The Multicultural and Immigrant Services Society (IMSS) of Prince George held a ceremony Saturday to officially name the building located at 1270 Second Ave. The Baljit Sethi Centre.
Baljit Sethi is the founder of IMSS and was executive director from 1976 to 2017. The building was named in her honour to acknowledge her years of dedicated service to the immigrants in the north. She was also awarded a lifetime achievement award by the society board.
There was about 75 people at the celebration including several dignitaries, among those saying a few words included MLA Shirley Bond, Mayor Lyn Hall, MPs Todd Doherty and Bob Zimmer.
"It would be easier to talk about her if I didn't have to look at her," Bond began her emotional speech about the years she's known Sethi and her impact on the community.
In Prince George Sethi made the adjustment for immigrants so much easier, Bond said.
Bond remembers the day Sethi marched into her office soon after Bond was first elected into public office.
"She came to talk to me about my role in making sure that our community and our province were welcoming, inclusive and supportive to those who choose to make Canada a better place," Bond said.
In today's world where building walls and closing doors is taking place at IMSS it's very different, Bond said.
"IMSS and Baljit are all about opening doors and welcoming people," Bond added.
Bond thanked Sethi for her long service at IMSS.
Sethi founded IMSS in 1976 with just a desk and chair tucked into under a stairwell in a non-profit's office downtown Prince George. Over the years she created programs that promoted interaction of immigrants with their chosen community and dedicated her efforts to anti-racism, encouraging acceptance of cultural diversity and women's equality.
Sethi has received many awards for the work she did to welcome immigrants into Canada including the Order of British Columbia, B.C. Community Achievement Award, the Governor General's Award, the Paul Yuzyk Award for Multiculturalism and was declared the Prince George Citizen of the Year in 2006.
During her speech Sethi spoke about her long years of service and said she believed it was a calling from God that she answered.
From those humble beginnings to now Sethi said she felt like she has met her goals.
"I feel I have achieved my aim that the society should be established in Prince George and without the support of the community, nobody can do anything," Sethi said.
After the presentation of a lifetime achievement award presented by the board of directors of IMSS
and a cake cutting, those in attendance went outside to see the unveiling of not one but two different signs depicting the new name of the building.
The celebration continued at the A Day of Cultures event at the Columbus Community Centre which featured foods from around the world, costumes and dance.
