An orange wave washed over the inbound passengers walking off a Friday afternoon flight at Prince George Airport.
A happy mob of volunteers, all clad in orange T-shirts and handing out packets of information and chocolate, greeted each arriving passenger as they came in off the YXS tarmac. It was a demonstration of civic pride and community relations by the Welcome PG group.
"Welcome PG's mission is to enhance Prince George's diversity and economic prosperity by supporting an inclusive, welcoming and vibrant community," said the care packet each arrivee received. Many looked confused, at first, as they waded into the orange sea of smiles but after hugs and waves and greetings from the unexpected welcoming committee, most seemed charmed and some openly gushed with gratitude.
"Well that's a real surprise," said Bill McGill, a local resident arriving home from a trip. As the former president of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, he quickly grasped the purpose of the demonstration. "What more could you want from a community than a warm greeting when you arrive. It's great for Prince George."
One of those in orange, Felicia Constantinescu, knew well what it felt like to arrive in strange and foreign Prince George. She is an immigrant from eastern Europe who now makes this her home.
"It's so nice, I think, to have someone greet you. I never had that," she said. "I never see that anywhere. You see family or friends at the airport, maybe, but this was complete strangers. That's the true human love."
It was a striking demonstration of Prince George's potential, but it is not a permanent feature at YXS. Welcome PG is a coalition of community stakeholders, businesses, non-profit organizations and service providers. It is led by the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society. The group's purpose, said IMSS boss Baljit Sethi, "is to enhance Prince George's diversity and economic prosperity by strengthening its capacity to attract, recruit and retain internationally trained new immigrants who have chosen Canada, specifically Prince George, as their home."
The airport is a natural focal point for their mission, since it is the first impression and the entry point many of these economy-builders get.
For long-term purposes, Welcome PG developed a pair of resource kits, one entitled "Hiring Skilled New Immigrants: Tools for Employers," and the other named "Welcome to Prince George: An Introduction to Work and Life for New Immigrants."
"These resources were developed to help integrate new immigrants successfully into our community by building mutual understanding and in turn help Prince George continue to grow economically and socially," said one Welcome PG volunteer. "Both of these resources are an introduction to recruiting and retaining new immigrants in the workplace and to introduce new immigrants to Prince George."
A permanent reminder of this inclusive spirit dangles from the vaulted YXS ceiling. A mobile of 400-plus multicultural portraits swirls overhead, an art installation by Aiden Callison. Each face is an actual Prince George resident, representing the array of ethnic and cultural representatives in our region.
While the orange wave was scheduled to wash over airport arrivals only once, the Prince George Airport Authority does have a volunteer program for greeting incoming flights. The travellers stunned with delight, and the greeters beaming with pride on Friday indicated just how valuable this exercise could be.
"We would like to do this again. It would be great to keep it happening," said Welcome PG volunteer Romana Pasca, also an immigrant to Canada now living in Prince George. "I have in mind the Canada Winter Games in 2015 and how we want to develop that spirit of welcome. All this is about bringing people together and celebrating different kinds of people, and working together for Prince George because we love our city."
To join the ongoing airport ambassador program email inquiries to [email protected].
