Stitching Together: Courage, Empowerment & Legacy Celebrating Wescott 1975 Filipina Women's 50th Anniversary
- Krystelle Creations
- Aug 2
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 6
Masaya ako, kasi nandito kayo! I am so glad you're here!
On August 2–3, 2025, we gathered to celebrate a monumental moment in Saskatchewan’s Filipino-Canadian history: the 50th Anniversary of the Wescott 1975 Filipina women's immigration from Philippines to Saskatoon, SK. A group of courageous women immigrants from the Philippines who came to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and built a community while working at Wescott Casuals Ltd.
These pioneering women; many of whom left behind families, familiarity, and home; helped weave the early fabric of Saskatoon’s Filipino community. Their courage, sacrifice, and legacy continue to shape the cultural, economic, and social legacy of our province.
This weekend is a multi-generational celebration: honouring the past, celebrating the present, and inspiring the future.
Honouring the Wescott 1975 Filipina Women's 50th Anniversary of Immigrating from the Philippines to Saskatoon, SK.
This milestone celebrates the 50th anniversary of the women who immigrated in 1975 to work at Wescott Casuals Ltd., laying the foundation for generations of Filipino-Canadians in Saskatoon and beyond.
Their courage to immigrate, their strength, and the communities they built have influenced everything from our cultural celebrations to our shared values.
This event is hosted in partnership with FILCAS (Filipino-Canadian Association of Saskatchewan) whose mission is to elevate, preserve, and celebrate the Filipino-Canadian identity across the province.
Stitching together courage, empowerment and legacy
The paintings “Courage to Immigrate”,“EmpowHER: A Ripple through Generations”, and “Legacy in Bloom” are companion legacy paintings that are part of a growing Krystelle Creations original collection. This evolving collection celebrates women’s resilience, strength, and the enduring legacy of community that transcends time.
Shaped by the collective stories, strength, and sacrifices of the Filipino immigrant community in Saskatoon; especially the pioneering women of Wescott 1975. They created a souvineer book with their stories that informed the legacy painting created at the Gala. My art and lived legacy are deeply rooted in the foundation, stories and teachings they built and shared with us. Their courage, care, and commitment to community laid the foundation for who I am today, for who many of us are today. The way we dream, create, lead, and believe in what’s possible. The values they carried with them when they immigrated: resilience, courage, faith, and community have become the roots of our culture and the guiding force behind the legacy our generation carry forward and teach to the next generations.
The first painting, “Courage to Immigrate (Lakas ng Loob Mag-Immigrate),” is a tribute to the brave journey of my parents and so many of our families who left the Philippines to build lives in Canada. It honours the courage it takes to say yes to the unknown, to choose hope, and to plant new roots in unfamiliar soil. The symbolic flowers in the painting represent places of belonging and evolving sense of community: the Sampaguita of the Philippines and the Prairie Lily of Saskatchewan. This was my first public mural painted under the mentorship of Rachel Lyon at the Calgary Home Shows Paint with Purpose February 2024. I didn’t know it then but I was storytelling the legacy of some of the most courageous and impactful women I know.
The second painting “EmpowHER: A Ripple Through Generations,” created live at the YWhisper Gala for YW Calgary in March 2025, this piece continued the exploration of how the stories of women of courage, migration, leadership, and care ripple through time; influencing families, communities, and the world around them. Again, I was still painting their legacy. There are 50 Sampaguita in this painting and prairie lilies. The blue background is symbolic to the ripple we have and how our stories and legacy transcend time. It is shared with the next generations, for them to unravel and respond to in their own meaningful way. This is when I began to see how deeply rooted my own story of legacy building was from.
The third painting, “Legacy in Bloom (Namumulaklak na Pamana)”was cocreated live at The Salingpusa Sining sa Konsulado Spring Exhibit at the Philippine Consulate in Calgary May-June 2025. It reimagines tradition through a second-generation lens, reflecting the cultural inheritance we now pass on to our children. It is a love letter to the resilience and wisdom passed down by women like the Wescott 1975 Moms and Titas’; who nurtured community, faith, and legacy wherever they went. I began this painting knowing I would be taking it to the Wescott 1975 Moms and Titas, to celebrate their Golden Anniversary of immigrating to Canada. I wanted to celebrate our Moms and Titas ; how empowered they helped us become, to express our gratitude on a grand scale, to tell the story of our Filipino community and honour their legacy. This is our living tribute to them.
Together, these paintings form a dialogue between past, present and future; between generations, through empowerment, courage and legacy. We created this live legacy painting experience at the Wescott 1975 Gala to honour the ripple effect that started with all of you and is lived by your collective community of children and next generations.
What began as a single moment in time as the choice to immigrate, becomes part of something far greater: a movement across generations that uplifts, honours, and empowers.
To my Mom, our Moms, our Titas, this is a celebration for you, your courage, your legacy and your love. Nagpapasalamat ako sa inyong lahat, salamat sa iyong tulong, pag-ibig at mga aral sa buhay. I am giving thanks to you all, thank you for your help, love and life teachings. We wouldn’t be here without your bravery and sacrifice.
These paintings stands as both a tribute and a time capsule; a living reminder that when women come together, share space, and build legacy, they create ripples that will continue to shape the future.
“Stitching together Courage, Empowerment & Legacy” - Mixed Media Community Legacy Painting Designed and Art Activation Facilitated by Krystelle Celestino Wurtz with the Wescott 1975 Gala Attendees- August 2, 2025 - Saskatoon, Sk Canada
I wanted to give a huge shout out to the Wescott 1975 Planning committee of Titas, Kids and Sponsors. We truly came together to celebrate such a special moment. Wow 50 years!
At the Gala we shared stories, hugs, tears, laughter and memories as a multi generational community. All of your individual stories written in the souvineer book and the memories of those who passed; are woven together in our community and showcased in this legacy painting.
For the Gala I added a Golden Sun to represent your Golden Era of having courage and having faith to immigrate. In the painting there is 50 Sampaguita flowers each with a gold center to celebrate your 50th Anniversary. During the Gala I added 89 stitches, representing the 89 women who immigrated with Wescott in 1975. The stitch goes from an embellished Sampaguita (symbolizing the Philippines, as it is the National Flower) travelling to embellished Prairie Lilies (symbolizing Saskatoon, Saskatchewan- as it is the Provincial Flower).
I wanted to thank my Artist Friend, Mckenna Prather who I respect as an expert in the painting embroidery realm. I am so grateful for guidance in adding this very special and meaningful detail to this painting.
Another big thank you to Ralph Santos of The Print Baron. He helped me finish this special gift by rush printing the next morning the painting as prints to gift to all our Moms and Titas at the Pike Lake Picnic and truly say thank you to them. I highly recommend The Print Baron for any of your printing needs.
*I will update this blog when we get more photos and videos from the Gala by Nic Sarceno Film Team (Ricky and Ajay)
Stay tuned as I will be adding these prints to the Art Shop soon!
“Together, we can create beautiful things. Together, we are the ripple that transcends time”- Krystelle Celestino Wurtz
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