‘This is what Neepawa is about’

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Published on Thursday, July 27, 2017

Left to right: Bernadette Tripon, Rochelle Unico, Rrain Prior and Amanda Naughton-Gale share a moment after the completion of the walking parade.

Show of solidarity hits the streets of Neepawa

By Eoin Devereux
The Neepawa Banner

Diversity and inclusion swept through the streets of Neepawa on Saturday,  July 22, as an estimated 600 people participated in a walking parade, street party and pot luck. Officially, this event capped off the day’s festivities for Jam Fest. But in a more informal way, it was a chance to show the world that Neepawa is a place that celebrates and accepts all cultures. 

The inspiration for the walking parade came about due to an incident earlier this month, which left many people within the community shocked and dismayed. During the Canada Day long weekend, a wave of graffiti aimed at immigrants was spray-painted on several municipal structures. The Royal Canadian Legion building was also tagged, though what was written was not aimed at immigrants, but rather the British monarchy. The likely reason for the derogatory vandalism is related to the increase of new arrivals to the community. Statistics Canada’s 2016 census reported that Neepawa’s population over the previous five years had increased by 980 people, or 27 per cent, with a fair amount of those numbers being immigrants and their families. While most within the community have embraced Neepawa’s newest arrivals, it appeared as though one or more unknown individuals had not, and choose to relay that message in a cowardly way.

As a reaction to this incident, the idea of a huge community potluck dinner was suggested. Organized by Rochelle Unico, Bernadette Tripon, Rrain Prior and Amanda Naughton-Gale, they felt that this could serve as a means to bring the community together. As the idea evolved, the street party and walking parade were added and the event was planned to coincide with ArtsForward’s annual Jam Fest. Rochelle Unico said that this was something she had been hoping to put together for quite some time.

“This was our dream. To help put together something like this, that would bring all the local Filipino community together with our Canadian neighbours. To go out, meet their neighbour, have something to eat and share their stories with one another,” noted Unico. “We’d actually been looking to do something like this since November, but the recent circumstances sort of spurred us to move on this action. Myself and Adette [Tripon] worked with Rrain Prior and Amanda [Naughton-Gale] on a plan. We spoke with the [Filipino] community. We all put our heads together and then got together in this manner.”

Early hopes were modest in regard to the number of people who would participate in the festivities. As the start of the walking parade drew near and people gathered at the front of the Court Building, however, the true magnitude of the event began take shape. By the time everyone left the Court House to walk down to the ArtsForward building, the street was filled with people, waving flags from Canada and Philippines, as well as many as a dozen other nations. Several people also made up signs celebrating their heritage, but also showing appreciation and respect for others.
At the end of the journey, Amanda Naughton-Gale spoke to the assembled group via a bull horn and thanked them for making this event something special.

“This turned into something more than we thought it could be. We just want to thank everyone in Neepawa and surrounding communities, who joined together in this way. This is what community is about. This is what Neepawa is about,” said Naughton-Gale.

Following the walk, the massive pot luck dinner began and featured three  whole roast pigs, salads and a variety of desserts. Meanwhile, the street party continued with karaoke and performance by a local Filipino band.

As the festivities concluded, organizers Rochelle Unico, Amanda Naugton-Gale, Adette Tripon and Rrain Prior shared a hug to celebrate its success. Unico said that the community coming together like this was emotional for her.

“I thought, let’s just kill the issue with kindness and to see this right now, I’m blown away. I had tears of joy at the Court House, as people arrived and the numbers began to increase. We were stressed out all day and a little worried. What if no one comes out for this, but the Town of Neepawa showed up and supported this event. This was my dream and now it’s reality.”