
The Prince Albert Historical Museum’s Coffee and Conversation featured a diverse theme on Sunday to kick off Saskatchewan Multicultural Week.
The Coffee and Conversation was a discussion of the Prince Albert Multicultural Council led by PAMC Executive Director Michelle Hassler.
“I am very honoured to be here to get invited to today’s Coffee and Conversation here at the BA Historical Museum,” Hassler said. “This is in celebration of the Saskatchewan Multicultural Week, (which) is from Nov. 16 to 24. This is the 50th Anniversary of Saskatchewan Multicultural Week, and the focus … is ‘Celebrating Community, Honouring Diversity and Acting for Equity.’
“It’s just to showcase our organization as a Prince Albert Multicultural Council and also it also gives PAMC and myself the opportunity to also, promote our celebration of Saskatchewan Multicultural Week with PAMC.”
The PAMC Diversity Night celebration of Multicultural Week is on Friday, Nov. 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the PAMC Office on Central Avenue.
“It’s free and open for everybody to come,” Hassler said.
Hassler told attendees about the services the PAMC offers. She concluded with a lively discussion of the impacts multiculturalism has on the people of Prince Albert.
Hassler herself immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2011 on Remembrance Day. She said recognizing multiculturalism is important.
“I think it’s very important to recognize that and it’s because of the growing diversity and the growing different cultural community we have in Saskatchewan and not only in our province, but also in Canada, nationwide,” Hassler explained.
She said that in Canada, everyone is lucky now because we can celebrate multiculturalism.
“It’s an honor to be able to showcase and to be able to share our culture here in Canada and also learn from all the different various culture that we have here and from our First Peoples here in Canada as well,” she said.
She explained that first generation newcomers brought their cultures to Canada and then every subsequent wave of immigration has brought more cultures.
“And then the interesting part of it is even though a person or a certain community comes from a country within that country,” she said.
Hassler explained that there are various cultures and traditions that have an impact on Canada.
“All the newcomers and immigrants that that are here, we will definitely share and promote our culture in every single opportunity that we can. And it’s also very good and nice for us and we feel welcome if also, people will also accept it and also learn from it as well and that also comes two ways and we also want to learn more about all the other cultures as well,” Hassler said.
Hassler said it is important to be open and welcoming to multiculturalism, diversity and inclusivity wherever we are.
“Not just in our country, but we have to start in our own selves as well to begin with, in our own family and with our little children that we have, that they have to grow into that practice and belief as well,” Hassler said.
“It’s very, very important to be very respectful of everybody as well,” she added. “The world is changing, but everybody should be respectful.”
The most important thing to remember is that everyone is open to being exposed to different cultures, Hassler said.
“I would also say that being a newcomer, immigrants coming to Canada, we have to also learn to be respectful of already the peoples and the culture here in Canada. It goes two ways and so we want to be respectful to be also be respected by other people as well,” she said.
The Museum will not have a Coffee and Conversation in December due to Holiday celebrations. Coffee and Conversation returns on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025 with a topic to be determined.