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Yes. The answer to the question posed by the title of my message is yes. Every issue I try to send a positive message out into the universe, but I admit it’s getting harder. 

It seems every time we start to build some momentum toward a future without the threat of COVID-19 hanging over us every minute, along comes a new outbreak or variant that sends us right back to almost where we started. 

This yo-yo effect takes its toll. People are tired of all the pandemic news and rules. You can see it every time you go to buy groceries. They ignore the direction signs on the floor. They don’t wear their masks properly or at all. They crowd close to each other in the food aisles and in the cashier lines, ignoring social distancing. All this despite the risk to their health and that of their loved ones. 

Every day the numbers of people succumbing to Omicron climb to new record levels. The general attitude seems to be, ‘You’re going to get it anyway, so just get it over with.’ 

So, why do I still believe there’s reason to be optimistic? The reasons will vary from person to person, but for me the key is finding something positive to hold on to. 

That positive thing might be Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, saying all pandemics come to an end and the emergence of Omicron may well lead us to a place where we learn to live with the virus in something as close to normalcy as possible. 

That positive thing might be our province’s surging population and the increasing role of immigrants in that growth. We currently sit near one million citizens and the provincial government has announced plans to raise that to two million by 2060. 

Or your positive thing might be the start of a new year and the opportunities it brings to start fresh, establish new goals, and leave behind anything that was dragging you down. 

Here at My East Coast Experience we have several positives we’re holding on to as we enter 2022. Our number one goal since we started is to showcase the stories and journeys of immigrants coming to our region, plus the positive impacts they make. We like to think this has, in some small way, contributed to our increasing immigration numbers and rising population.  

We’re also celebrating the relocation of our Creative Hub coworking centre to Bedford. Last minute painting and cosmetic fixes are underway and we’ll soon reopen to the public. We have a whole series of initiatives planned to coincide with the reopening, all being spearheaded by our Creative Hub manager, Jerisa Haque. 

We wrapped up another successful Mosaic Film Festival just before the holidays. It attracted lots of positive comments from participants and has attracted the interest of sponsors who want to play a larger role going forward. This means even greater exposure for the international filmmakers our festival is focused on showcasing. This is great news for a wholly local initiative that began only three years ago, and now regularly attracts submissions from all over the world. In fact, we’ve set new records for film submissions every year to date. 

January will also see the release of the final report of the Amplifying Voices project, in partnership with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Footprint Life Coaching, and Ashanti Leadership. This original research offers a clear picture of how Halifax’s business community is grappling with the issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. 

So, whatever your positive thing is, find it, hold on to it, and let it give you optimism as we enter a new year. Welcome to 2022! 

Ifeanyi Emesih

Ifeanyi Emesih is a serial entrepreneur, community leader, marketing expert, visionary and innovator. Ifeanyi is the Founder and Chairman of My East Coast Experience Media Group. Emesih chose to make Halifax his home and has since drawn on his own experiences to create a platform for others to share their own immigrant stories with their own communities.

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