08.28.2023

Celebrating Pride at WCD with Jonathan Tieh, Graphic Designer Our team truly believes in the power of diversity and inclusion to strengthen our communities and create a world that leads with kindness and acceptance. As we gear up to celebrate Calgary Pride, we sat down with one of our 2SLGBTQ+ staff members, Jonathan Tieh [he/him], to delve into his personal experiences, reflections, and insights about what Pride means to him. Q: What does Pride mean to you? A: "Pride means allowing yourself to be your true self—unapologetically you. It represents my ability and freedom to be who I am and openly love the people I choose, without stigma and shame. The dictionary defines pride as 'a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people.' That's what it's all about, respecting each other—but most importantly, yourself. In whatever you do and whoever you love." Q: How do you celebrate Pride? A: "As a first-generation Asian-born Canadian growing up Queer in a Christian, conservative household, I did not know many 2SLGBTQ+ community members and I felt that I could not relate to many people. I wanted to hide from myself and blend in. I wanted to be 'normal'. But truth be told, we are all unique individuals, and I want to celebrate coming together to share our differences. Our characteristics make us who we are, no matter our religion, ethnicity or race." "I celebrate Pride by being with my closest friends who have uplifted me through years of turmoil and judging myself for being part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Ever since moving to Calgary three years ago, I've felt so much pride and love from the community, especially WCD, that I now call home. I celebrate Pride every day by surrounding myself with loved ones and positive vibes. Other ways I celebrate our community include going to the Pride parade, and supporting other queer artists at drag shows and art shows in the city." Q: How do you show support for diversity and inclusion in the workplace year-round? A: "I show support by showing up to 2SLGBTQ+ events that WCD supports and sponsors. It's important to be around like-minded people, and I love that WCD does the same by being inclusive and fostering a culture that is welcome to every age, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Treating people in a way they wish to be treated rather than the way you wish to be treated is another way I try to make people feel included." Q: What is your advice to businesses who want to be better allies to the LGBTQ+ community? A: "To always be inclusive and make a space welcoming for people of all sexual orientations. Advocate and educate people and spend some time learning about the history of Pride, a movement preceded by the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York. Businesses should be asking if there is something they can do to make their 2SLGBTQ+ coworkers feel like they are welcome and valued. For example, is there a benefit that excludes 2SLGBTQ+ employees? Start a dialogue and make resources available to try and create a workplace where all employees will feel valued and accepted." Show Your Pride As we approach Pride month, let us all remember that the journey to inclusivity and acceptance is ongoing. Let's stand together as allies, celebrating our differences and embracing our true selves. Calgary Pride Week takes place August 26 - September 4, 2023. Learn more about the week's festivities and what you can do to get involved by visiting www.calgarypride.ca. Thank you to Jonathan for sharing his insights and experiences with us—and Happy Pride! 🌈

