Canadian Immigrant Magazine - September 2021

Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021 c anadianimmigr ant.c a

BLAZING A TRAIL MOHAMMED AHMED BRINGS HOME AN OLYMPIC MEDAL

Publications mail agreement number 40011993 | $5.95

WHAT DOES THE LIBERALS' ELECTION WIN MEAN FOR IMMIGRATION?

IMMIGRANT DIRECTORS & TALENT AT TIFF IMPRESS HOW LIBRARIES CAN HELP NEWCOMERS ADJUST TO LIFE IN CANADA

AMPLIFYING AMPLIFYING THE THE VOICES VOICES OF OF YOUTH YOUTH

Hanen Hanen Nanaa Nanaa

TAKE YOUR BIG IDEA TO THE NEXT LEVEL

CONTENTS Volume 18 Issue 5, 2021

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FUSION

8

COVER STORY

PROFILE: Vickram Agarwal on the power of persistence

NEWS: Canada invests $100 million to support

newcomers’ integration, Government takes

meaningful action to prevent immigration fraud,

Key dates for upcoming events

Blazing a trail: Somalia-born Mohammed “Mohspeed” Ahmed channels inspiration, talent and focus to bring home an Olympic medal

14 FEATURE

Take your big idea to the next level: Immigrant entrepreneurs, facing barriers compounded by the pandemic, do better with a little help

16 CULTURE

Immigrant directors and talent at TIFF impress: This year’s hybrid version had stand-out immigrant talent who brought forth timely and evocative stories

18 CAREERS AND EDUCATION

HIGHER LEARNING: Find ways to manage uncertainty

CAREER COACH: Go hybrid. Be productive.

Have fun

20 PROFILE

Amplifying the voices of youth: 22-year-old SyrianCanadian Hanen Nanaa is dedicated to supporting youth on the fringes

22 SETTLEMENT

IMMIGRATION LAW: Where political parties stand on immigration How libraries can help newcomers adjust to life in Canada PARENTING: Help your kids stay safe at school

27 LIVING

WELLNESS: Are you too busy being busy?

MENTAL WELLBEING: Feeling you are being treated differently?

29 BACK PAGE

HUMOUR BY HEMETERIO

CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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People. News. Information.

VICKRAM AGARWAL

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 5

The power of persistence

2021

By Ramya Ramanathan

Group Publisher Sanjay Agnihotri

MasterCard, later, I moved to Canada and led the Black Rock Marketing Group as managing director.

This summer, I transitioned back from agency to client side and am now the newly appointed vice president of marketing at Credit Canada.

Along this colourful journey, I also founded the parenting company Daddy’s Digest, which was acquired earlier this year.

Editor Ramya Ramanathan rramanathan@metroland.com Editorial Design Safi Nomani Sr. Ad Manager Ricky Bajaj rbajaj@metroland.com Tel: 905 273 8170 Assistant Manager Laura Jackman ljackman@metroland.com

What inspired you to launch Daddy's Digest?

When my daughter was born, my wife and I shared the highs and lows and really invested ourselves in her growth and development. Unlike my better half who had access to resources and a community, I had no support system. As an entrepreneur, I had no choice but to seize the opportunity. My own struggle inspired me to build a father-focused parenting company.

General Inquiries: info@canadianimmigrant.ca Circulation/Distribution Inquiries: ljackman@metroland.com ISSN 1910-4146 Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher

Did you face any major challenges when you came to Canada?

Publications mail agreement number: 40065097 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 3145 Wolfedale Road Mississauga, Ontario, L5C 3A9 Printed on recycled paper.

Toronto Circulation 30,000 copies Vancouver Circulation 15,000 copies Calgary/Edmonton Circulation 5,000 copies Canadian Immigrant is published six times a year in print.

Canadian Immigrant welcomes submissions, but is not responsible for unsolicited material.

Canadian Immigrant is a publication of Metroland Media Group, a division of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited.

Entire contents property of Canadian Immigrant.

canadianimmigrant.ca TORONTO 3145 Wolfedale Road, Mississauga Ontario, L5C 3A9 Tel: 905 273 8111, Fax: 905 277 9917

Vickram Agarwal with his family

I

ndian-born Vickram Agarwal is a global citizen.

Raised in India and the Middle East and educated in the UK, he started his marketing career with General Motors in Dubai.

A digital and technology entrepreneur, in 2011, he founded Stroke Consulting with a client portfolio that included some top brands. He is also the proud founder of Daddy’s Digest, an online platform that bridges the parenting gap through the creation of expert and usergenerated content.

In 2019, he moved to Canada with his wife and daughter and took the helm of the Black Rock Marketing Group as partner and managing director. He is currently the vice president of marketing at Credit Canada, a nonprofit credit counselling agency whose mission is to help people get out of debt.

Tell us about yourself

I am a third culture kid – I was born in India, raised in the Middle East and educated in the U.K. My wife and I met in Dubai, but she was born and raised in Ottawa.

Our long-term plan always included building a life in Canada. In 2019, after nearly a decade together, we made the big move with a two-year-old in tow.

Tell us about what you do

I started my career with General Motors and after a few years in manufacturing, I moved to automotive retail with Volkswagen. In 2011, I quit my job and started a digital marketing consultancy. After nearly nine years and clients like GMC, Chevrolet, Fiat, Kawasaki and

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021

Moving to Canada was the best decision we could have made as a family, and we don’t doubt it for a second.

Though, if anyone tells you that life as a new immigrant is easy, they would be lying. Try converting your driver’s license or leasing a car without a credit score… it will bring great appreciation and empathy to the challenges faced by new immigrants.

I learned quickly that persistence is the key to success in Canada. I made over 600 job applications the first time around and that led to four callbacks and ultimately three interviews. I am resilient by nature, so I chose to see everything as an opportunity. It helped me gain perspective and stay sane.

What are your future plans?

I’ve just started a new role as the vice president of marketing at Credit Canada. Our mission is to help people get out of debt, so they can get back to life. I am excited for the opportunity to positively influence the lives of Canadians and make a difference through my work.

What drives you?

I am driven by the desire to make a difference. I try to live a life of purpose. I need challenges and complexity to feel like I am growing. At work, I am passionate about data and delivering positive outcomes.

