Latest news with #communityHub
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Hundreds of Calgarians celebrate 50 years of Fish Creek Provincial Park
Hundreds of Calgarians celebrated the 50th birthday of Fish Creek Provincial Park Saturday. Katrina Terrill, from the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society, said a half-century was a pretty great reason to celebrate. 'Fifty years is (known) as a golden anniversary for a reason,' Terrill said. 'This is an incredible milestone. (It was) 50 years ago, almost to the day, when this park was inaugurated as a provincial park. 'Since then, we have seen an increase in interest and love for this park in Calgary grow tremendously just as the city has also grown. 'This park was originally designed for I think 400,000 people a year to visit -- and every year we get about three million or more.' Terrill said that Fish Creek has become a true community hub in the southwest part of the city. 'I don't think I can overstate how important Fish Creek Provincial Park is to our community,' she said, 'whether people are coming in to hike, cycle, or whether they are just looking for a quiet spot to reflect in nature. 'There is something that everyone can enjoy here,' she said, 'at Fish Creek Park.' For more about the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society, go here.
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Melbourne primary schools teaching migrant mums vital skills via Community Hubs
When Iraqi migrant and mum of three Enas Hano enrolled in English language classes at her kids' Broadmeadows school, she was still coming to terms with having her life stolen by the militia. 'I'll never forget the day that we came to Australia (as refugees in 2016),' the now-36-year-old said. '(The militia) took our home and everything we had.' Fast forward to 2025 and Ms Hano has learnt to speak English, can use a computer, has completed a Certificate 3 in Early Childhood Education and is employed part-time by the school to oversee its Healthy Start Breakfast Club and childminding services. This is all thanks to the staff at St Dominic's Primary – who, principal Katie Broadbent says, believe 'we're a school that doesn't just enrol the child, we enrol the family'. 'Inherent in that is a responsibility to embrace what that family looks like and needs, and to support them to engage with the community,' she said. This ethos comes to life via the school's Community Hub, which was established in 2012 to support migrant and refugee families with the ultimate aim of connecting them with each other, and the wider community. 'It's my second home,' Ms Hano said. 'I can't visit my family in Iraq because it is too expensive, but I have met another family here and we help each other with everything.' Four other schools governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic primary schools also run Community Hubs: St Anthony's in Noble Park, Dallas's Holy Child Primary, Roxburgh Park's Good Samaritan Catholic Primary and Holy Eucharist in St Albans South. St Dominic's hub leader and learning support officer Caroline Menassa said the program responded directly to the evolving needs of the school community. 'Sometimes, (the community) comes to me with ideas,' she said. 'Last week, an elderly couple said, 'We've just bought our first mobile phones and we have no idea how to use them.' I said, 'No problem, I'll find a teacher and we'll run a mini class'.' The hub also runs fitness classes, programs that increase employability and teach members how to book doctors' appointments, use Myki cards, call triple-0 and more. 'The goal is to help families become more self-sustaining,' Ms Menassa said. Ms Broadbent said the participants loved the hub so much, many of them volunteered or worked there even after their children had graduated. 'Two of the mums who now run our playgroup used to be students in the hub,' she said.
