Celebrating cultural excellence

St. James-Assiniboia

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/05/2023 (885 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whether you grew up in Winnipeg, have moved from other parts of the province or country, or have come here from around the world, Winnipeg’s business community is undeniably formed by some of the most passionate people, representing a wide array of cultures. West Winnipeggers put their whole hearts into their work and want to see it positively affect each of our communities.

According to the Manitoba Bureau of Statistics, there are 10-plus cultures represented in our province that are new to Canada. Here in West Winnipeg, we are proud to support the many businesses that bring unique cultural elements to our business community.

In the last month, the Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce has had the opportunity to celebrate the successes of two of these businesses as well as open our door to two interns, new to Canada, both of whom graduating from the U of W PACE program.

On April 19, Max’s Restaurant celebrated Filipino Food Month with a networking event, celebratory chicken cutting, and a halo-halo dessert. Special guests from Rainbow Stage gave guests a preview of Ma-buhay, a theatrical performance coming next year. Brothers and co-owners J.R. and Arnel Alibin have worked hard throughout the pandemic supporting front-line workers, providing thousands of meals and have been huge advocates of the Filipino community.

On May 1, we celebrated with Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce’s newest member, Akins Business Centre, at the grand opening of its co-working and small-business mentorship space on Sargent Avenue. Co-founders Mubarak, Susan and Elizabeth share a passion for aiding the development entrepreneurs who are new to Winnipeg and Canada. Mubarak, who is originally from Nigeria, shared his story of finding support from Elizabeth when he arrived in Winnipeg in the middle of the winter with a dream and a few items in his suitcase.

Finally, Varsha Gopaul and Pooja Dhingra, from the University of Winnipeg’s professional, applied and continuing education (PACE) programs, have joined our office to help with sustainability and human resources project management.

Varsha is from Guyana and recently celebrated her one-year anniversary in Canada. Pooja moved to Canada from India with her family a little over a year ago. Both students have offered their expertise and shared their unique viewpoints on how businesses in our community can celebrate and utilize the wonderful diversity we have in West Winnipeg.