What is your advice to immigrants and newcomers?

Be persistent and stay hungry. Canada is the land of opportunity and a place where fortune truly favours the bold. Reach out to as many people as you can, ask for advice and mentorship. Be vulnerable and receptive to this new experience.

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FUSION

news

Canada invests $100 million to support newcomers’ integration

how to better integrate newcomers in their new communities and support the settlement sector as it recovers from the pandemic. Some examples of the projects include exploring how artificial intelligence can support settlement strategy, connecting newcomers with employers in smaller urban and rural communities pre-arrival, and service approaches designed by an anti-oppression framework.

Minister Mendicino highlighted the importance of settlement services: “From work to housing to language training, they set newcomers up for success. During this challenging year and a half, I think it’s safe to say everyone has needed support in some form or another. One can only begin to imagine the additional hurdles this pandemic has presented newcomers trying to start their lives in Canada. These new SDI projects will help us enhance and improve settlement services so every newcomer can reach their full potential here.”

Government takes meaningful action to prevent immigration fraud In August, to ensure that all newcomers have access to the support they need, Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced an investment of $100 million over the next three years to improve the way newcomers access settlement services. The funds will be directed to improving the service delivery improvements (SDI) process which is centred on developing innovative approaches to better support the settlement and integration of newcomers.

As a part of this package, 78 projects are being supported to explore

It is not uncommon to hear of many foreign workers or students having to pay large sums of money to immigration consultants for the promise of work or permanent residence, only to find out at a later date that they have been lied to.

With a number of people from across the globe hoping to settle, visit or work in Canada, the government is taking meaningful action to root out immigration fraud and offer protection to applicants to the immigration system.

A new body, the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (College), will become the official regulator of immigration and citizenship consultants across the country, improving oversight and cracking down on criminals. It will regulate the profession by protecting both the public and consultants in good standing from those who take advantage of vulnerable people.

The self-governing not-for-profit, Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) will function as the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. The College will officially open on November 23, 2021.

The creation of the College is a key part of the government’s efforts to fight fraud in the immigration system.

Settlement services are critical to helping newcomers settle and adjust to life in Canada. They range from helping newcomers find jobs, learn English or French, find a place to live and, more broadly, succeed in their new home. These services are even more critical given the additional challenges caused by the pandemic.

Key dates for upcoming Canadian Immigrant events Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards: Thank you for voting! We received nearly 70,000 votes from across the country. Winners will be announced on November 18, 2021.

Canadian Immigrant Virtual Fairs Fall 2021: The free all-day event for the Western Region Fair (British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba) will be held on October 28 and the Central and Eastern Region (Ontario and Nova Scotia) Fair is on November 4.

Sign up to our newsletter at canadianimmigrant.ca for information and ongoing updates.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021

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COVER STORY

Somalia-born Mohammed “Mohspeed” Ahmed channels inspiration, talent and focus to bring home an Olympic medal

By Radhika Panjwani

T

his summer, as Canadian athlete Mohammed (Moh) Ahmed, 30, ran the final lap of the men’s 5,000 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021 due to the pandemic), Canadians, including his family, friends and coaches in his hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario, were rooting for him.

There was a roar of cheers all around, in St. Catharines and across the country, as Ahmed crossed the finish line to deliver Canada's first Olympic medal in the men's 5,000 metres.

The three-time Canadian Olympian, nicknamed “Mohspeed”, ran an impressive 12 minutes 58.61 seconds to win the silver medal, just a few microseconds behind Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei who took the gold at 12 minutes 58.15 seconds.

The Somali-Canadian is proud to represent St. Catharines and Canada.

“It feels really good to wear the Canadian colours,” says Ahmed. “Growing up I always felt I could do anything in this country to realize my potential.

My hometown (St. Catharines) has been with me always.”

The beginnings

The Ahmed family’s passage from the war-torn Somalia via Kenya to Canada, and Moh’s own journey to the Olympic podium, are heartwarming stories of an immigrant family’s slow climb from scarcity and sacrifices to a life of stability and success through faith and hard work.

Ahmed and his two brothers arrived in Canada with their mother Helimo Farah, in 2001 and settled down in St. Catharines, Ontario. Their father stayed back. It would be eight years before the family could reunite.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021

Farah worked multiple jobs to support the family. Ahmed says he learned about hard work, perseverance and purpose from watching his mother.

When he joined the local elementary school, he couldn’t speak a word of English. And he did not have any formal education. Ahmed overcame his setbacks with single-minded focus. However, when it came to sports, his lack of language skills did not matter. After elementary and middle school, Ahmed headed to St. Catharines Collegiate.

“I channeled that immigrant energy and all the natural anxiety in a positive way, and it helped me to become the best,” Ahmed says of his success as an athlete.

“I also wanted to set a good example for my brothers, so I always worked hard, whether it was at school or on the track…I gave it my best. That’s something I learned from my mom,” he says.

Finding his stride

It was during grade 8 that Ahmed found his stride. At 16, Ahmed was crowned the reigning Ontario high school cross-country champion.

“In 2008, I finished my world junior championship in track and that really opened doors for me,” the St. Catharines Collegiate alumni says, adding that a month later, he accompanied the Canadian team to the Beijing, China 2008 Summer Olympics, but not as a participant. “I do remember thinking to myself, ‘you’re making it to the next Olympic team.’”

When he returned home, he poured his focus into his training. And just as he had imagined, four years later, 21-year-old Ahmed made his Olympic

When you think about it, it all starts with that inspiration,” Ahmed says. “And if you have the talent and the coaches to help, you never know what you can do.”

Cover photo & inside photos: Mohammed Ahmed of Canada celebrates his win in the 10,000 metres as Pan Am Track and Field begins at CIBC Athletics Stadium at York University in Toronto. July 21, 2015.

Steve Russell/Toronto Star CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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COVER STORY debut in London. He finished 18th in the 10,000 metres. A year later at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, the Canadian athlete finished ninth. It was the best-ever by a Canadian.

“When you think about it, it all starts with that inspiration,” Ahmed says.

“And if you have the talent and the coaches to help, you never know what you can do.”

The wins continued for Ahmed. He won the 10,000-metre gold at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto; then in 2018, a pair of silvers at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres.

