New to Canada

All families always have stories to tell – some funny ones, some sad ones. All stories bring back memories of one's personal and family history. I like stories because they help bring about understanding and they are a celebration of who we are.

Families, big and small, are invited to the CultureLink Family Storytelling Festival this upcoming Family Day long weekend! The two-day free festival will take place at Lillian H. Smith Branch on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm and on Sunday, Feb. 18 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Captivating stories from around the world will be shared, celebrating our diversity. Part of the festival will also be broadcast to Malvern Branch.

The festival is funded by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and in partnership with CultureLink Settlement and Community Services, Passages Canada and the Reading Line.

Featured storytellers at the festival include:

Saturday, Feb. 17: Bernice Hune, Maya-waasige (aka John Keeshig), Itah Sadu and Lynn Torrie
Sunday, Feb. 18: Rubena Sinha, Sarah Abusarar, Dawne McFarlane and Donna Dudinsky

We look forward to seeing you there! As part of the festival, there will also be Toronto Public Library (TPL) family storytime sessions and a tour too. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Newcomer families can'take advantage of free children’s programs and services throughout the year. Ready for Reading programs, for children 0-5 years with a paren't or caregiver, take place at libraries across the city and help develop early literacy skills.

TPL also offers After-School Clubs for children 6-12 years. The After-School programs invite children to take part in a variety of fun activities including arts and crafts, robotics and circuitry, board games and much more.

For families not able to attend programs during the work week, TPL offers the Sunday afternoon Mini Makers program at 18 libraries. Mini Makers invites children 4- 8 years with a paren't or caregiver, to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through fun activities that spark wonder, creativity and discovery!