LISTOWEL, ONT. -- Listowel is in the midst of a “sign war” promoting local business, but the folks at Trinity United Church have another sign they’d like people to see.
“Our communities are changing and growing, and becoming for diverse. By displaying these signs we’re showing that we care, and we want people to be welcomed. We want them to feel welcome,” says Trinity United Church member, Sandy Earl.
Listowel has seen exponential growth in the past 5 years. Most of those new residents are from the Kitchener-Waterloo region, and many are people of colour. It’s a big change for the small town, one the members of Trinity United believe, the community should celebrate, more publicly.
“Our communities are becoming more diverse and we want people to feel welcome here. We want people to come active members of our community. They make our communities richer, they make our schools richer, they make our businesses richer,” says Jodi Town, of Trinity United Church.
The diversity signs are just starting to pop up around town. Earl hopes to see them on lawns across Listowel, and possibly, across the province.
“We didn’t put any location on these signs. So they can go to any community, because every community in Southwestern Ontario is changing. These signs are available to anyone,” she says.
People can order a sign by visiting Trinity United Church Listowel on Facebook.
“We want this small little token to act as a handshake of friendship to newcomers in our communities,” says Earl.
