​PEI Welcoming Week: September 10 – 19, 2026

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Welcoming Week was a chance to celebrate what makes Summerside such a great community - the people who call it home.

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As our city continues to grow and welcome new people, we all have a role to play. Whether it’s saying hello to a new neighbour, supporting a newcomer-owned business, attending a community event, or simply making someone feel included, those small gestures help build a stronger and more connected Summerside.

This week, let’s celebrate the many people and stories that make our community what it is.

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Councillor Nick Cameron, Chair of the City of Summerside’s Welcoming, Inclusive, Diverse, and Accessible Committee

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During Welcoming Week, we shares Angela’s story, a valued team member of Culture Summerside who helps to deliver our department’s community events and initiatives. Angela provides us with fresh perspectives and connects us with new residents. We benefit from her many skills, as well as her sense of humour. Read more below or visit the Facebook post HERE. 

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My name is Ángela María Rueda Torres. Four years ago, in the middle of January, my family and I made Prince Edward Island our new home. I moved here with my husband Carlos, my son Juan Pablo, my daughter Camila, and our two dogs, Lupe and Guinguinqui.

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I come from a very large, close knit family in Colombia - my mother, 6 siblings, and 20 nieces and nephews! Arriving in a new country meant learning to build a new network of support and belonging from scratch.

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Integration is a journey that happens step by step. For me, connecting with the community in both Souris and Summerside made all the difference.

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Opportunities to improve my English, volunteer, and get involved in local activities helped me turn a new, unfamiliar place into a welcoming community. It also helped me deal with some of the common challenges that newcomers struggle with such as weather, adjusting to a new culture, and missing my family in Colombia.

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Although everyone experiences immigration differently, we all share the same longing: the desire to belong, to feel welcomed, and to be included.

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Today, I am proud to work in a role where I can actively give back and serve this same community that welcomed me with open arms.

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Through my work and daily interactions, I see firsthand how simple actions—like a warm greeting, patience, and inclusion—help newcomers feel safe, valued, and ready to contribute.

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I am also excited to volunteer this fall at Summerside Intermediate Community School, where I am teaching beginner Spanish. I look forward to sharing my culture and language with participants.

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Integration is a two-way street: it grows when newcomers engage and when the community creates space for everyone to belong. I am truly grateful that Summerside now feels like home.