Brantford Immigrations Partnership (BIP), along with Best Start Parent Fair, hosted the fifth annual Newcomer Welcome Day on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
The event takes place every year to bring newcomer families and organizations together and provide the resources they need to feel comfortable and supported in the community.
“This year, with co-hosting with the Best Start Parent Fair, it’s just another opportunity to bring more folks together and share more partners and just have more people engaged in that event,” said Pamela Pacheco, Manager of Social Development and Policy, Strategic Initiatives, CAO and Mayor’s Office for the City of Brantford.
Pacheco added that this year more than 50 community partners participated in the event and offered resources and information to attendees.
“I walked in, and I thought, oh, my gosh, where did they go? And I found out they’re in the arena today, because they needed more space, because there are so many more organizations that wanted to be involved,” said Mandy Samwell, Ward Five Councillor for the City of Brantford.
Arabic, Punjabi and Spanish interpreters were a new addition to this year’s event. Pacheco mentioned that the languages were chosen based on the highest need identified by the partnering organizations and the interpreter’s availability.
“It’s always so tricky to be able to find the number of interpreters, knowing that there are so many different languages that are spoken.” said Pacheco.
This year’s event aimed to allocate more resources to youth than last year, according to Chris Henderson and Bethany Letto from BIP.
The community partners this year ranged from employment services, Food bank services, and cultural celebrations to mental health and library resources. Matthew Crake from Community Employment Services explained that, under the umbrella of Brantford Food Bank, the organization helps more than 400 clients with resume writing, cover letters, interviews, transportation support, and job search assistance.
“It helps shine a light on, not just our service, but other services that people had no idea about,” said Crake. “It really just helps bring everybody together as a community.”
Rachelle Abubo-Szenkowski, with YMCA Immigrant Services, explained that the YMCA runs a weekly youth program called Youth Fusion for ages 12-24 and also offers programs for seniors that help with immigration paperwork.
Representing Darmont Gives Back at the Afro Caribrant booth, Lauryn Hawes spoke about the organization and its focus on equity work and connecting newcomers with resources.
Lisa Mackay, a worker for the Canadian Mental Health Association talked about events like Newcomers Welcome Day, helping people feel more comfortable accessing the mental health services, and adding special support for people coming from cultures where mental health carries a stigma.
“Mental health, everybody has it, and it’s no different than everybody having physical health.” said Mackay “It’s how we care for ourselves and what we can do to help ourselves, both physically and mentally.”
Khenn Nugent, a resident attending the event, spoke about how the event allows him to learn more about the community he and his family live in.
“The more you know about the city in which you live in, the more you can navigate the city, and the more resources you can connect with.” said Nugent.
The event has continued to grow, and that growth also comes down to the community partners who support it.
“Their support and their willingness to sort of be welcoming and contribute to building such a welcoming and vibrant community is really great,” said Pacheco.
