P.E.I. newcomer group has new home for weekly meet-ups

The Friday Friendship Hour has found a new home at Avance Learning Centre in Charlottetown.

The PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada had been looking for a place in the community to house the meet-ups since starting it last winter, because meeting in coffee shops and restaurants around Charlottetown was getting expensive.

Community Outreach facilitator Nancy Clement said the perfect solution came when a local business owner, who happened to be an active participantin these events, reached out about hosting them.

Julia Cui is the owner and director of Avance Learning Centre, which she opened in May of this year.

'Met a lot of new friends'

She moved to Charlottetown from Beijing last May, and enjoyed going to the Friday evening events.

"I met a lot of new friends in this activity. Some of them help me a lot in life or in business, so it's very helpful," Cui said.

Cui initially reached out to the Association for Newcomers because she wanted to host an event in September celebrating China's mid-autumn festival. She hopes in the future there can be more themed meet-ups to share cultural celebrations.

"It's a good opportunity for people to meet here because even the Islanders or the local Canadians, they can learn something from the newcomers, their norms and their customs and their culture. It's good for people to understand each other and to know more about each other."

Coming together during the cold

Clement said the meetings are a great way to get people out during the winter, and called the program part of their "wintergration."

"We know winters can be long even for Islanders who have been here all their life so certainly if you're a newcomer from a warmer country it can be pretty long," Clement said.

Clement said they wanted to cover more time than last year, so they started in September.

On Friday night, at the second meet-up of the season, there were a lot of conversations and some music.

Music bridging cultures

Cui said music has been a great addition to the casual meetings.

"I don't think music has a border for anybody, so anybody from anywhere can enjoy music."

Clement said the smaller setting of the event helps create stronger connections.

"We find you get more in-depth conversations because there's fewer people and it's a more intimate atmosphere so it really is a chance to sit down and find out where that person is from, what they are doing here as a career."

The program will continueuntil spring.

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