Forty-five years ago, a few church volunteers wanted to help Vietnamese “Boat People” fleeing by sea and coming to Calgary. They started with no funding, no grand plan—only open hearts and a belief that everyone deserves a place to call home. In the years that followed, that belief found a name: Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS).
That spirit was on full display on the eve of World Refugee Day, as we hosted our 45th anniversary conference “45 Years of Welcome: Leadership, Partnership and Community Impact”, at the MacEwan Conference & Event Centre, bringing together federal and provincial leaders, municipal officials, and community partners to reflect on four and a half decades of our work.
The day began with an Indigenous blessing from Kainai First Nation Knowledge Keeper Daniel Mistaken Chief, grounding the gathering in the traditional territories that have welcomed so many newcomers.
CCIS CEO, Gordana Radan, opened the proceedings with remarks that carried particular weight. When she arrived as a refugee from the former Yugoslavia three decades ago, her first stop in Canada was CCIS’s Margaret Chisholm Resettlement Centre. Today, she leads the very agency that welcomed her.
Fariborz Birjandian, who arrived as a refugee in 1987 and led CCIS for nearly 30 years, delivered the keynote address, “Immigration at a Crossroads.” He urged policymakers to prepare for emerging challenges while doubling down on what works.
A featured conversation followed, with The Honourable Stockwell Day hosting Dr. Peter Chung, CEO and Chairman of Primacorp Ventures Inc. Their discussion explored Dr. Chung’s entrepreneurial journey—an example of what newcomers contribute when given opportunity.
The afternoon shifted to policy and partnership, with a moderated panel examining how settlement services can fill Alberta’s labour gaps while fostering welcoming communities in mid-sized cities and rural towns. Panellists included John Biles from IRCC, Kathryn Friesen from AAISA, Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn, and Bernard Lung from TS-Nano.
Dr. Akolisa Ufodike, former Alberta Immigration Deputy Minister, delivered the closing keynote, “The Next Chapter—Courage, Collaboration, and Community Leadership,” calling for sustained commitment to building welcoming communities.
As the conference ended with cake and group photos, one thing was clear: CCIS’s greatest legacy is not its size, but the countless lives it has changed.
The closing remarks from CCIS Board Chair Josephine Naicker ensured the participants left the venue with renewed energy.
