The Friends We Meet - Jasper Municipality Newcomers Project
“I see how easy it is to justify treating people poorly, because it is a privilege to live here, and I hope that my story reminds people to be grateful for all of those things that newcomers contribute to the community.”
The Municipality of Jasper approached Dr. Mike Lang to create 6 digital stories with newcomers as part of a program designed to connect new residents to local resources and community. These digital stories help the town of Jasper to understand the various reasons that people find their way to Jasper, the challenges faced when moving to this seasonal mountain town, and what services and community attitudes foster a sense of belonging.
In “Privilege”, Miguel tells the story of his move from Mexico to Jasper, Alberta, in the middle of winter to work in the hospitality industry. He shares how the unexpected challenges of seasonal work and housing instability impacted his mental health, and also led him to a new career with a deeper sense of belonging.
The project also included an exciting community digital story premiere and conversation with the storytellers that brought together 120 people for an interactive evening of conversation.
The Jasper Municipality Newcomer Story Project has been integrated into an online curriculum for local residents and employers to help them better support the roughly 17,000 seasonal staff each year. These digital stories provide valuable perspectives and insight to help build empathy and an understanding of the resources needed to support this diverse community.
Dr. Mike Lang is a digital storytelling facilitator, health researcher, and filmmaker whose focus is on using digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking in an education, advocacy, quality improvement, research, and therapeutic capacity within healthcare systems.