07.31.2023

It's been a busy start to the summer for WCD—full of community, connection and downright fun! As we dive into August, our team is reflecting on the past few months, instilled with a newfound sense of excitement and opportunity for the second half of the year. For us, this season has been a reminder that the true driver behind everything we do is connection. In celebration, here's a behind-the-scenes look at our summer, so far. 1) Pride in Art This June, our team gathered at the stunning Sky Garden on the 54th Floor of The Bow Building for 2023's Pride in Art—an art exhibition and networking mixer for local LGBTQ2S+ artists and the community. As proud sponsors of Pride in Business, WCD was honoured to support this artful and inspiring event for the second year in a row. 2) West Canadian Cup On Sunday, July 2, we gathered with clients, partners and staff for the 37th Annual West Canadian Cup at Spruce Meadows. This iconic event has become a coveted tradition for WCD, bringing together business and community leaders to connect and enjoy a morning of world-class equestrian show jumping. 3) Calgary Stampede As a Calgary-born business located just minutes from the grounds, the Calgary Stampede has always been special to the WCD team—but even more so this year with our appointment as the organization's Official Print Partner. It's a title we were proud to live up to, helping the Stampede share its story and connect with its customers, volunteers, and stakeholders through high-quality print, signage, and creative design. The best part? After a busy season of preparation, watching it all come to life and immersing ourselves in the atmosphere we'd helped to create. Here are a few of this year's highlights: The Great Indoors Volunteer Lounge Volunteers are the backbone of the Calgary Stampede. Creating a calm, inviting environment for them to kick back and enjoy a delicious meal in the midst of their shift is important to the Stampede, and we love helping make that happen. Transforming the volunteer lounge with signage and creative decor, our Great Indoors theme is a play on bringing the outdoors inside. This year, our Creative Services team designed a Western naturescape that brought the space to life in vivid colour. Stampede Pride Day This year, WCD was proud to sponsor Calgary Stampede Pride Day—a vibrant celebration of diversity, inclusion, and community. The Nashville North tent came alive as attendees sported Calgary Stampede rainbow boot stickers and rallied in support of the LGBTQ2S+ community. The energy was electrifying, with sensational drag performances to boot! It's a 'Yahoo' From Us Happen to see a 'Yahoo' sign or two pop up around Calgary in July? It's entirely possible they were produced by yours truly! From vibrant lawn signs to fun stickers and window clings, we helped Calgarians show off their Stampede spirit in style. To the Chuckwagons! We were honoured to print this year's iconic chuckwagon tarps, showcasing the vibrant colors and designs of the participating teams and their sponsors. These tarps are more than meets the eye—they represent the rich heritage, fierce competition, and true community spirit of the Calgary Stampede. Plus, we got to meet some superstars! We were especially excited to collaborate with MobSquad, who comissioned Indigenous artist Nahanni Giuricich of the Sayisi Dene First Nation to design their eye-catching tarp. We worked closely with Nahanni to ensure her vision and the integrity of her concept translated beautifully to MobSquad's chuckwagon box, tarp and barn area. Thank you to our incredible community for making this a summer to remember. To stay up with the latest exciting news and events, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook!

04.21.2023

WCD is thrilled to announce our appointment as the Official Print Partner to the Calgary Stampede—the world-renowned not-for-profit community organization that celebrates western heritage, culture, and community spirit. The partnership between WCD and the Calgary Stampede is a win-win for both organizations that have a shared goal of driving positive engagement throughout both local and national communities. WCD will support the Stampede by helping them share their story and connect with their customers, volunteers, and stakeholders through high-quality print, signage, and creative design. “We wanted to solidify the partnership between our two long-standing, Calgary-based organizations who pride ourselves on shining a national and global light on Alberta, while also positively engaging our local community,” says Karen Brookman, WCD’s president and CEO. “Our purpose at WCD is to help organizations like the Calgary Stampede connect with people—and we’re excited about the opportunity to do that by breathing life and colour into this year’s events through our expansive suite of services.” WCD has been working with the Calgary Stampede for over a decade, providing many of their print and signage needs including those related to BMO Kids Zone, The Dog Bowl, Stampede Lotteries, and the fulfillment and distribution of their two t-shirt campaigns (Come Hell or High Water and We Will Ride Again!). The organization hopes this news will help to increase national brand awareness and establish WCD as a strong contributing member of the Calgary Stampede sponsorship community. Through the Stockmen’s Club Sponsorship, WCD becomes the Official Print Partner, which also includes our continued title sponsorship of the WCD Volunteer Lounge, a cool private dining room on the grounds where Calgary Stampede volunteers can take a quiet break and recharge throughout their busy 10 days. We are excited about this partnership and looks forward to supporting the Calgary Stampede in its mission to preserve and celebrate Calgary’s western heritage, culture, and community spirit. To follow along with our journey behind-the-scenes at the Calgary Stampede, follow our Instagram and LinkedIn. ABOUT THE CALGARY STAMPEDE The Calgary Stampede, which began in 1912, is more than just an annual celebration. At its core is a purpose to preserve and celebrate Calgary’s western heritage, culture and community spirit. The Stampede also aims to give back to the community through over 2,500 volunteers who host events across the city and support community celebrations, empowering youth by providing opportunities to pursue their passions in performing arts, providing economic benefit to Calgary and surrounding areas, creating jobs for over 3,500 young seasonal workers and 1,500 year-round employees, and promoting agriculture and agri-food through classroom training and interactive hands-on experiences for more than 50,000 youth throughout Alberta.