crafts, cultural showcases, and workshops focused on issues affecting seniors. Bieganski says the event was designed collaboratively.
“There was a number of us on the planning committee, so it was just kind of a group discussion. We were thinking of ways to make it interactive and a place of learning and just to connect with each other,” says Bieganski.
She emphasizes that seniors play a vital role in keeping traditions alive.
“Yeah, just keeping culture and tradition alive just by conversation and having younger generations see that. And be able to kind of carry it on,” adds Bieganski.
Building connections
Along with the celebrations, organizers are also hoping to hear directly from seniors about challenges they face in daily life. Surveys were distributed during the event to gather feedback for future planning.
“So, one of our biggest kind of goals was to sort of learn to understand what problems might be present for senior citizens and where the gaps are in the system. So if transportation is an issue, if housing is an issue, hopefully then we will have been able to connect them with resources here,” says Bieganski.
She continues, “We're also having a second event in November. The exact date we do not know yet, but so that was what the survey was about today. Also, we want people to let us know kind of the gaps in our community and how we can connect it and bridge the gap to solutions.”
The day also gives local organizations an opportunity to share their work.
“Maybe there are organizations here or resources here that people didn't know about. So my hope is that they've come away with a greater understanding of what the Alzheimer's Association has to offer. It's the Portage Friendship Center, Portage services for seniors,” says Bieganski.
Looking ahead
As the day winds down, Bieganski says the organizing team is encouraged by the strong attendance.
“I think we're really happy about the turnout and how many people were able to show up. Yeah, I think we're... We're hopeful that we were able to connect people with more solutions,” continues Bieganski.