MCAF Cultural Café strengthening bonds in Fredericton community
- Elizabeth Pellerin
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
On Jan. 22, the Multicultural Association of Fredericton (MCAF) hosted one of their monthly Cultural Cafés at the Fredericton Public Library.
This event serves as a cultural exchange between Fredericton’s citizens and has been finding success with the city’s newcomers as they integrate into the community.
“The idea is to find new friends,” said Larysa Motspan, volunteer coordinator for MCAF. “[Participants] can communicate together, practice informal English and find new connections in Fredericton.”
The Fredericton Public Library has been hosting the Cultural Café since 2023, with meetings being occasional until the shift to monthly events last year.
Advertised as “a social space where newcomers, immigrants and locals meet, share cultures and learn from each other," each Café also offers its participants community resources and ideas on how to enjoy life in Fredericton.
The event is centred around group conversations, which encourage participants to get to know each other by sharing personal experiences and reflecting on one another’s cultures.
“Learning from each other can drive culture,” said Motspan. “It’s like two-way learning. It's helpful for newcomers to be more integrated in [the] community and it's helpful [for] Canadians to learn new cultural experiences. It's a fun opportunity for both sides.”
Ahmad Sayir Elkhani moved to Fredericton from Afghanistan three years ago and has been participating in the Café regularly.
He said that he enjoys getting to learn new aspects about Canadian culture and feels that the event is an opportunity to also teach each other new things.
“We have good parts in every culture,” he said. “So we can discuss [those] good parts and share it with other people. Maybe they [will] like [what they learn] and [then] they can use it in their real life.”
Jessica Aline De Carvalho, whose first Café was on Jan. 22, moved to Canada two and a half years ago.
She feels that what she experienced at the Café helps newcomers to “belong” in Fredericton.
“It is nice to share my experiences,” she said. “[I haven’t been] here a long time and I‘m trying to do new things [that Canadians do]. This part in my life lets me share my experiences, learn new things and offer tips to others.”
Like De Carvalho, Diana Marcela Barrera was also participating in the Café for the first time.
Having only moved here from Colombia four months ago, she joined the Café hoping to practice her English, which she is often shy about.
“It’s funny, because when you move to [an] English speaking country, you think you will practice your English everywhere, but I think that doesn’t happen here,” she said.
“Being here, I kind of feel obligated to speak and practice my English, [which] I found really interesting.”
All three participants had positive things to say about the Café, and vouched for its importance in providing a space for newcomers to learn and bond.
This effect is one of the things Motspan hopes for regarding the Café’s impact on the Fredericton community.
“I really believe that this event is important for strengthening the community”, she said. “It's community engagement and it's helped to build a unique, strong and diverse community here.”
“We planned to have the event for one hour. This time it was almost two hours and people still continued to chat with each other after it was over. I think this indicates that they have fun and really need this type of event. They want this opportunity.”
The next Cultural Café is set to happen at the Fredericton Public Library on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m.