The NC community will soon have a chance to get a copy of the Wonders of Welland – a recently released book that aims to help newcomers feel at home in their community – and meet its creators.
On November 6, a pop-up book signing event will be held at the Welland Campus featuring the recently released children’s book, Wonders of Welland, authored by staff from the City of Welland and an alumnus from NC.
“We are looking forward to welcoming City staff and our NC alumnus involved with the project to our Welland Campus to share the Wonders of Welland with our students,” said Lindsey Hendriks, NC Community Relations and Events Specialist. “We are proud to have a College connection to this important book and believe it will help our diverse student body explore and feel at home in the community.”
Members of the book’s creative team will be on site during the event, including author Marc MacDonald, Chief Communications and Engagement Officer, City of Welland; illustrator Javier Carranza, NC alumnus (2024) who worked on the project as a student intern; and editor Paul Orlando, Communications Specialist from the City of Welland.
The book was launched by the City in June 2024 as an innovative way to ease the anxieties of relocation and foster a sense of belonging and community among new and existing residents. The 36-page book unfolds across a calendar year, and highlights must-visit places and diverse opportunities within the community. It aims to bridge generational gaps, promote literacy, encourage family bonding, and nurture civic pride and community engagement.
The College’s Welland Campus is also featured in the book, as a place where the main character’s mother works and includes colourful illustration of the main campus.
Illustrator Carranza graduated from NC’ General Business program earlier this year and has a previous degree in Graphic Design. Originally from Honduras, he brought his experience in graphic design as well as his unique perspective as a newcomer to the project when he illustrated Wonders of Welland while working with the City’s Communications department as an intern in 2022 and 2023.
Carranza, who currently lives in Welland and works as a media marketing assistant for a company in Niagara Falls, said he felt honoured, grateful and excited to to be able to share the great achievement with the Niagara College community.
“For me, personally, this project has a valuable meaning, to be able to not only have the opportunity and responsibility to take a creative role in this project, to be surrounded by wonderful people to make it happen, but also to be able to experience each of the feelings that Jackson has from the perspective of a newcomer,” he said. [It] captures the emotional journey of being a newcomer–the highs, the lows, and everything in between. It’s okay to feel sadness when leaving a place we once called home, but each phase along the way brings something positive.
“Embrace the new: new people, new experiences, and new opportunities to share who we are. In time, this new place becomes home, and that’s perfectly okay.”
“We’re thrilled that Javier Carranza, the book’s illustrator and now-Niagara College alum, has the opportunity to showcase his work, which he completed during his co-op at the City of Welland,” said MacDonald, who authored the book. “What made Javy’s involvement truly special was that he was new to the city, just like the demographic we aimed to reach with the book. As he explored Welland, he experienced firsthand many of the sites featured in his illustrations.”
MacDonald noted that although the book’s main character is young, it highlights many incredible things to see and do in Welland, regardless of age or experience.
“For students arriving in the city for the first time, it provides a year-round glimpse into what awaits in their new backyard,” said MacDonald. “We hope this project inspires students to make the most of their time here–just as Javy did by contributing his talent to something meaningful during his studies.”
The event was organized by the College’s Alumni Relations and Community Relations and Events, in partnership with the City of Welland.
Staff from the City of Welland will be on site with print copies of the book, which will be available at no cost, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (while supplies last). They will be located at the Welland Campus (International lobby). NC’s Alumni Relations team will have a table on site for the duration of the event, to connect with students.
For more information on the project, including its history, the biographies of those involved, and a digital copy, visit www.welland.ca/WoW.
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June 21 article: College featured in city of Welland’s children’s book illustrated by alumnus
