Wellington North will once again host a Volunteer and Newcomer Welcome event this fall to celebrate local volunteers and greet any new people who have moved to the area.
The event was started in 2018 to coincide with Welcoming Week. Mike Wilson, Community Development Coordinator with the Township of Wellington North, says the event is a great way for newcomers to make connections.
"Get to know some people, get to know what kind of opportunities are out there to get involved, get some information in terms of things like recycling or other services the township provides. Also, it's an opportunity for the volunteers that are usually doing fundraising meals and events, it gives council an opportunity to feed them for once and thank them for their work," Wilson explained.
The event will be Thursday, September 18 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex. It will feature displays from a variety of community organizations, networking, and Mayor’s welcome, with the catered lunch being served at noon.
Wilson points out that when it comes to volunteers, the municipality is very lucky.
"No small community anywhere is what it is without volunteers that are there. If you look at local sports or local service groups fundraising for things like the Louise Marshall Hospital (in Mount Forest), anywhere you look there's volunteers involved. Without them, we wouldn't have the amenities we have, the programs we have or the services we have," Wilson enthused.
For newcomers who come to the event, Wilson says there is loads of relevant information on local organizations, as well as different information on township operations. He says it isn't easy moving to a new place sometimes, so the event serves as a way to more smoothly bring people in.
"They can network with some of the local volunteer groups, get to know some people and find out what the opportunities are to get involved if they're interested. It's difficult for anybody to move, you can move from one municipality to another even and, maybe garbage collection is different or water and sewer billing is different, so we have loads of information there for them in terms of who does what, and who to call if they need to call somebody," added Wilson.
The event will be Thursday, September 18 between 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex. It will feature displays from a variety of community organizations, networking, and Mayor’s welcome, with the catered lunch being served at noon.
Pre-registration is required due to limited seating, and that can be done here until Wednesday, September 10: https://WNNewcomerEvent2025.eventbrite.com.
You can also contact Mike Wilson directly at mwilson@wellington-north.com or call 519-848-3620 ext. 4236 to register.