I have been running since I was 13. Now that I have achieved the medal, I am honoured, but I will not rest on my laurels.”

As he trained for the 2020 Olympics, Ahmed’s sole focus was to better himself and not beat himself up over the disappointments.

“Every year, I wanted to be a little better,” he says. “I have been running since I was 13. Now that I have achieved the medal, I am honoured, but I will not rest on my laurels.”

Ahmed says that success has not changed him. But now, when he’s walking down St. Catharines, people call out: “You’re the Olympic medalist.

I remember you! You would run past my house every day.”

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A dedicated mindset

In high school, Ahmed met Alex Acs, his cross-country and track coach, mentor, guide and now a good friend.

Acs recalls how Ahmed — who was, at that time, obsessed with basketball — initially showed up for races wearing high-top sneakers, baggy pants and a basketball jersey. But even in shoes that were not designed for distance running, Ahmed was a standout.

So, Acs bought Ahmed new running shoes and a pair of socks in the school (St. Catharines Collegiate) colours of gold, red and black. Those pair of socks are Ahmed’s lucky talisman. He carries them with him to all his races, Acs says.

Acs recalls that at the beginning of the year, some half-a-dozen students signed up to be part of the school’s track team, but as days went by, they kept dropping like flies. A puzzled Ahmed wanted to know why. Acs told him when athletes train hard, they’ll feel the pain and many can’t take that.

“He had a dedicated mindset and always showed up for practice,” Acs says. “He told me the pain was reminder that he had worked hard.”

So, when Ahmed ran long-distance races in school, at 600 metres, Acs would be on the sidelines of the track, yelling, “Feel the pain, make the move.”

Ahmed’s bio on Team Canada, the official Olympic website, lists his favourite quote—handed to him by his grandmother—as “Tagto daayo tamido ogoow” meaning “Abandon that which has departed (yesterday/ past) and rather ponder on that which is yet to come (tomorrow/future).”

That’s why the three-time Olympian is already looking ahead and focused on smashing a record or two at the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon, in 2022, and after three more years of intense training, he says, he will be ready for the Olympics, again.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021

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FEATURE

TAKE YOUR BIG IDEA TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Immigrant entrepreneurs, facing barriers compounded by the pandemic, do better with a little help

By Margaret Jetelina

E

very immigrant has an emotional story about their journey, and Bita Jamalpour has started up a new business venture to capture them in a creative multimedia way.

Her new business, Logue, is in the creative business of writing, illustrating and publishing immigrants’ stories through books, videos and even merchandise at thelogue.ca.

For Jamalpour, an urban planner from Iran who immigrated to Canada nine years ago, Logue is an entrepreneurial venture close to her heart.

“My idea is to help immigrants like myself have a voice,” she says. “Many services are available in Canada to help immigrants get the support they deserve and have a full life. But there is another side of immigration often untold or ignored; there are many emotions involved in the process of immigration. Immigrants need space to share their stories.”

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021

Jamalpour’s business is just in its infancy, but she is following a long line of immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada. Studies show that immigrants to Canada are more likely to be entrepreneurs than people born in Canada, often due to being shut out of the labour market as internationally trained professionals. That means immigrant-owned businesses make up about 25 per cent of small and medium enterprises in Canada. And it’s no secret that small business is critical to Canada’s economy; of the 1.2 million employer businesses in Canada, 1.18 million (or 97.9 per cent) were small businesses, according to Statistics Canada (2018). The month of October has even been designated Small Business Month in Canada to celebrate the contributions that entrepreneurs make to the country and the economy.

sector hard, and immigrant-owned ones even worse.

In a recent article, Supporting Immigrant and Newcomer Entrepreneurs in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic, published in Canadian Diversity, authors Wendy Cukier, Miki ItanoBoase and Akalya Atputharajah found: “While small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and self-employed entrepreneurs face catastrophic challenges (e.g., layoffs and closures), immigrant and racialized entrepreneurs face an even greater burden due to structural inequality, discrimination, and access to supports.”

Further, immigrant-owned businesses tend to be smaller and less connected to supportive organizations or financing. Being new to the country, immigrant entrepreneurs also face But the pandemic has hit the small business language barriers, lack of networks, and lack of

“I realized I wasn’t ready to start a business alone in Canada. I had an idea, I was creative, but didn’t know how to sell my idea and to make it into a business,” she says. “That’s why I started with [the self-employment programs at] DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society.

They helped me understand the business side of my creative business idea.”

Taking part in DIVERSEcity’s CWB Business Incubator for Women Makers and Creators opened her eyes up to what it takes to plan and launch a business in Canada. In fact, going through the program and evaluating her business idea with the support of the facilitators and other participants, Jamalpour changed her business idea to a concept that eventually became Logue.

“The 20+ week program, launched virtually during the pandemic, supports intercultural women to turn their talents into entrepreneurship,” says Garrison Duke, director of employment programs at DIVERSEcity.

“Through this unique program, which we launched with the support of Canadian Western Bank, the participants receive one-on-one support from our self-employment specialists, learn business basics and test out their product or service in the marketplace.”

Programs like these can be the important missing link for immigrant entrepreneurs who feel isolated and uncertain as they start a business in their new country. knowledge around Canadian business rules and systems.

So, what can immigrant entrepreneurs do? The authors conclude that immigrant entrepreneurs need access to support and programs to help them navigate the barriers that they face.

Jamalpour faced many of those barriers in Canada herself, even though she actually had experience owning an urban planning business with her husband in Iran.

But when she decided to start a creative side business in Canada on her own, she was unsure of what to do. Living in Calgary, her first business idea was a school for creative arts for children. “After the pandemic, I closed it. It wasn’t profitable, but more like a passion project for me,” she says.

Having moved to Metro Vancouver, Jamalpour found work related in her field, but, like many entrepreneurial-minded folks, she wanted to keep pursuing her business ideas on the side.

She thought of restarting the arts school, but this time, she knew she needed some help to make it a more successful venture.

Perhaps just as important as learning the ins and outs of starting in business in Canada is the peer network that participants end up building together. Taiwan-born Florence Kao, the selfemployment coordinator at DIVERSEcity, understands that the journey for the immigrant entrepreneur doesn’t stop when they complete her program. She makes it her mission to provide ongoing support to her clients — and to have them support each other — as they continue on their journey.

