Our community is rich with people from Indigenous cultures as well as people from around the world contributing to the fabric of our society. The Social Planning Council honours these individuals and their accomplishments by seeking nominations from local organizations and private citizens.

Each year, we recognize ten nominees who are willing to share their story and accept the nomination as one of Vernon’s Multicultural Community Champions. Nominations for the 2020 Multicultural Community Champions are now open.  Please download the nomination form here and submit it to [email protected] no later than November 1, 2019.

We also want to thank the Vernon Morning Star for publishing these stories each month to reach more people in our community and around the world.

For some of the champions, their journey to Vernon began in a refugee camp, others immigrated to start a business or work as a skilled professional, while for some, their roots to this land go back thousands of years. Personal interviews resulted in ten stories that portray their background, their early experiences in Canada, the challenges they’ve overcome in their lives, and the difference they are making today in our social, economic and cultural landscape.

You can read their stories and meet some of them through their short videos here.

The Executive Director of the Social Planning Council, Annette Sharkey says, “We are honoured that these champions were willing to share their story and be part of this very important project. Their stories inspire and captivate. Respect comes from understanding each other better and this simple initiative shows the strength our community receives from embracing and celebrating diversity.”

Permission to reprint the stories may be granted with attribution by contacting the Social Planning Council at 250-540-8572.

The Social Planning Council is the host agency for the Vernon Local Immigration Partnership Council as well as the Thompson Okanagan Respect Network. The funding for this initiative was provided by the Province of BC.