Constellations: Small Group Award
ARTA Romanian Association
Settling into a new country can be a daunting task for any immigrant. The ARTA Romanian Association works to ease that transition for new arrivals from Romania, while looking to preserve the nation’s culture.
Created in 2000, the organization was built to help new Romanian immigrants integrate into Canadian culture. However, it is also a means of maintaining Romanian culture for the children and grandchildren of immigrants.
“It’s not always easy, but it means a lot for the first generation of immigrants and for their children,” said Mirella Banica-Stanei, a Romanian immigrant and founding member of ARTA. “We want to help [new immigrants] integrate into a new community and society and on the other hand to preserve in our community the traditions and language.”
While Waterloo Region is known for its heavy German influence, Banica-Stanei estimates the Romanian population to be pretty sizable, at about 10,000 people. “We participate at different Romanian events and also multi-cultural festivals in Kitchener or in Guelph or at different events in the larger community, not just in our Romanian community,” said Banica-Stanei.
The group came from humble beginnings, starting mainly as a dance group. It was able to purchase traditional Romanian costumes thanks to a Trillium grant. Since then, they’ve expanded to have an active presence in the community. “There is a need for organizations like this,” she said. “They are, on one hand, a gate between the larger community and the ethnic communities, so they kind of build this bridge between the two parts. They also are a comfort.”
When they received the recognition from the Volunteer Action Centre, the group was taken completely by surprise. “We didn’t expect it all,” said Banica-Stanei. “But it’s a wonderful recognition of the work of many volunteers in our community.”