Kao, who even launched awards programs to celebrate, motivate and inspire the participants of her programs. At the inaugural CWB Women Maker and Creator Awards this September 15, 2021, Jamalpour was one of the winners for Best Business Idea.

The month of October has even been designated Small Business Month in Canada to celebrate the contributions that entrepreneurs make to the country and the economy.

For Jamalpour, she’s excited about what the future holds, thanks to taking this program and now being part of the Infinity Womenpreneurs network.

“Being part of this group gave me more courage,” she says, adding how meaningful the award was to her. “If it was still just me alone, I would still be brainstorming what I should do!”

To other immigrant entrepreneurs, she has this advice to offer. “I would say as an immigrant, coming from another world to this world, as much experience or education as you have, you need to rewire your brain and point of view, especially as an entrepreneur,” she says. “For the longest time, I was just struggling. What I learned in Iran was not working here. I needed to open my mind and open my eyes to the way to do things in this country. And being part of Infinity Womenpreneurs has helped.”

Kao has created peer networks and collective business platforms to maintain that ongoing support and connection. For the women makers and creators program, she launched Infinity Womenpreneurs, an e-commerce marketplace (infinitymarketplace.square.site) where graduates of the program can promote and sell their products and services together. Kao has created similar platforms for her other selfemployment programs, including Immipreneur Network (immipreneur-network.square.site), Sewmates and Mama’s Hands International Cuisine.

“We want these amazing immigrant entrepreneurs to be seen and heard, and we’ll try our best to grow their business,” says

above Bita Jamalpour CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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CULTURE

IMMIGRANT DIRECTORS AND TALENT AT TIFF IMPRESS

above A still from Quickening

This year’s hybrid version had stand-out immigrant talent who brought forth timely and evocative stories that spoke to familiar themes of loneliness, isolation and the power of community

By Baisakhi Roy

T

he organizers of the 46th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) managed to pull off a pretty successful event this year – in spite of being held under the cloud of the COVID-19 Delta variant. The first hybrid (a mix of in-person and digital screenings) festival, where attendees had to either show their proof of vaccination at a screening or a negative COVID test, showcased over 100 films and had more than 600 screenings at various venues across Toronto.

Mengesha in the political dark comedy, DEFUND, which premiered in the Short Cuts programme this year. Roberts-Abdullah and Mengesha play millennial twins, trapped in their apartment at the height of the 2020 pandemic watching the Black Lives Matter uprisings unfold on their phones.

Also featured in the Shorts section was Pakistani-born Canadian filmmaker Hamza Bangash’s stirring short, Bhai. A nuanced and sensitive portrayal of the bond between High profile celebrities like Benedict two brothers, one of whom is on the autism Cumberbatch and Jessica Chastain brought the spectrum, Bhai is shot in black and white and glamour walking the red carpet, and immigrant managed to create a lot of buzz in the festival circuit. talent at the festival did not disappoint either.

In the acting department, Somali-Canadian, Surinamese-born Toronto-raised Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah co-directed, co-wrote former supermodel Yasmin Warsame, made her and starred with Ethiopian-Canadian Araya acting debut in Finnish-Somali writer-director

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021

above Shasha Nakhai - Photo by Michael Ori

Khadar Ayderus Ahmed’s The Gravedigger’s Wife. Warsame plays Nasra, the gravedigger’s wife, who is dying of kidney failure and is in desperate need of a transplant. Praised for her soulful performance, the film was one of three to be awarded with the Amplify Voices Award, given to films made by under-represented filmmakers.

Vancouver-based, Taiwanese-born actor, Eddie Peng also made a splash in the moody, thriller, Are You Lonesome Tonight.

Festival favourite For Philippine-born and Nigeria-raised Shasha Nakhai, Scarborough, a festival favourite this year, has been an emotional ride. Four years in the making, Nakhai’s debut feature that she co-directed with Rich Williamson, was awarded the 2021 Changemaker Award, as a film that tackles issues of social change. The fact that the winning film is selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the above Directors Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson working with Liam Diaz (Bing) and Essence Fox (Sylvie) world, is significant to the director. The film Waseem was also lucky to find her lead was also declared first runner-up in the People’s expressing herself through dance was born out of Nakhai’s own experience of having character, Sheila, in young Arooj Azeem who Choice section. family members immigrate as part of the immigrated from Pakistan at the age of five.

“What makes me happy is that the film is Live-in Caregiver program. One of the main In the film, Sheila goes through the complex hitting the mark emotionally and connecting protagonists in Scarborough is Bing, a gay motions of her first relationship, relating to the people. We make films to move people and move Filipino boy who finally finds his voice, and nuances of her Pakistani culture, fitting in with them towards action. I am so happy that people Nakhai’s hoping that more stories like this one her peers and dealing with her relationship in the Scarborough community, in the Filipino are able to find their place on the big screen. with her parents who have their own struggles community, especially frontline workers and “What drew me to the story of Scarborough with settling in Canada. educators are loving it,” says Nakhai, an award- was that even after having worked in Canadian Waseem hopes that audiences will relate winning documentary filmmaker whose work film for over 10 years, I’d never seen anything like that, being Filipina, I’ve never seen that to the message about family and community. has been shortlisted at the Oscars. kind of representation before of the Filipino “Canada is welcoming but you want to cherish Adapted from the critically acclaimed novel community. There are so many stories to be the people you came here with as well. People

by Catherine Hernandez, Scarborough is a told. I just wanted to be part of making that that you love and who care about you, they stay bleak yet uplifting story of three low-income happen in the Canadian film landscape,” she by you. And as long as you stay with each other and try to move through a moment, however families in the east Toronto suburb, struggling says. challenging, you can handle those moments to survive in a system that has failed them. “The together,” she says. message of the film is so relevant, especially Bold new voice Another first feature that got critics talking now that community has been and will be what gets us through all of the intersecting crises was Pakistani-born, Swiss-raised Haya Waseem’s, Quickening. The coming-of-age story that we are dealing with right now,” she says. of a young Pakistani-Canadian woman who has An immigrant hub, Scarborough is a to balance cultural expectations with desires of culturally diverse and colourful part of her own will resonate with immigrant families Toronto which boasts, of among other things, who have teenage children facing similar multicultural food and festivals like the Afro- challenges.

