UPDATE: We are now out of signs until further notice. Thanks to all 1000 of you who took one home!

Here’s the file, for those who want to print their own:

The Story of these Signs:

In response to Islamophobia in both Canada and the United States, the Heritage Community Association created lawn signs so that people throughout the city can show their support to their Muslim neighbours and help newcomers feel welcome.

The signs written in English and Arabic read “I’m glad we’re neighbours”. It’s a simple phrase with a powerful message of acceptance and welcoming.

The Heritage neighbourhood has always been a place that people from all over the world call home. Because Regina is on Treaty Four Territory we felt it was important to feature Cree and Saulteaux prominently on the sign. The Cree word Tawâw translates into “Come In. There is room.”

The Heritage Neighbourhood (formerly Core) was once known as Germantown, and 11^th Avenue was home to Regina’s Chinatown. The neighbourhood is home to several cultural centres including the German Club, The Chinese Cultural Society of Saskatchewan, the Canadian Serbian Cultural Club, St. Anthony’s Polish Hall and the Ukrainian Cultural Centre. It is also home to many different faith groups including offering services in various languages, the Regina Immigrant Women’s Centre, and many longstanding restaurants and shops specializing in food from around the world (Italian Star Deli, Korean House, Ngoc Van, Ukrainian Co-op).

The signs feature the word Welcome in: Punjabi, Tigrinya (Eritrea/Ethiopia), Arabic, Burmese, Ukrainian, Chinese, German, English, Arabic, Cree, Saulteaux, Korean, French, Spanish, Vietnamese, Polish, Hindi, Serbian, Swahili, Urdu, Romanian, and Italian. The digital version was updated following community feedback to include Filipino, Yiddish, and Hebrew. 

While lawn signs will not address the root causes of racism and hate in our city, the Heritage Community Association hopes this initiative can be part of their broader anti-racist efforts in the neighbourhood.