Africanival

Just days to go to July 18…!

Melamoon 2026 Free tickets just dropped!

This is your front-row seat to the next wave of Black entrepreneurship in Alberta — and it’s happening near you.

Save the date: JULY 18, 2026

Location: JANA Centre Downtown, 10420 103 Ave, Edmonton

Time: 9AM – 7PM

This is BIG energy. Community. Capital. And one shot to change everything.

Register now: https://melamoon.ca/registration

See the lineup + programming: https://melamoon.ca/programming

Brought to you by FACE — The Federation of African Canadian Economics on their 5-city national tour.

Montreal ✓ Halifax ✓ Vancouver ✓ EDMONTON IS NEXT ✓

This is stop 4. Alberta’s Black founders are stepping up to pitch live for a spot in the TORONTO GRAND FINALE.

Expect real pitches. Real investors. Real opportunities.

From 9AM to 7PM at the JANA Centre, we’re turning up the volume on Black ambition, innovation, and ownership.

Melamoon killed it in 2025. Year 2 is about to be even louder.

READYYYYY?!

Grab your spot before they’re gone. Let’s show Canada what Edmonton is made of.

Who are you bringing with you?

PROGRAMMING — MELAMOON PROGRAMMING july 18 EDMONTON Melamoon Pitching CompetitionExperience 20 finalists pitching live for a chance to represent Western Canada. Ten founders will advance to the next stage of the competition. Discover bold ideas, ambitious ventures, and the next generation of standout Black entrepreneurs.....

My Tour of Alberta: A Day at the Newcomer Centre in Edmonton.

My Tour of Alberta led me to a stop in Edmonton that I won’t forget.

I walked through the doors of the Newcomer Centre just as they were welcoming a very special guest — The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, M.P., Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and her team.

The atmosphere was warm. Purposeful. You could feel that this wasn’t just a visit. It was about people, and the lives being built here.

Samuel Juru, the Executive Director, and Laurie Hauer, Director of Programs and Services, took us through the facility. As we moved from room to room, they shared how the Newcomer Centre helps people start over and build successful lives in Alberta.

Settlement support for families finding their footing.
Language programs that turn “hello” into job interviews.
Employment services that match skills to real opportunities.
Community programs that make a new city feel like home.

We sat down and the conversation went deep. We talked about workforce development and skilled trades — about the gaps Alberta needs to fill, and how newcomers are already stepping up to fill them. We talked about partnerships, about meeting Canada’s growing workforce needs through initiatives like Team Canada Strong, and about the Centre’s ability to connect people directly to training and meaningful jobs.

I was especially glad to see Ranti George, Executive Director of the Afro-Caribbean Foodbank, there as well. Her presence emphasized that the work of the Newcomer Centre isn’t done in silos. It takes community partners — organizations working together — to create opportunities that actually last for newcomers and diverse communities.

Before I wrapped up my stop, I thanked the hardworking team at the Newcomer Centre and Minister Olszewski for their time; to listen, and to learn. For asking questions. For being part of a conversation about building stronger communities and expanding opportunities across Alberta.

Leaving the Newcomer Centre, I carried with me the feeling of that room: hope, determination, and the quiet power of a place that turns new beginnings into real futures.

Do you want to be my next stop on Diversity Magazine Tour of Alberta?

Stampede Days: My Walk Through Treaty 7 Country.

There’s no shortage of things to chase at Calgary Stampede 2026, July 3–12. Rides, food, rodeo, concerts — it’s loud, fast, and everywhere.

But me? I always follow the stories. And for Diversity Magazine, the story starts where the people do: at the cultural corner.

I ducked past the midway chaos — kids on rides, the smell of mini-donuts, exhibitions pulling crowds every direction. I crossed the Elbow River bridge with the water moving fast underneath me, and headed straight for Elbow River Camp.

It’s a living, breathing cultural village. And it’s Treaty 7 country.

I remember when it was called the “Indian Village.” Today it’s 26 family-owned tipis standing like history in the open air. Each one is hand-painted with designs that have traveled through generations. Step inside and you’re surrounded by buckskin outfits, beadwork that catches the light, and family artifacts that feel personal, not performative.

This isn’t new. Treaty 7 families have been part of the Stampede since it began in 1912. The camp represents five distinct Nations:
Siksika. Kainai, Blood. Piikani. Stoney Nakoda — Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney. Tsuut’ina.

I stayed for presentations, listened to stories, tasted bannock that was warm from the fire, and browsed Indigenous art that I wanted to take home and learn from.

When my heart was full, my feet wanted a break. So I found BMO Community Square — right in the middle of it all. It’s a different kind of Stampede energy. Softer seating. Room to breathe. A place to actually talk to people.

The Community Stage was running nonstop. GlobalFest partners bringing in performances that celebrate inclusivity and innovation. Around me:
- Robot Rodeo with youth building and battling robots
- Stampede Story time with Calgary Public Library
- Line dancing tutorials where nobody cared if you messed up the steps
- Midway Melodies Karaoke and families cheering each other on

That’s the thing about Stampede. You can go for the rodeo, the ag shows, the rides, the games, the food that makes you question your life choices… and still end up in a circle of strangers singing badly together.

It all runs until July 12.

So yeah…

Yahoo!

What part of Stampede are you hitting first this year?

My next stop on my Diversity Summer Tour of Alberta is central Alberta - happy to take some invitations and suggestions!

Lethbridge Filipino Heritage Festival (EPIC Year 6): Held at Henderson Park Shoreline Pavilion, this two-day event takes place July 4–5. It features celebrity guests, local Alberta talent, creative arts, and flavorful food.