It was a holiday meal with all the trimmings last night at the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Center's thanksgiving dinner. 

The Executive Director of the Welcome Center Icasiana de Gala provides details on the annual cultural event. 

This is our thanksgiving dinner, we do this annually I believe since 2013. So this is our 9th year. We started with one turkey and now we have eleven turkeys I think and ham and a lot of additional things there. We're so glad that were able to do this again. 

De Gala adds that despite the pandemic over the past couple of years they continued with the holiday meal by delivering the meals to recipients. 

In terms of how the holiday meal began, De Gala provides some insight. 

It was one of our volunteers, a practicum student who thought of the idea. They said why don't we do a traditional Canadian thanksgiving dinner because Christmas everyone celebrates it. Thanksgiving is very North American. We thought if there is one Canadian tradition that we would like to introduce to our newcomers this would be it.

Over 200 tickets were distributed for the event which took place at Christ The Redeemer Roman Catholic Church. 

De Gala wishes to thank everyone that attended and also all the staff of the Welcome Center who put everything together along with the volunteers.