Welland Mayor, Frank Campion's monthly column
Ontario launched its first Family Day on the third Monday of February 2008. This year we celebrate the tenth year of this “family in the community” inspired holiday on February 19, 2018. When Family Day was first initiated a decade ago, many people questioned how necessary the holiday was, and believed it was created due to the lack of statutory holidays over the winter season. Now, after a decade of commemorating the significance of family in the community, we’ve grown to see the value of this holiday.
Unlike many holidays, Family Day is nondenominational and inclusive to every nationality and culture. Family is something that we have in common regardless of how big or small our families are. What binds us together on this holiday is the spirit of connecting with the people who are closest to us, and the desire to strengthen those connections. Most of us appreciate Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, but many families could be left feeling excluded if their family doesn’t fit this traditional model. Family Day is much broader and not only includes connecting with immediate and secondary family members, it also encourages us to connect with other families.
Family Day also gives us the opportunity to build parent-child relationships and the opportunity to strengthen sibling ties through team-building games and experiences. Most communities offer free family fun events that stimulate interaction between family members, as-well-as interaction with the community. Join us this Family Day at the Welland Community Wellness Complex to celebrate with free family fun. Staff have organized an array of activities to keep everyone entertained. Come discover a dinosaur exhibit, inflatables, magic, and so much more. There’s also a free skate offered that same day at the Welland Arena. For details on these events visit the city’s events calendar at welland.ca.