Carib fest and Tamil Fest. “Moving to Canada For Waseem, many of the scenes in the from Nigeria as an international student was very alienating, of course. For the longest time, film ring true as someone who immigrated to I couldn't put my finger on what was missing in Canada when she was 16. “I was observing the Canada. Over time I realised that it is just that changes around me and getting used to the new feeling of community. That’s why I connected environment. with Scarborough, the place, because it was one It was important for me to tell this story of the only places in the city where I could find Filipino restaurants or Nigerian food. It was the because no one in my community was making movies that I could relate to. There was nothing closest thing to home,” she recalls. out there which tackled issues of identity or Nakhai’s early work, like her short film, finding balance being both Pakistani and Paruparo (2013), about a migrant nanny Canadian in an in-depth manner,” she says. above Haya Waseem CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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CAREERS & EDUCATION HIGHER LEARNING

Find ways to manage uncertainty

R

Planning ahead will help you make the best of your school year

arely is everything going totally smooth, even under normal circumstances.

Uncertainty is all around us, never more so than today, given the situation caused by the pandemic.

The nature of uncertainty is that it is out of your control; the best you can do is manage worries and do your best to prepare. Here are some ideas for managing the unexpected during COVID.

Given that things hardly go without a hitch, we need to find ways to manage the unpredictable. Some strategies to deal with uncertainty are to prepare for the unexpected and learn to tolerate a bit of trouble.

Now with COVID, nothing is really certain — school may start normally and then could even go online. The professors may change, you may need to isolate for two weeks if there are any signs of COVID or if you come in contact with someone who has been affected, or you could get sick. Anything is possible and postponing school may not be the solution, as the future is uncertain as well.

Manage anxiety and worries

Since uncertainty is now a constant, remind yourself of what helps you cope. If talking things over with friends is helpful, be sure to make time to cultivate and maintain your friendships. Joining a group or playing a sport or volunteering or being introduced to new people, even virtually, may help you find supportive community. If you need a way to take your mind off your worries and disappointments, be sure to schedule in breaks with diversions and people who can help.

Many find that meditation and/ or exercise is helpful for changing

their mental state and feeling in better control. Having some way to calm yourself should be part of your skill set. Even scrubbing the kitchen floor, with or without your preferred music, can take the edge off anxiety.

Plus, you get a good workout! Or even making bread can be both therapeutic and delicious. You get a sense of accomplishment and surround yourself with good smells.

Whatever you do, avoid behaviours that can cause more trouble if you turn to them frequently, such as recreational drugs or alcohol. Find positive ways to take care of your mental health.

You can also find people to speak to in your campus such as mental health counsellors who can help you deal with stress and anxiety.

Make a note of contact information of other students in your class (at least one or two), your school’s support services and your professors.

You may also want to have some ideas for alternatives if your parttime job dries up or if there is a delay in receiving your student loans. Find out what additional services your school offers for students during the pandemic, which could even include financial resources.

Consider working ahead in your studies and having your essays and assignments ready early, whenever possible. School can get interrupted and so can access to resources. If you are part of a group work assignment, don’t fully rely on other members to do their part; some members could drop out. Have some technology back up in case of breakdowns. Make yourself visible to your professors. If Prepare ahead Whenever a weather crisis is they see you attend class regularly coming, we are told to stock up on and are engaged, they may be more our food and water supplies. We inclined to help you if you need a might also get a few good books, favour, such as an extension on an movies we want to see and list some assignment. tasks that need to get done when Avoid letting everything pile up. we have spare time. This is as true during a pandemic as it is for a That goes for your studies as well as your laundry. And try not to fight or snowstorm. fuss with your family or housemates.

Make sure to plan for whatever During times of uncertainty, we the pandemic may bring your way. need all the help we can get.

Geneviève Beaupré and Susan Qadeer have extensive experience working in university and college settings, providing career, academic and personal counselling to international and immigrant students.

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CAREERS & EDUCATION CAREER COACH

Go hybrid. Be productive. Have fun!

5 tips for your hybrid return to the workplace you can find a way to balance your physical and emotional workload, it’s a win-win.

That means taking regular time for exercise or meditation. Becoming healthy and emotionally stronger will help you see clearly, generate great deliverables and build productive, satisfying relationships with co-workers and clients.

Communicate with clarity There’s no room for ambiguity in a remote work arrangement. It is more important to be clear, purposeful and positive from the start. In a hybrid environment, communication becomes essential to sustaining the work you produce.

I

As you work on enhancing your communication skills, you can learn how to craft messages and express your thoughts and ideas across multiple online platforms.

t’s more than a year since the pandemic hit us and took us all by surprise. Since then, many of us have had to learn how to self-manage and function remotely from home offices.

our own productivity. In the new paradigm, it was not about working during a set number of hours.

A lot of us could accomplish more as long as we had a block of uninterrupted time to concentrate.

Now that we have adjusted fairly well to the new normal, it's time to take stock of what has been learned so far. And get ready to adapt to the new hybrid approach – as many of us return to the workplace for at least a few days in the week.

We learned the difference between time spent on a project (activity) vs. the output delivered To expand your hybrid working prowess find (productivity). Many of us learned we could be counted on to deliver quality work in time even the best technology for your situation. While ‘Zoom’ is definitely a popular video conferencing when working remotely. tool, you can experiment with ‘Around’ which As you get engaged in remote work, it's offers more features to meet your needs more important to create systems that can help track effectively. 'Google Meet' can also be considered your success. If it helps, use some sort of daily if you have a lower budget in mind. plan and stick to it whenever possible. Maintain To facilitate small group meetings or digital a comprehensive track record of the phone calls, emails, correspondences, etc. Track your efforts brainstorming in the hybrid model, you can meticulously. And look for new ways to ensure consider tools like 'Whimsical' and 'FigJam' to enhance your internal messaging. everyone benefits from your arrangement.

Consider these five simple tips to make your hybrid work arrangement smooth and effective.

Self-awareness

Self-awareness and self-management are important to help us monitor our actions and regulate our emotions. This means identifying what is important, setting priorities, and taking responsibility for submitting deliverables on time, irrespective of where we are.

