On January 29, 2017, a man walked into a mosque in Quebec City and killed six people. This horrifying act happened at a time when we are witnessing anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies from the President of the United States. There is also a small but vocal minority of Canadians arguing that some people are more Canadian than others. We believe that we are at a point in history when those of us who think that our country is better because of diversity need to stand up and be heard. We also want to support our Muslim neighbours during these frightening times, because they are valuable members of our Chilliwack community.

The Canadian Human Rights Act guarantees freedom from discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, family status and disability. By living in Canada, we all agree to accept these principles, and it is this inclusiveness that makes us Canadian. Beyond that, the fact that we have different colours of skin, practice different religions (or no religion) or create different family arrangements is not something to be feared but to be celebrated. There is no archetypal Canadian, and every person who lives here can say to every other person, “You belong here.”

Join us on Sunday, February 12 at 2:30 p.m. outside the Chilliwack Museum for a gathering to support our neighbours and celebrate diversity in Chilliwack. We encourage you to bring signs with the “You Belong Here” message. Here is a link to the official logo, which you are free to print out and use:
Colour: bit.ly/2khz6oz
Black and white: https://goo.gl/95Ff2z

Although it is supposed to warm up to 8 degrees by the weekend, we think people will be more comfortable listening to our list of speakers indoors. Therefore, after a brief introductory message, we will walk over to the Vineyard Community Centre at 45892 Wellington Ave. There, the list of speakers will be as follows:

Eddie Gardner, Sto:lo Nation
Willow Reichelt, You Belong Here Organizing Committee
Dr. Osama Ebesh and Faizal Kadir, Chilliwack Islamic Centre
Vern and Susan Tompke, Vineyard Community Church
Jason Lum, City Council

After the speakers, everyone is invited to enjoy a hot beverage and spend time introducing yourself to your neighbours.

We want to create a slideshow video that includes Chilliwack residents from as many demographics as possible holding You Belong Here signs. We will have a photo booth for this purpose set up at the event, and you can also post photos to the event page. You may also want to take a group photo to show your family or organization’s support for this project.

Please share this event and encourage others to attend.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!