Abbotsford, More than a Stereotype.

Abbotsford, British Columbia is known as a "bible belt", the murder capital of Canada and the City in the Country where delicious berries grow and all establishments close by 6:00 pm.

In my current position with Community Services, I am getting to know Abbotsford in a stereotype-shattering way. I was struck with a new fondness for Abbotsford this week after contributing to the planning and execution of the East to West City Tour, staffing the Multicultural and Immigrant Services booth at AbbyFest and attending the film screening of It's a Girl by GirlKIND Foundation.

The East to West City Tour was the kick off event of a 6 session Diversity Networking Series for businesses in Abbotsford. My colleagues and I, along with our community partners, have been working on the details of this series for months. A couple weeks ago, my nerves struck and I was worried about the timing of the event, who would actually show up, and whether or not I had interesting and relevant information to share. One of my colleagues helped put my worries into perspective by reminding me that this tour would not change the world. In the grand scheme of diversity awareness in Abbotsford this event would play a minimal role.

As it turned out, we reached capacity and created a wait-list. As a tour guide on the bus, sharing demographics and highlighting changes in housing and landscape, I could see our guests react with interest. The tour finished with lunch and an informal dialogue about what we had learned and experienced on the tour. The collected evaluation forms were packed with positive and appreciative feedback as well as interesting information about what was new for the participants including: that there are two reserves in Abbotsford, that there are more than 10 languages spoken in our city, that 25.8% of the population are immigrants, or that there are more than 24 different faith groups represented. This was a job well done.  

The 5th annual AbbyFest, a multicultural celebration, opened with a parade of nations where community members representing over 50 countries, dressed in traditional clothing, carried flags of the world around the room. The parade was led by three women from different visible minority groups arm in arm. They were followed by members of Sto:lo Nation beating drums. Tears fell over my cheeks as this collective symbol of unity and peace passed before me. The rest of the day felt like a church gathering because I was reunited with many of the people involved on our Interfaith planning committee that had taken a summer break. I made new professional and personal connections and felt an incredible sense of belonging.

Its a Girl is a documentary about gendercide in India and China. The screening event took place at Matsqui Centenial Auditorium. Over 200 people were in attendance. It began with an hour of networking time where I was able to meet the founder of GirlKIND foundation and the performers, speakers and emcee of the evening. The stories in the film stirred a lot of emotion in me but what truly moved me was the community member who put this event on. This was the first community event that she had ever been involved in planning. This was her first engagement in community and global activism. She is the mother of a two year old, and a member of the South Asian community. I can not wait to work with her in the future.

In my college days, it was easy to talk poorly about Abbotsford because I was from the big city of Vancouver with endless opportunity and a wide breadth of diverse people. Today, I am proud to live and work in Abbotsford because I am getting to know the people that live here. I am thrilled to continue investing in this city.