Developing our Emotional Intelligence (EI) is important to understand how our actions and behaviors might affect others. When we learn to understand our emotions better, we are also able to better balance self-awareness vis-à-vis our relationship with others.

This also means being realistic with your deadlines and taking regular breaks. For instance, you could try the 25-minute Pomodoro technique – taking regular breaks every 20-25 minutes and using the breaks to create a 5-minute stretch or clean-up routine, take a short walk, make yourself a drink and so on.

Prioritize and balance

Thankfully, digital communication enables hybrid work, so find a way to strategize around it. Adopt a communication strategy that enables everyone to maintain consistency and clarity and avoid any misunderstanding.

Take it easy You’ve overcome many challenges in the last year. You’ve balanced a lot. You’ve worked hard and become flexible. Take the breaks you need to stay positive, creative and committed to make the most of your new work style. Hybrid work will work – but will take a certain amount of flexibility and perseverance on your part.

In the final analysis, a remote or hybrid role For instance, spontaneous team building As you prepare for hybrid work, embrace moments like the Friday team lunch outings the opportunity, and make your mental and is about finding balance and the chance to take or after-work happy hours may now be a thing emotional health a priority. It will make you charge and own your role. Good luck as you go of the past. To keep the camaraderie going on, happier and more productive at work. When hybrid and have fun at the same time. you can look for alternative methods of team building, like virtual game/yoga sessions, Friday evening virtual happy hour, etc.

Murali Murthy is an acclaimed public speaker, life coach and best-selling author of The ACE Principle, The ACE Awakening, The ACE Abundance and You Are HIRED!. He is also Time management chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. Learn how he can help unlock your magic When the pandemic hit, we learned more about at unleashyourwow.com.

CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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PROFILE

AMPLIFYING THE VOICES OF YOUTH 22-year old Syrian-Canadian Hanen Nanaa is dedicated to supporting youth on the fringes to feel welcomed and connected to their communities Vivien Fellegi

I

n 2016, on her third day in high school in Toronto, then seventeenyear-old Syrian newcomer Hanen Nanaa sat wide-eyed in a grade nine classroom, observing a dispute over a pen.

“That’s mine! Why did you take it?” yelled the owner. The classmate with the pen looked at her buddies, and they burst out laughing.

The owner, her face red with rage, tried to wrench it back and shouted for the teacher to intervene. Though the instructor quickly settled the dispute, Nanaa remained troubled. The refugee from a war zone couldn’t grasp why anyone would fight over something so trivial. Since arriving in Canada in 2016, Nanaa had to find a job, improve her English and translate documents for her parents.

“The level of life experience was so different,” says the now 22-year-old speaking about the early years in Canada. “I wasn’t able to connect.”

As the weeks wore on and she sat alone every lunch hour, Nanaa began to feel depressed. And trapped. Because of her spotty English, Nanaa had been placed amongst teens three years her junior. When she appealed to her teacher for support, he wasn’t able to suggest any educational alternatives. Discouraged, Nanaa quit the program. (She later finished high school at an adult institution.)

It was this struggle with feeling alienated that sparked a mission to

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connect other youth on the fringes. Nanaa’s first initiative, Newcomers Education Support Canada, offered online assistance to immigrants with school-related concerns, while her next venture, Starter Kit Project, helped them apply to universities. “I’ve been through this,” says Nanaa, “so I put myself in their situation.”

In 2019, the Daughters of the Vote program propelled Nanaa further along her crusade for community-building. The organization, which nurtures young women’s political aspirations, selected Nanaa to represent her riding in Parliament for a week. While networking with delegates from Indigenous, Black and LGBTQ groups, Nanaa discovered mutual concerns.

“Our experiences are different, but the common thing is we have fewer opportunities when it comes to jobs, to speaking, to decision-making,” she says. These youth sometimes give up the fight to be heard. “When you’re not feeling included, and not receiving support,” it “affects your mental health,” says Nanaa.

Nanaa discussed youth disaffection with a couple of MPs, urging them to consult young people on policies affecting them. She felt uplifted by these conversations. “I knew from that day that I have the power to make changes.”

Shortly afterwards, Nanaa harnessed this growing sense of agency to co-found Books, Arts, Music Collective (BAM), a youth-led enterprise that amplifies the voices of youngsters from newcomer, Black, Indigenous,

LGBTQ and other equity-seeking groups. BAM features in-person and online workshops tackling issues chosen by youth, including climate change, gangs, mental health, etc.

Artists use paintings, music, spoken word and other creative methods to draw out listeners. “We make an informal space where people can feel safe to speak of their concerns,” says Nanaa. As participants share traumas and triumphs, they feel less alone. “Part of the healing is when they come to the space and see people like themselves who went through the same challenges,” says Nanaa. These dialogues often spark enduring ties.

That happened during the first post-pandemic BAM event.

The social distancing was tough for Nanaa, an extrovert, who dedicated a sketching event to unite other isolated Torontonians. As a visual artist drew a city scene online, participants copied her drawing, bonding as they traded tips and showed off their finished pieces. “People were able to connect,” says Nanaa. “We saw the smiles on their faces.”

Indigenous and newcomer youth also forged friendships at BAM’s 2021 Canada Day event, where they shared their tumultuous histories. “Both of us went through trauma, being forced out of our lands,” says Nanaa. Songs clinched their bonding. As an Indigenous drummer chanted about residential schools, and an oud player mourned the destruction of Syria, newcomer and Indigenous participants sang and danced alongside the performers.

“A sound can connect communities,” says Nanaa. “It was heartwarming.”

BAM’s work breaking down barriers is finding validation.

This year it was selected as a finalist for the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Arts for Youth Award and may soon be recognized as a non-profit.

But more than any honour, Nanaa takes pride in her positive impact on youth. A young woman who found a home at the youth collective told them that “(BAM) feels like a chosen family.” This kind of feedback fuels Nanaa’s mission for inclusivity. “It makes me so proud,” she says. “That’s a bonus for me to move forward.”

Each accomplishment propels Nanaa further. Today she’s studying politics and governance at Ryerson University, where she serves as the president of the Ryerson Politics and Governance Association. She has also been working for Elections Canada to facilitate voting for youth, and recently organized a debate amongst Toronto Centre candidates. “I have never had the opportunity to vote in my life so I feel obligated to bring awareness to civic engagement,” she says.

