The Goderich Lions, the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario, and the Huron County Local Immigration Partnership are hosting a Newcomer Day at Camp on August 19.
Immigration Partner ship Manager Mark Nonkes says it's chance for newcomers to experience summer camp.
“It's also a great opportunity to meet other people who are in the same boat as you, that you might not have met, because our community is very big geographically, so it's hard to meet someone who's in Wingham if you're in Goderich," Nonkes said.
Nonkes says they're hoping to have between one hundred and two hundred people at the Newcomer Camp. He says that number may surprise a lot of people, but they would also be surprised at the number of newcomers who call Huron County home. He also points out when they talk about newcomers they're generally talking about anyone who's moved to Canada in the last five years.
“So that is a broad term that includes temporary workers, that includes people who have moved here as citizens, it includes refugees, it includes Ukrainians who are here on three-year work visas. So it's quite a large group," Nonkes explained.
Nonkes says the Huron County Local Immigration Partnership is working with the Goderich Lions and the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario in hosting the Newcomer Day Camps.
“But this event is really created from other newcomers who moved to Canada. There's a group of nine people who are immigrants themselves who have guided this process. They're representing different countries from around the world who meet together on a monthly basis and they're the ones who guided this event," added Nonkes.
So, he says it's a newcomer-led event for other newcomers.
The event will be held on Saturday, August 19 at Camp Klahanie, which is run by the Goderich Lions Club, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Camp Klahanie is located at 33612 Blacks Point Road in Goderich. Nonkes says events will include a scavenger hunt, a hike, volley ball, cricket, soccer and a free bbq.
