BMCC networking event seeks to build community strength

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This article was published 20/12/2024 (317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A networking event to connect newcomers, Black business owners and community leaders in Winnipeg is being touted as a shot of adrenaline for a sector on “life support.”

Zita Somakoko, founder and president of the Black Manitobans Chamber of Commerce, said the gathering Saturday evening will “offer a platform for businesses to finish strong at this time of (the) year.”

“Mainly immigrant and Black businesses are on life support,” added Somakoko, 51.

She said many immigrants who come to Canada have great ideas, but don’t know about the rules, regulations and processes to start a business.

The BMCC is hosting the free networking event at 340 Provencher Blvd., where more than 200 small-business representatives and government officials are expected to attend. (Registration is open until Saturday at 5 p.m. on BMCC’s website.)

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but they are also the struggling population in that economy,” Somakoko said.

Businesses that are majority-owned by visible minorities are more likely to see a decrease in sales, demand and profits, according to Statistics Canada data.

“They need help to make their ideas come into fruition,” Somakoko said. “Immigrants are doing groundbreaking work.”

The chamber will also hand out awards to recognize leaders in the community for representation and visibility.

One such honour will go to Gurharjit (Harjeet) Kaur Sandhu, 84.

Sandhu is retired but translates for people in the community with English as their second language. She also helped translate a citizenship pamphlet to Punjabi.

Sandhu immigrated to Canada, alone, in 1974, when “my experience and my education wasn’t recognized,” she said.

She said it is in her “nature” to help and devote her time, as she empathizes with immigrants going through new processes and changes.

Another award recipient is Odelia Duffus — the youngest mediator at Mediation Services, a Winnipeg conflict management solutions organization that helps both accused and victims as an alternative to court.

“I feel proud to offer some representation for international students,” said Duffus, 25.

An international student from the Caribbean, Duffus said a lot of the time, international students suppress their voices because they are not from Canada.

“We are from different walks of lives, but have the same values,” she said, adding friendship and dialogue is important in the community.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca