The St Lucia Calgary Cultural Association (SLCCA) was established on December 13, 1987 by a group of St Lucians living in the Calgary area who shared a common interest; to promote cultural understanding between persons of St Lucian origin with the wider community in Calgary. The SLCCA’s mandate is to assist St Lucians who are new to Calgary with transitioning into their new surroundings, to educate non St Lucians about St Lucia and the SLCCA, to provide assistance to organizations that support those in need, and to foster stronger ties between St Lucians in Calgary and the greater community. Membership for the SLCCA is not restricted to persons of St Lucian origin, as many of our members are from other Caribbean Islands as well as Canadians. The SLCCA has flourished over the years and as a result has been privileged enough to give back. Since 1987 the SLCCA has donated to various charities in St Lucia and Canada, awarded numerous scholarships to children pursuing higher education, volunteered and sponsored meals at the Drop In Center, provided financial aid to the Red Cross to assist with natural disasters around the world, and provided financial assistance to non-profit organizations responsible for the enhancement of Caribbean culture in Alberta. Some of the organizations that the SLCCA has donated both time and/or money to include, but are not limited to, The Holy Family Children’s Home, The St Lucia Cancer Society, St Jude’s Hospital, and Hurricane Tomas Relief in St Lucia as well as Vision Care Canada, Interfaith Food Bank, Inn from the Cold, The Mustard Seed and the Drop In Center in Calgary. Our most notable recent charitable work involved a partnership with Shopper’s Home Healthcare, which resulted in the donation and shipment of 100 wheelchairs to the Ministry of Health in St. Many of our members were instrumental in transporting, coordinating, packing and inventorying the wheelchairs before the Christmas season. In addition to its charity work, the SLCCA organizes a host of social and cultural events throughout the year which are either free or discounted for members including several Games Nights, annual day trips to various parts of Western Canada, annual Independence Dinner and Dance celebration, annual Creole Day and more. The SLCCA has also taken part in the annual Carifest (Caribbean Festival) in Calgary as well as the GlobalFest Fireworks Festival. In 2002, the SLCCA also had the privilege of hosting the 10th Biennial Convention of St. Lucian Associations around the world, in Calgary, Alberta, during the world famous Calgary Stampede. In our efforts we continue to affiliate with the greater Caribbean community to support and sustain our common goal of celebrating multiculturalism and diversity in our rapidly growing city.
