By Erin Knutson

The Cranbrook Multi-Cultural Society (CMCS) is seeking rejuvenation of its existing organization and looking toward the future of diversity and cultural celebration with one of its most significant legacies, a resurgence of its festival.

In 2009, Coco Seitz arrived in Canada from China. Fresh on the scene in Cranbrook, Seitz recognized a need for a society to acknowledge the breadth of different cultures in the area.

“There was a seed in my heart,” she said.

With the help of peers and the community, she founded the CMCS in 2014. As its president, she was determined to create a memorable event for all to enjoy.

A proposal drafted with the help of fellow CMCS member Crystal Green-Janzen was well-received by then-City of Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Stetski and council.

Supporting community leaders presented Seitz with a $5,000 cheque from the Council Contingency Fund 2014, and with help from the Columbia Basin Trust and local businesses, the Cranbrook Multicultural Festival was born.

“It was a learning curve the first festival. We had cultural booths and live entertainment,” said Seitz.

Seitz is also at the helm of Mama’s Dumplings and boasted of the food that accompanied the festival. The turnout was a success, and over a thousand festival-goers attended the event in Rotary Park that summer.

She and her peers, including Green-Janzen and Stetski, watched as the festival exploded with 12 cultural groups and live entertainment.

Represented in the original festival were Ktunaxa, Metis, South African, Dutch, Italian, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean nationalities.

“That’s a small representation of what exists in Cranbrook. We currently have over 21 cultural groups here,” said Stetski.

Stetski was mayor when Cranbrook signed the first declaration to protect refugees in partnership with the Canadian Council of Refugees and the East Kootenay Friends of Burma in 2013 and in line with Seitz’s plan to create a society to support multiculturism.

Celebrating diversity and inclusion while creating a fun, educational, and inspirational environment was part of the CMCS design to introduce a glimpse of different cultures locally and start a tradition to help unite the community.

The group shared that the first event was not without concern as Green- Janzen shared her fears over a fierce competitor.

“That first year, we had to compete with the Farmer’s Market, but it worked out well. It ended up being a support, and numbers exploded – the festival was well-received, and it was born,” she said.

Subsequent years continued reinforcing the desire for a festival as numbers grew in the thousands and peaked in 2017 before COVID-19, which changed everything, according to the CMCS.

“We are looking to mentor individuals who want to take this on,” said Seitz.

The CMCS and the Cranbrook Multicultural Festival are looking to support a fresh start for the organization.

They seek individuals passionate about their heritage and creating cultural awareness to come forward to represent their nationalities and continue with the work that has been going on for a decade.

Another possibility for the organization would be to transfer its assets through bilateral funding as a donor to another organization in the community. The organization is also working with groups like the Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies to support their next move.

Either way, Seitz, Green-Janzen and Stetski would be happy to see their two dozen or more tents go to good use and to see their legacy carry on in Cranbrook.

“We call for more cultural groups to come forward if they are interested, and anyone interested in volunteering and putting in work.”

Anyone interested in working with the MCSC or volunteering their time can contact them on Facebook or through Wayne Stetski at [email protected].

Lead image: Coco Seitz (left), Crystal Green-Janzen and Wayne Stetski at the Stetski home in Cranbrook. Erin Knutson photo

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