West Kootenay Local Immigration Partnership

06/05/2026

June is National Indigenous History Month, a chance for newcomers and long-term residents alike to learn more about those who have stewarded the lands of the West Kootenays since time immemorial. WKLIP operates on the unceded territories of the Sinixt, the Syilx and Ktunaxa Nations, and is home to many other Indigenous peoples including the Métis. In our work we meet many newcomers who are eager to learn more about Indigenous culture and history! Your local museum is always a good place to start, as is the Yaqan Nuqi Heritage Centre in Creston, which also offers tours on Kootenay Lake. For those in the Rossland area, you can enjoy the Mxiɬp (Cedar) Trail, constructed in way that protects the tree roots and the land. To learn more about Indigenous culture, newcomers can follow Autonomous Sinixt , West Kootenay Métis and Circle of Indigenous Nations Society but please note that some events are only open to Indigenous people - check beforehand!

06/03/2026

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ June is the beginning of Pride Season, and what better way to start than learning a bit about 2SLGBTQIA+ history in the Kootenays? Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery 's exhibition 'Kootenay Pride: We Love a Parade!' looks back on the history of the LGBTQ2S+ community in Nelson - entry is still free on Thursday evenings until the end of June. It also features the film 'Queering the Interior' which follows the people and moments that defined the q***r community in BC, and specifically the Kootenays, while paying tribute to a legacy of activism. A 10 minute condensed version of the 40 minute film can be viewed free on the Watershed Productions website. Keep a lookout for Pride events across the West Kootenays in the coming months!

05/27/2026

Wishing a happy Eid al-Adha to all those celebrating today! Eid al-Adha is the second of the two main festivals in Islam, alongside Eid al-Fitr and falls on the 10th of Dhu'l-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations are generally held over the three following days, known as the Tashreeq days. The festival traditionally marks and honours the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God's command. Eid Mubarak! 🌙

05/16/2026

🫎Today, WKLIP honours and recognises the Moose Hide Campaign. This is a grassroots movement, created in 2011 by Paul Lacerte and his daughter Raven Lacerte, and signifies indigenous and non-indigenous men standing up against violence against women and children.

Paul Lacerte attended a violence against women conference in Vancouver where he was one of 4 men among hundreds of women. Later, during a hunting trip along BC's Trail of Tears (Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert) with his daughter Raven, a location connected to many Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIW), Lacerte harvested a moose and decided to use the moose hide as a way to inspire men to become involved in the movement against violence against women.

The campaign distributes moose hide lapel pins (pictured) for free to raise awareness, with the hides being donated by indigenous hunters and the pins made by indigenous women.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons, without changes, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moose_Hide_Campaign-1.jpg

05/15/2026

May is Asian Canadian Heritage Month, and we want to highlight some places in the West Kootenays where you can learn more about Asian history in our region!

The Nikkei Internment Memorial Museum in New Denver is dedicated to telling the story of over 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were forcibly relocated during World War II. Located on the site of “The Orchard” internment camp in New Denver, BC, the NIMC contains original buildings, period artifacts and interpretive displays as well as the Heiwa Teien Peace Garden, designed by the renowned Japanese Canadian gardener, Tomomichi (Roy) Sumi.

Visit Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery to learn about the contributions of early Chinese residents to the town - Nelson was once home to the third-largest Chinatown in BC! Nelson Public Library also have a museum pass available to borrow.

Likewise, Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre provides information about Chinese immigrants in Rossland, where a small business and cultural district was also established.

Know of a local event celebrating Asian History Month? Please let us know, so we can share!

Photo - The Lemon Creek Internment Camp located in the Slocan Valley, circa WW2 era. From Library of Canada via Lost Kootenays.

05/05/2026

Today, WKLIP honours Red Dress Day, which recognises and remembers Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls across Canada. Held annually on May 5th, today honours Hanna Harris who was murdered in Montana in 2013. May 5th would've been Hanna's birthday and was chosen to honour her and all Missing and Murdered Native American Women back in 2017. Canada established a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also named Red Dress Day, starting in 2019. Red Dress Day calls attention to the disproportionate rates of violence against Indigenous women and Girls who go missing at 6X the rate of non-Indigenous women and girls.

04/30/2026

Since 2015, Canada designated 30 April as Journey to Freedom Day, a day of remembrance marking the fall of Saigon and the subsequent exodus of Vietnamese refugees. Between 1975 and 1995, almost 800,000 Vietnamese refugees, mainly travelling by boat, arrived safely in other countries, while many others died at sea due to piracy, overcrowding, and storms, and today we remember them. People on the move globally continue to face danger at sea, particularly in the Mediterranean, where 28,000 people have died or been recorded as missing since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

04/24/2026

WKLIP and CBAL are so grateful for our volunteers! At the WKLIP, a group of Newcomers meet to help steer the activities of the LIP and help us implement our community plan. If you're a newcomer in the West Kootenays and you'd like to contribute your knowledge and experiences, our Newcomer Advisory Committee is accepting new applications!
https://cbal.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=1a3837fb-e4ef-4b2a-b24f-e250ecb53a83

Thank you CBAL volunteers!

04/23/2026

Missed the deadline to sign up for Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy 's Lace Up for Literacy 5k? No worries, you can turn up on the day too! 👟🏆

Oooo, you missed the registration deadline for LACE UP FOR LITERACY? No worries, we are accepting walk-ups on the day of the event, April 26, in Fernie & Castlegar!

📅Sunday, April 26 (In person)
📍9 AM PT at Millennium Park, Castlegar
📍10 AM MT at Annex Park, Fernie

💰Entry fee:
$20 – Walk-ups on event day
Free – For kids under 12

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04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day! WKLIP is honoured to operate on the unceded traditional territories of the Sinixt, Syilx, and Ktunaxa nations, and we are constantly in awe of the beauty of these lands. For a list of local events celebrating Earth Day, head over to EarthDays Nelson & Area ! There are many different things to choose from, it is a great chance to meet people, for for newcomers and long-term residents alike. 🌱🌎