More and more in-person events are starting to pop up here in Moose Jaw including a very special one this Sunday to celebrate some of our city's newcomers.

June 20th is World Refugee Day and the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council (MJMC) is organizing a coffeehouse-style event at Evolve Coffee Roasters. Three newcomers will be presenting their journeys of coming to Canada. Community connections coordinator with the MJMC, Kaleigh Pousett says they're focusing on storytelling and making connections.

"I've talked to a lot of people who don't know that we have a refugee community in Moose Jaw," says Pousett. "But we actually have a large community that has settled here and now call Moose Jaw home. So I think it's really important to hear some of their stories and introduce them and the broader community to one another."

The three presenters are originally from Burma, the Congo, and East Africa. Each is focusing on a different part of their life experiences, ranging from what life was like back home, to living in refugee camps, to ultimately making the move the Canada. She says that she herself was surprised to learn just how large the refugee population in Moose Jaw is.

"It's hard to say just how many we have here because some of them have lived here for 15 or 20 years now. But in the four years before the pandemic, we had an average of 86 refugees coming to Moose Jaw every year."

According to Pousett, most of Moose Jaw's refugee population is made up of folks from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, the Congo, and Syria. Many of these newcomers choose to stay in the area, although some do later move to other parts of Canada to be with relatives. She expects that many of the experiences that will be shared will be completely new to someone born and raised in the area and that it takes a lot of courage for the presenters to tell their stories in front of strangers.

"It's been an honour for me to be able to work with our speakers and help them prepare their stories."

Doors open for the event at 6:30 pm, June 20th at the Evolve cafe on Main St, with live music beginning at around 6:45. Pousett says you can expect a relaxed and conversational atmosphere.

"Our musician is Congalese as well so we'll be treated to some music from the Congo as well. Everyone who comes will get their choice of a free coffee, tea, or sparkling lemonade."

Attendees will have to pre-register here and the maximum capacity is 32 people. If you're going with a group of friends, you're encouraged to sign up together so you can sit in a group.

If you have any questions, you can reach out to Pousett at community.connections@mjmcinc.ca.