Edmonton’s Filipino community is looking for funding to create a space for its members to gather.
In a show of support, the Corpus Christi Hall in south Edmonton was packed Saturday for the Edmonton Philippine International Centre (EPIC) fundraiser.
The main purpose of the gathering was to announce and take the first steps towards a new Filipino community centre.
“It’s about time because whenever we want to celebrate the Filipino culture, we don’t know where, we always have to go somewhere else,” community member Beatriz Rubio said.
“Right now, I probably go to five, six events in a year and they’re always in different places in the city, and so it would be great to just have one place where we can hold all those events,” community member Jessa Kuchmak said.
“We are the third-largest minority group in Canada — there is about 75,000 just in Edmonton alone — and so we want a place to gather and uphold our culture and share our culture with the rest of the Edmonton community,” EPIC president Ida Lucila said.
With more and more Filipinos calling Edmonton home, the community is coming together to raise money.
While no specific location has been selected yet, the initiative is already receiving a wide array of support.
“For me to see all these cultures blending together, it’s wonderful and that’s what makes Edmonton special,” Coun. Mohinder Banga said.
To support and follow the EPIC journey, information will be posted on its website.