While many residents of Estevan and surrounding communities are planning their 150 Canada Day festivities, there are others who are planning theirs for the first time. The Southeast Newcomer Services are busy with their own plans to mark the special day. 

"We are helping Bienfait by participating with their parade," explained Stephanie Davis, programs coordinator with the Southeast Newcomer Services. "So we'll have a truck with newcomers in there, throwing out some candy and buttons."

"Arturo Estrella is going to be hosting a food area. So he'll have some cultural type food that he will be selling. And we have Anastasiya Shved and she has some Ukrainian eggs that she will have for people to come and look at and purchase." 

"We're also trying to get a baseball team together so we need a couple more players but we will also try and participate with the baseball tournament."

Canada Day also has another level of significance to those who have chosen to make this country their home. 

"Even myself coming from America to here. I had to go throughout the whole process to become a permanent resident. So I know what it feel like to finally feel like you're at home and you don't have to worry about having to be deported back and having to go back. Especially when you make Estevan your home where you want to stay because this community is just amazing."

"So I know they feel the same too, they're just so happy, they feel relieved, they feel safe, they feel appreciative so I can relate."

She reflected on her own first Canada Day.

"It was spectacular. It's a little bit different because it's on July 1st and then there's the July 4th so it was just switching the day from the fourth to the first but it was great. I went to a friend's house and we had a huge cookout, we watched fireworks and it was a blast. And it made me feel very patriotic."

"I know we have a lot of new comers here in our office. We have a few who are new not even four or five months ago so it will be their first Canada Day and I know that they're excited."