Reactivating cultural connections: Celebration returns stronger after pandemic pause

Five years after its last major cultural gathering, the Burundian community in Regina came together once again to celebrate culture and heritage, marking the first time the community hosted its New Year’s celebration since the pandemic.

Bertrand Ninteretse, communications and visibility coordinator, Burundian Community of Regina (BCR), says there have been many newcomers to the community, but the members of the Association have not had the opportunity to gather again, despite a demand for it. This is why the group applied to the Small Grant Accessibility Program (SGAP).

“It’s important for our community to stay connected with one another to teach our future generations our identity and our history before and after we came to Canada,” Ninteretse says. “You know us Burundians, we love to meet, share food, and dance to music.”

The event successfully brought together over 260 people, surpassing the group’s expectations, mostly from the Burundian community, but also from other local French-speaking African cultural communities. Ninteretse says support from SGAP helped make this possible.

The Association is now looking into organizing a future event together with other French-speaking groups to further strengthen these relationships. There are plans to hold the New Years event annually once again, and to potentially gather to celebrate Burundi Independence Day in July.

“We are planning to organize a big event in the summer that will bring people back together and celebrate our culture, history, and heritage together outside under the sun,” Ninteretse says.

Bringing back in-person events aligns with the BCR’s mission of ensuring visibility and representation. According to Ninteretse, maintaining a strong public presence has helped the community build relationships, partnerships, and even donor relations. Most importantly, it provides Burundian newcomers with a welcoming space where they can feel supported as they begin to build their lives in Canada.

“Our goal as a community is to create a strong relationship between our members in order to help them get opportunities in the future,” Ninteretse says.