Building your new life in Canada

Credit to Author: Ramya Ramanathan| Date: Mon, 08 May 2023 21:56:40 +0000

Find the support you need to make a successful transition.

Xiaobing Feng

Chinese-born Xiaobing Feng says it was the “warm and friendly people and natural environment” that brought his family to Canada. Prior to the move, they visited Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, Yellowknife and Vancouver to decide where they would live.

“Vancouver has a suitable climate, especially in the winter. In addition, there is a unique natural landscape,” he says. The family immigrated in November 2022.

Indian-born research scientist Kiran Kaur moved to Toronto in 2016 to work in a leading diabetes lab which, she says, “was a dream come true.” She became a permanent resident a year later.

Kiran Kaur

“The decision to move to Canada was influenced by several factors, including a job offer, the  presence of extended family in the Greater Toronto Area, and the perception of Canada as an immigrant-friendly country. I moved here with the aim of accessing better career opportunities and improving overall quality of life,” she says.

Like Feng and Kaur, every newcomer’s journey to Canada is different and their experiences are unique. However, most immigrants face common issues, and tackling these challenges is what leads to successful settlement. 

“Prepare in advance and learn everything about Canada, especially the city you will be landing in,” says Feng.

Feng accessed pre-arrival services provided by a multi-service agency assisting people in all stages of their Canadian journey. “The services provided by S.U.C.C.E.S.S. allowed us to understand the key information required for entering Canada, and their online lectures are very helpful,” he says.

On arrival, Feng completed the necessary paperwork including obtaining identity documents, finding a place to live, a school for his children and a car, in addition to finding a job in his field as a designer.

Unexpectedly, he was laid off three months later. Undaunted by adversity, he has found other means to ensure a flow of income. “I currently work with DoorDash and Uber platforms; delivery is the easiest way to make money,” he says.

Feng has also connected with DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society, a settlement services agency in B.C. “DIVERSEcity guides me on how to apply for unemployment insurance, introduces job training opportunities, and actively helps me contact potential employers.” Feng plans to participate in job training to adapt to the labour market.

He is now working on his biggest challenge. “It’s mainly the language, but we are learning, and the government also provides free learning opportunities.”

Samina Sami

Samina Sami, CEO of Greater Toronto Area-based COSTI Immigrant Services, finds that newcomers today face a multi-pronged, more complex state of challenges compared to a few decades ago, and dealing with this needs a complex socio-economic wraparound approach.

“What we’re finding is immigrants today have just enough to get by, at most. There’s a layering of challenges. For example, with housing shortages, housing crisis, inflation, and economic security,” she says.

“One cannot divorce traditional settlement and displacement now from economic security, financial literacy and mental health. And then there’s the traditional accreditation, education, skills training and employment.”

Organizations like COSTI are also dealing with the number of immigrants who are arriving from their home country now after all the uncertainty and delay in approvals caused by the pandemic. Sami says this has led to an additional challenges, which is even greater for refugees who are dealing with the trauma caused by war and displacement. But, she points out that in spite of all the challenges, immigrants and refugees are managing to build a life in their new home. “The resiliency, the strength, is something we should be looking at … that they’re still making a life for themselves, [and] they’re still finding their way.”

Sami believes that what Canada needs is a welcoming socio-economic settlement ecosystem. “There’s lots of research that says the most successful immigrants are where there’s a welcoming society; that they’re then able to give back. So, it’s also how much they’re enabled so they can get on their feet quicker; they are then contributors to the society.”

Today, while Kaur feels welcomed and is happy to find herself in a society where inclusivity, diversity and equality are embraced and celebrated, enjoying the easy access to nature, and feeling a sense of safety as a woman, which she says is a welcome change from the constant fear and anxiety she experienced in her home country, she has faced her own set of challenges.

“The distance from my family and the lack of a support system; it’s something I felt most painfully in my first few years and still do,” she says. “While I am grateful that Canada allows families to visit, as an immigrant, being away from my aging parents is a constant worry. The process of bringing them over is not only difficult but also expensive and stressful, making it a challenge for many immigrants like myself.”

In the initial years, Kaur also found it challenging to build community and make friends. “Loneliness is a real issue that many people experience, but it’s not always easy to acknowledge,” she says.

Over the past seven years, Kaur has joined social and expat groups to find like-minded people, in addition to tapping into her professional network for opportunities and guidance. This, she says, is helping her feel more settled.

She finds that it is also a matter of time. “After living in Canada for seven years, I have grown accustomed to the culture, the ways of the people and the expectations at work and of society. Familiarity breeds belongingness, and I have started to feel like Canada is my second home.”

Based on her own experience, she asks newcomers to be proactive in making connections. “Building networks or personal friendships can be a daunting task. It takes time and patience.”

“Brace yourselves,” she says. “It’s not going to be a walk in the park.”

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