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MOOSE JAW — Following , assistant project manager Jide Kassim shared a few insights ahead of the official report that will be distributed to community organizations and other stakeholders in the next one to two weeks.

The goal of the event was to bring together residents, newcomers, and community organizations to deepen a mutual understanding and to address, explore, and find meaningful solutions to some of the biggest challenges faced by newcomers in the region.

“We didn’t just want to put together an event that people were going to come to and share their challenges — yes, we wanted people to do that, but at the same time… we wanted people to find solutions and we did,” Kassim said. “I have a whole list of proposed suggestions and solutions that can be used to address all the challenges that were discussed.

“It actually went better than expected,” he said, noting that around 92 of 120 registered individuals attended the meeting during a stretch of cold weather. “People came from as far as Yorkton and Swift Current, and people from our region were represented (quite well).”

The conversation was led by a panel of nine individuals including Jonathan Greuel and Doug Rain with the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training, Craig Hemingway with the City of Moose Jaw, Jared Jameson with Simpson Seeds, Jaella Wiebe with the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council, SUMA representative Tina Osaseri, Kristina Akpalo with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and newcomers Maria Gonzalez and Carlos Price. This was followed by an open discussion.

One of the key takeaways was the importance of balancing familiarity and new experiences for newcomers.

“Basically, if I’m a newcomer in a new place, and if I see some things that are new to me, I will try it out,” he explained. “But, if I see things that are from my home country, it makes me feel even more at ease… (and makes me more likely) to want to get myself settled in there.”

A second takeaway was the value of community integration through shared activities, such as the example Kassim shared about a cricket tournament that took place in what was believed to be White City, Sask., though the exact location could not be confirmed.

“A great example that was shared was when (a few East Indian newcomers arrived in their new home) and there was really nothing for them to do,” Kassim shared. “They saw that there was a hockey (rink), and they (asked) if they could play cricket on it. The community came together and decided that, okay, you can play there once a week.

“They started doing that, and… (not long after), a lot of people got interested in it, so not just the newcomers were doing it. Some (residents) joined them, and it became a big community thing,” he said. “Those are just some simple things that make the community better and also helps everything improve.”

A third takeaway was the concern about transportation challenges faced by international students studying at Sask. Polytech in Moose Jaw. With Craig Hemingway, director of strategic growth, and Coun. Carla Delaurier in attendance on behalf of the City of Moose Jaw, Kassim said the city expressed interest in exploring the issue further.

The upcoming report, which is expected to be published sometime between Monday, Feb. 24 and Friday, Mar. 7, will explore concerns, solutions, and addresses ways everyone can benefit from new community members.

“When the report comes out, we’re going to share it with all the panellists, with the Ministry, the City, and any interested parties, so people are going to be able to see that yes, these are the challenges that were addressed and these are the possible solutions and how we can move ahead,” Kassim said.

Prairie Skies Integration Network is located at 432 Main Street North and can be reached at 306-690-2324. For more information visit .