On August 10th, Cornwall hosted the Community Walk for Wellness, an event designed to promote both physical and mental health whilefostering a sense of unity among diverse community members. The walk, organized by the Association for the Promotion of Health of Immigrants, Refugees, and Vulnerable Populations (APHIRVP), began at Cornwall City Hall and took participants through a scenic 3.2 km route, including Lamoureux Park, before returning to City Hall. The event featured speeches from Senator Bernadette Clement, MP Eric Duncan, Mayor Justin Towndale, and the event organizers, emphasizing the importance of community and health.
Njoya Mohamed, a co-organizer, emphasized the event’s goals.”Today, we are organizing a community walk for health. It’s a way ofencouraging people not to stay at home all the time. Walking plays asignificant role in the cardiovascular system of a human being. It also helps raise dopamine levels and allows people to connect with each other.”
The walk brought together a diverse group of participants, including immigrants, refugees, and native-born Canadians. “We have invited everybody because our association is the Association for the Promotion of Health of Immigrants, Refugees, and Vulnerable Populations. We also have native-born Canadians, immigrants, refugees, the elderly, youngsters, and women who have been marginalized,” Mohamed added.
Saima Naqvi, a member of the planning committee and LeadProfessor for the Project Management Postgraduate Program at St. Lawrence College, Cornwall Campus, reflected on the event’s significance, said, “Being an immigrant myself, I believe this community walk, where people from all walks of life are coming together for a common goal, is going to instill a sense of belonging in them. They might feel that they are not alone—that people are here to share their experiences, feedback, journey, and all those details while having a communal and helpful walk.”
Owais Aziz, a co-organizer of the event and Professor of Health Sciences at St. Lawrence College, highlighted the broader impact of the walk. “We want to create an environment and a community where people can feel that physical activities, such as walking and stretching, are forms of leisure they can enjoy. At the same time, we want to encourage them to participate in healthy living and activities,” he explained.
The Community Walk for Wellness brought together about a hundred of participants, demonstrating the power of physical activity in fostering both physical and mental well-being while building a stronger, more inclusive community.