Nanaa volunteers with the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, and also helps refugees write their life stories through the Migration Initiative.

above Hanen Nanaa - Photo by Hani Moulia

Best of all, the once solitary outcast feels firmly rooted in Canadian soil. She’s made an army of friends through BAM and other projects. At the recent Syrian Canadian Foundation’s five-year anniversary gala, Nanaa was selected to relate her own remarkable journey and to introduce the next speaker, Prime Minister Trudeau. After he sent her a tweet the following day, Nanaa was bowled over by the outpouring of love and support on her Twitter page. “I made the perfect decision to come to this country,” she says. “Canada is my first and forever home.”

CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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SETTLEMENT I M M I G R AT I O N L AW

The election and Canadian immigration

O

What does the Liberals’ election win mean for immigration?

n September 20, 2021, Canada had its 44th parliamentary election. The results leave the composition of Canada’s House of Commons essentially unchanged from before. As of September 21, 2021, the Liberal Party of Canada, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has again won a minority government with 32 per cent of the vote and 158 seats, 12 short of the required 170 needed for a majority. This means that the Liberals do not have enough seats in the House of Commons to unilaterally pass legislation and must collaborate with the other parties.

The Conservative Party of Canada won 34 per cent of the votes and 119 seats. The Bloc Québécois won 8 per cent of the vote and 34 seats. The New Democratic Party won 18 per cent of the vote and 25 seats. The Green Party of Canada won 2 per cent of the vote and 2 seats.

The Liberals can pass immigration legislation as long as they have the support of either the Conservatives, the Bloc or the NDP. They do not have to commit to one party and can pick and choose which party they get support from depending on the specific change they are proposing. It is accordingly worth understanding these parties’ immigration the purchase is confirmed to be for future employment or immigration. campaigns.

interactions between officers and applicants be recorded. They hoped to use remote interview technology to match applicants with visa officers who understand an applicant’s cultural context and background. They would have created a weighted lottery in the Parent and Grandparent Program to give preference to those who would either be providing childcare or have English/French language ability and expanded the super-visa from two years to five.

They wanted to provide a pathway to permanent residence for all foreign workers and created a trusted employer regime for foreign workers.

While the Liberal immigration platform was not particularly ambitious, the actual policies that they implemented during the last Parliament were. The Liberals created a special immigration pathway program for up to 90,000 essential workers and recent graduates and introduced electronic application processes for most immigration streams. In Budget 2021, they dedicated almost $430 million to implementing an enterprise-wide digital platform that would gradually replace Immigration, Refugees and Regarding refugees, the Conservatives The Liberals also plan on establishing a Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s current Global wanted to increase capacity at the Immigration trusted employer system to streamline foreign Case Management System. and Refugee Board to reduce hearing wait worker applications, expand the Global Talent It is probably reasonable to expect more of times and essentially replace the Government Stream and maintain its two-week processing standard. They will support Francophone the same, which recently has actually been Assisted Refugee program with private and joint refugee sponsorship programs. The immigration outside of Quebec and create quite a lot, and not that predictable.

Conservatives promised to “close the loophole” pathways to permanent residence for foreign in the Safe Third Country Agreement so that workers and international students through The Conservative Party of Canada The Conservatives promised to end IRCC’s those who cross irregularly from the United Express Entry. They also committed to current practice of returning applications for States into Canada can be returned there. resettling 40,000 Afghan refugees. being incomplete, and instead require that Finally, the Conservatives wanted to ban Finally, related to immigration, the Liberals the department provide applicants with an said that they would ban foreign money from opportunity to provide missing documentation. foreign investors not living in or moving to purchasing a non-recreational, residential They wanted to allow applicants to pay a fee to Canada from buying homes in Canada for a property in Canada for two years, unless have their files expedited and require that all two-year period.

The Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberals said that if re-elected they would abolish citizenship application processing fees, which are currently $630 per adult and $100 per child. They also committed to reducing processing times that have been impacted by COVID-19 and creating a visitor visa program for the spouses of Canadians who wish to visit their partners while their spousal sponsorship applications are in process.

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As is apparent, some of the Liberal and Conservative commitments were almost identical, and presumably should be implemented without issue. There are some other Conservative ideas that the Liberals may, and should, adopt, and it will be interesting to see if they do.

The NDP The NDP immigration commitments were almost word for word identical to 2019.

They wanted to “make sure immigration policies and levels meet Canada’s labour force needs and recognizes people’s experiences, contributions, and ties to Canada,” abolish the cap on parent and grandparent applications, ensure a pathway to permanent residency for all foreign workers and take on unscrupulous immigration consultants.

The NDP also promised to provide caregivers the ability to reunite with their family members and have the government regulate immigration consultants.

The general expectation is that the Liberals will rely primarily on the NDP to pass legislation. Considering the Liberals basically introduced and/or implemented much of the NDP platform before the election, it certainly seems plausible that these two parties will be able to work together.

Bloc Québécois The Bloc Québécois platform on immigration was concise. They called on whichever party was in government (which couldn’t be them, since they only run in Quebec) to reduce the processing time of Quebec-destined applicants, give Quebec control over foreign worker programs, welcome French-speaking refugees and require that permanent residents in Quebec pass a French language test in order to become citizens.

Looking forward The general consensus in Canadian politics is that the Liberals will work with the NDP and the Bloc ahead of the Conservatives. In looking at the above policy commitments, however, there is considerable overlap between the Liberal and Conservative immigration plans such that Canada’s two major political parties should also be able to work together.

It is worth noting, however, that the ability of the Liberals and the Conservatives to possibly work collaboratively on immigration matters

will depend on whether the Conservatives continue to shift left as they have under their current leader, Erin O’Toole. The People’s Party of Canada, a two-year old party generally regarded anti-immigrant, did not win any seats, but did win 5 per cent of the vote.

There will likely be much hand-wringing in Conservative circles as to whether the PPC cost the Conservatives the election, and what the Conservatives have to do to woo these voters to them.

If the Conservatives maintain their current trend towards the middle, then Canada’s next Parliament could be one characterized by collaboration on most immigration matters.

If they do not in an attempt to attract PPC voters, then Canada’s political scene could become one of increased division, in which immigration becomes a major political issue.

