MOOSE JAW — Students at A.E. Peacock and Central Collegiate recently celebrated their annual cultural fair at the midpoint of Multiculturalism Week. The returning event highlighted the diverse cultural background of students and staff and offered a chance to explore different cultural traditions through food.
The fair returned to Peacock on Nov. 20 and to Central on Nov. 21.
“As the high school settlement worker, one of the things that we do… is to help put on a cultural fair which is a celebration of the diversity of all the newcomer students who arrive at our high schools,” announced Nik Cochrane, a Moose Jaw Multicultural Council (MJMC) Settlement Worker in Schools (SWIS).
Cochrane believes the fair fosters greater communication and openness, especially for newcomer students who may still be getting familiar with their new home and perhaps face language barriers.
Another benefit was the fair’s educational nature. “(Students) had done some research on their countries and they posted up tri-fold display boards which highlighted fun facts and interesting things about (those) countries,” she explained.
“That also provides information for Canadian students… to go up and see what their (cultural background) is all about,” she added.
The fair came about after an influx of new students with different backgrounds entered Moose Jaw’s school system in recent years. Ever since, its become a well-rooted tradition at both schools.
As part of her settlement worker duties, Cochrane speaks to students at both high schools ahead of the yearly festival to explain the meaning behind the fair and how they can participate.
“They put out poster boards for the particular country they want to represent, and then they have the choice if they want to prepare food from that culture or that country. They can then bring it here to share,” she said during last year’s fair at Central Collegiate.
The format is the same at each school. Although Cochrane organizes Central’s fair, Peacock’s English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, Candace Barjassy, organizes that fair one day earlier with Cochrane available to assist.
Students then freely tour the displays or purchase tickets for $1 apiece to try a sample of different cultural dishes. This year saw 49 displays and roughly 25 of those booths served food — which Cochrane said was “very on par” with last year’s numbers.
“This year was big because we had performances as well,” she said. Three student groups performed this year: Catalina performed a Chilean Cueca dance, Mannat performed an Indian Ghidda dance, and around eight Filipino students performed the national anthem of the Philippines. Cochrane described the atmosphere as “an electric energy.”
The highlight of the fair remained the same according to many of the students: the food.
Gift certificates were donated by DejaVu Café, Jade Gardens, Maple Leaf Bakery, Landscape Restaurant, Pizza Hut, and James’ Family Restaurant.
Cochrane hopes that this year’s cultural fair inspired students to better appreciate multiculturalism, celebrate the diverse backgrounds of their classmates, and embrace Canada’s rich cultural diversity with curiosity and open-mindedness.
“That’s (who) we are, and that’s what our country is,” she said.
Cochrane concluded with a message of appreciation for everyone who helped make this year’s fair possible.
“It’s a huge undertaking but it’s so amazing to have everyone come together as a student body to get this event going. I truly appreciate (this effort) from everyone at both schools.”
The cultural fair, a collaboration between Peacock, Central, and the MJMC, is expected to return for Multicultural Week in 2025.
To learn more about the MJMC call 306-693-4677, visit MJMCInc.ca, or ‘Moose Jaw Multicultural Council’ on Facebook.
