World Refugee Day
Each year on June 20th, the world celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. Each year, UNHCR unveils the theme for World Refugee Day and this year it’s Solidarity with Refugees. They’re calling on us to honour refugees not just with words but with actions. It means listening to them and making space for their stories, defending their right to seek safety and finding solutions to their plight, and ending conflicts so they can return home in safety.
In June we also recognize World Refugee Week. The theme is Community as a Superpower, which reminds us community is the incredible everyday. Ordinary and extraordinary. Simple acts of shared generosity. Kindness multiplied to become an unstoppable force!
Refuge Canada Tent Traveling Exhibition – Coming This Summer
This summer, we’re proud to host the Refuge Canada Tent, a bilingual traveling exhibit created by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. This powerful, immersive experience is designed to look and feel like a real refugee tent—bringing the realities of refugee life into public spaces across Canada.
Exhibition Locations (July–August):
Municipal Building Atrium
Genesis Centre
Fish Creek Library
Through oral histories, archival images, and interactive elements, the exhibit explores Canada’s role in the global refugee crisis and the lived experiences of refugees in Canada. It raises awareness about displacement, resilience, and the challenges newcomers face.
Adapted from the larger Refuge Canada exhibition, the tent provides an accessible and moving introduction to refugee histories and experiences in Canada.
Part of our “Refugees Welcome Here” campaign, we’ll also be offering:
Informational posters and calls to action
Free giveaways: stickers, pins, magnets, and colouring sheets
Participate in Refugee Week
How can we make our community a more welcoming, safe, and sustainable place for everyone? Here are some everyday actions we can all take to stand with refugees and make new connections in our communities. No gesture is too small when it comes to making a difference. Click on each title below to get ideas.
Pick up a book from the library or bookstore that platforms the stories and perspectives of refugees and asylum seekers. The Calgary Public Library has made this process easier at its many branches by pulling relevant books for you to borrow.
Watch films that put the stories and voices of people from displaced and migrant backgrounds in focus.
We are interconnected; we share the Earth’s resources, climate and its challenges. As we speak, millions of people are being displaced from their homes because of the climate crisis. But, exchanging knowledge, both new and traditional, can help us in practical ways to build hope for the future.
Explore the outdoors to build a deeper understanding of our planet, nurture our communities, and take action.
Enjoy a meal at one of the many local refugee-owned restaurants and coffee shops.
Get active and use our spaces to move towards a more inclusive and connected world.
Carry the spirit and energy of Refugee Week with you and continue to stand in solidarity with people seeking sanctuary.
Message of Hope
Last year we asked our partners and Calgary residents to create welcoming communities by writing messages of hope to refugees who have fled their country to start a new life in Calgary. Here is what they wrote:
