Robin Ostrander (recreation) and Naila Khan (education)

Robin Ostrander, recreation therapist, and Naila Khan, educator, are passionate about learning about other cultures and sharing information with others at St. Teresa Place to make it a welcoming place for all. They created St. Teresa Place’s annual cultural fashion show where staff and residents are encouraged to participate by wearing their cultural attire, sharing a fun fact about their country and what they enjoy most about it and performing or describing a cultural dance.

Other cultural activities include sharing information about Ramadan and cultural practices of Muslims around the world, having Chinese cultural events for the Lunar New Year and sharing information about Black history on TVs around the site. On Red Dress Day, Robin hung a red dress at the entrance to honour and remember missing Indigenous women which moved one of the site’s Métis staff members to tears. Robin also set up a prayer room with videos and webinars about Indigenous topics and a tree with orange feather leaves where people could write messages of hope and comfort for Truth and Reconciliation Week.

In the last six months, some of the new residents coming to St. Teresa Place are less fortunate and do not have family support. Robin created welcome signs on their doors and a welcome basket for them. She also advocates for the 32 residents who smoke to find ways for them to safely smoke while respecting rules and nonsmokers.