As part of CHF BC’s 2024 Year of Belonging celebration, we invited co-ops to showcase how they celebrate diversity by hosting an event for a cultural community day, celebration, or observance.  

We are proud to share that the recipient of the Year of Belonging Award was Fraserview Housing Co-operative. 

Fraserview hosted a Canada Day celebration aimed at celebrating the diversity of Canada – and their co-op community. 

Theirs was a relatively new co-op. Residents had only started moving in about a year before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the possibility of any community events. 

After a few initial events which focused primarily on families with children – Easter egg hunts and G-rated outdoor movies – they wanted to host an event that all households would enjoy. 

Fraserview residents are diverse, with a diverse range of ethnicities and cultures represented – a melting pot, just like Canada, and the social committee wanted their Canada Day BBQ to reflect that diversity. 

The committee provided BBQ basics (grilled meats, seafood and vegetables), asking members to bring an appetizer, side, or dessert from their cultural background. They soon discovered that their building was also filled with great cooks. Members made dishes representing Indigenous cultures, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Spain and United States. 

“Who made that – I need the recipe!” was soon a common phase as new dishes were discovered. 

Throughout the afternoon kids enjoyed facepainting and a bouncy castle, while adults sipped on sangria, wine, and homemade iced tea, lemonade and cucumber-orange water, before culminating with a raffle draw of prizes donated by members. 

“Our Board gave a speech welcoming everyone and relaying how living in a co-op differs other housing types – it is the spirit of community, cooperation and inclusion, which makes our co-op special,” Fraserview stated in their award application. “Members thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially the newer members who had never been to such a welcoming event, giving people pause to think ‘how can I contribute to the community.’” 

Overall, the event-built community among co-op members, while showcasing the diversity of their neighbours and giving them the opportunity to work together to make something great. 

“We can all lend a hand in any way we can and support each other. The co-op provides us with opportunities for people to come together, make connections and establish lasting relationships. A single person or small committee cannot do everything themselves; it takes a village… it takes a co-op.”