If you recently moved to Bradford West Gwillimbury or have a new baby, there is a free service in town that wants to help you.
Welcome Wagon launched in 1930 and has become a “Canadian tradition,” said Tracie Kennedy, the organization’s area manager for central and northern Ontario.
Its representatives make personal visits to the homes of people new to town or who are new parents, and provide them gifts from local businesses and information about the community.
“People are a little suspect about things that are free. It’s (just) a free service to introduce them to the community,” said Kennedy. “In the old days, we’d take pies and cookies to new neighbours. (We’re) ambassadors for the community. We’re supported by community-minded local businesses.”
Kennedy got involved with Welcome Wagon after she moved to Alliston and had two young children.
“I thought I had to go to Newmarket or Barrie for stuff,” she said, adding she learned a lot about what Alliston had to offer after a visit from a Welcome Wagon representative.
“Very quickly I started to feel like I was at home. It was all a result of that visit. (It’s) those little connections that make you feel like part of the community.”
There are several Welcome Wagon representatives throughout Simcoe County, including BWG, Barrie, Orillia, and Collingwood, as well as part of York Region, such as Newmarket, East Gwillimbury, Georgina and Aurora.
There is also a small Welcome Wagon program in North Bay.
Some of these locations also offer visits for new business owners.
Anyone interested in a visit from the Welcome Wagon can request a visit themselves or be referred by someone.
What people can expect from a typical visit is a friendly sit down with a Welcome Wagon representative, who will go through a bunch of items the person can keep, such as brochures about the municipality and local attractions, and gifts from local businesses. The representative can also answer any questions about the town’s offerings the person may have.
The gifts and information brochures are tailored to the type of visit.
For example, a new resident would typically receive information about the town’s waste management and library services, while new parents would get information about EarlyON Child and Family Centres and breastfeeding resources.
“It’s helpful information, whether they need it now or need it in the future,” Kennedy said.
“Especially new moms, they don't know where to go. They’re happy to know they’re not alone,” added Lyne Cortese, a Welcome Wagon representative based in BWG who meets with new parents.
She said one of the most popular items she hands out is a Little Citizen certificate signed by the mayor.
Cynthia Riley, another Welcome Wagon representative in BWG, said she has helped new residents from other countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, South Africa and Europe, get to know the community.
“This is new to them. They don’t know what it is,” she said, adding she provides practical information like where to get haircuts and oil changes. “I try to engage them with everything that’s happening in town.”
For more information, visit welcomewagon.ca, or call Cynthia Riley (for new residents) at 289-264-6121, or Lyne Cortese (for new babies) at 705-331-6825.
