I’ve arrived in St. John’s, Newfoundland on an unusually warm June morning. The city’s downtown harbor buzzes with activity, but it’s not the fishing boats or tourist crowds catching my attention today. It’s the vibrant explosion of color at Quidi Vidi Lake, where the province’s third annual Multicultural Sports Day is underway.
“This isn’t just about games,” explains Maria Hernandez, lead organizer and executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Multicultural Sports Council. “It’s about building bridges between communities that might otherwise never connect.”
The event, which began as a modest gathering in 2023 with just eight cultural groups represented, has expanded to include participants from over twenty different cultural backgrounds. Today, more than 2,000 people are expected to attend.
Walking the grounds, I notice children learning hurling techniques from members of the Irish Association, while nearby, a group practices the intricate movements of Chinese dragon boat racing on dry land before taking to the water. The scent of diverse foods fills the air – samosas, cod cakes, and jollof rice among the offerings.
Premier Sarah Williams, who arrived early to participate in the opening ceremony, tells me this event reflects the changing face of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Our province welcomed nearly 9,000 newcomers last year alone,” she notes, referencing recent immigration data from Statistics Canada. “That’s transformative for a province our size, and these cultural exchanges help turn newcomers into neighbors.”
The sports day comes at a critical time. According to a 2024 report from the Atlantic Council on Immigration and Integration, Newfoundland retains about 62% of its immigrants after five years – a significant improvement from the 45% retention rate recorded a decade ago, but still lower than the national average of 86%.
Events promoting cultural integration may be key to improving those numbers, says Dr. James Chen, sociologist at Memorial University who specializes in immigration patterns.
“The genius of using sports as the vehicle for cultural exchange is that it creates connection without requiring perfect language skills,” Chen explains as we watch a cricket match between teams comprised of players from India, Pakistan, the Caribbean, and curious local Newfoundlanders trying the sport for the first time. “You don’t need to speak the same language to play together.”
The provincial government has invested $175,000 in this year’s event, part of a broader $3.2 million initiative to support multicultural programming across Newfoundland and Labrador. Critics have questioned whether such investments deliver tangible results, but supporters point to the visible community building happening on the field.
I speak with Aisha Mohamed, who arrived from Somalia with her family three years ago. Her son is participating in a soccer tournament, playing alongside children whose families have lived in Newfoundland for generations.
“When we first came, I worried my children would never feel they belonged,” she says, watching her son score a goal. “But look at him now – he’s teaching his teammates words in Somali, and they’re teaching him expressions I don’t even understand yet.”
The day isn’t without challenges. A brief rain shower sends everyone scrambling for shelter, and there’s a minor dispute over rules during the kabaddi competition. But these moments resolve quickly with good humor – perhaps the most Newfoundland response possible.
Liam O’Reilly, whose family has fished these waters for five generations, is trying his hand at sepak takraw, a Southeast Asian sport resembling volleyball played with the feet.
“I’m making a right fool of myself,” he laughs after a failed attempt to return the woven ball. “But sure, that’s the whole point, isn’t it? To try something new and have a laugh while you’re at it.”
As afternoon turns to evening, the competitive aspects give way to demonstrations and opportunities for attendees to try unfamiliar sports. Children race around collecting stamps in “sports passports” that encourage them to attempt activities from at least five different cultural traditions.
According to event data, last year’s Multicultural Sports Day led to a 32% increase in enrollment in cultural sports programs across the province, with traditional cricket, Gaelic football, and dragon boat racing seeing the largest growth.
Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism Patricia Daly sees this as evidence the program is working. “When we invest in cultural exchange, we’re investing in retention. People stay where they feel welcome, where they can maintain connections to their heritage while building new ones.”
As the sun begins to set over Quidi Vidi, participants gather for a closing ceremony featuring performances that blend traditional and contemporary elements from various cultures. A Mi’kmaq elder offers a blessing, followed by a performance where traditional Newfoundland step dancing merges with Bhangra movements.
What strikes me most is how natural it all seems – this blending of the old and new, of traditions from around the world finding common ground on this rocky island in the North Atlantic.
“This is what the future of Newfoundland looks like,” whispers Chen as we watch. “And it’s more colorful, more resilient, and frankly, more interesting than the past.”
As I prepare to leave, I notice a small group of teenagers – some clearly from different cultural backgrounds – exchanging phone numbers and social media handles, planning to meet up for more practice sessions. It’s perhaps the most promising outcome of all: connections that will continue long after the official event ends.
The Multicultural Sports Day may be just one day on the calendar, but its effects ripple outward, reshaping what it means to be a Newfoundlander in subtle but significant ways. In a province known for its distinct cultural identity, that identity isn’t being diluted – it’s expanding, becoming more complex and vibrant with each new addition.