Either way, between policies started before the election, and new commitments that were announced, the next few years will be busy in Canadian immigration law.

Steven Meurrens is an immigration lawyer with Larlee Rosenberg in Vancouver.

Contact him at 604-681-9887, by email at steven.meurrens@larlee.com, or visit his blog at smeurrens.com.

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23

SETTLEMENT

HOW LIBRARIES CAN HELP NEWCOMERS ADJUST TO LIFE IN CANADA More than just reading material, libraries across the country offer a wide range of services such as settlement resources, learning opportunities, meeting spaces, fun activities and more

By Lucy Slavianska

W

hen Nigeria-born saxophonist, songwriter and arts manager Perpie Nwaefido came to Canada, she discovered one place where she could find all kinds of help she needed as a newcomer.

This was at the Calgary Public Library.

with free information and settlement services, job search assistance, learning opportunities including free English and French classes, courses in computers and new technologies, lectures on health, personal finance and legal issues, etc.

“It was such a different experience from the one I had in my country,” she says as she recalls her surprise. “Back home the library is just a place you go every now and then, because you probably have most of the books in the school library or in your own home collection – libraries there are not regularly purchasing new titles and updating their catalogues, so not much to do when you visit them.”

Visitors can find just about anything – programs and activities for children and adults, groups who share similar hobbies and interests and even free passes for galleries and museums.

She found she could access a wide range of resources. “I could come every day to Calgary Public Library and spend hours reading, researching, using the computers and receiving invaluable professional help in so many areas – from interview skills and resume writing to music production. The library even lent me musical instruments. I also enrolled my children in a chess club.”

Much more than books Across the country, public libraries provide newcomers like Nwaefido

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At the branches, visitors have free access to computers and wireless internet. Scanners are also available in most places. There are locations where members can book study rooms and meeting rooms.

Newcomers who consider starting their own businesses in Canada can also join various libraries’ initiatives for entrepreneurs. And there are even preparation classes for the Canadian citizenship test.

To ensure the wide variety of services to newcomers, most public libraries collaborate with settlement agencies and organizations. Toronto Public Library, for example, provides settlement support at 14 of its branches through the Library Settlement Partnership – a project funded by

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The Partnership involves the Toronto Public Library and seven local settlement agencies.

“Most of the settlement workers have been immigrants themselves,” says Elsa Ngan, senior services specialist, Multicultural Services at Toronto Public Library. “So they are up-to-date with all the different issues that the newcomers might have questions about – ranging from health care, skills development and education to a sense of belonging and community connections.” The Library Settlement Partnership continued its services even during the pandemic.

Promoting arts and culture Libraries also actively promote the arts, host exhibitions and cultural events and show films. Being chosen to be the 2021 Newcomer Artist in Residence, Nwaefido gave a concert at Whelan Performance Hall at Central Library in Calgary in September this year.

Nwaefido was happy to find the performance space. “It’s remarkable – the setting, the plan, the design, the colors, it’s so beautiful! I was really honored and I was grateful to perform here. In my country it would cost a lot of money to have access to such a space.”

Those who love to share their reading experiences can join book clubs.

There are also clubs that discuss books in languages other than English and French. The Chinese Book Club at Toronto Public Library, for example, holds online meetings every month and is popular among Mandarin speakers.

To enrich their collections, libraries regularly buy new books, digital books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, CDs and DVDs. Members can also suggest materials for the library to purchase. So far, catering to Canada’s diverse population, the collections include materials in about 40 languages.

Online resources Given that, in recent years, more and more people are going digital, libraries are offering a range of online resources – eBooks, digital newspapers and magazines, digital audiobooks, streaming video and music.

Students and researchers can also benefit from the libraries’ subscriptions to academic publications. From the Academic Search Ultimate section on the Vancouver Public Library’s website, for example, readers can choose content from over ten thousand magazines – from popular to peerreviewed.

above Perpie Nwaefido - Photo by Deladee Edison Currently, in line with provincial guidelines, most libraries in the country have opened their branches for indoor use, and staff and library visitors are required to keep social distancing and wear masks. Some libraries, like Toronto Public Library, have adopted a mandatory vaccination policy for their staff.

Shared community space Public library membership is free in Canada – to get a library card you just need to show a valid ID and a proof of address.

Nevertheless, there are newcomers who feel uncomfortable approaching the libraries.

“Many times, newcomers come from places where the idea of a public library the way we enjoy it here is completely foreign,” explains Amanda French, manager of social development at the Toronto Public Library.

“I’ve seen so many newcomers who are afraid of being late with something (returning materials, for example), because they think they could be in trouble, like with the police. They think of the library as an institution that is more governmental, more rigid.

“I find that, sometimes, newcomers are unsure whether they belong in a public library – because where they come from, they might not have such a thing, or the libraries there are private, or you have to be a part of a

This is part of your community space. It is an extension of your home," says Amanda French above Runnymede Library, Toronto. Photo credit Lucy Slavianska Online borrowing became even more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns; however, most libraries around the country managed to continue lending printed materials, CDs and DVDs. Readers could go to the websites of their library, place holds on the items they wished to borrow and then pick them up at their local branches. Even though most of the events and in-person activities were suspended, a variety of courses and settlement services continued to be offered online or by telephone.

club, of a school or of something else in order to have access. So to these newcomers it might feel strange when we tell them, ‘You can come in, you are absolutely welcome to stay here, browse the books, use the computers, whatever you need to do. And we, the librarians, are not judging you; it doesn’t matter if you need us or not. This is part of your community space.

It is an extension of your home,’”says French.

“Make good use of the incredible resources the libraries provide,” Nwaefido advises those who have chosen Canada for their new country.

“Seek out information, seek out opportunities, search the websites, ask the staff and make the most of the library.”

CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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SETTLEMENT PARENTING

Help your kids stay safe at school A back-to-school safety checklist for parents

A

s children settle into another school year during the pandemic it is crucial to take time to address school safety to ensure students can get the most out of their experience.

School rules and procedures

Find out your child’s school pick-up and drop-off times and procedures, such as limited access to school due to COVID-19 protocols, designated drop-off and pick-up zones, parking restrictions and school zone time and speed limits.

Health and safety

Familiarize yourself with your child’s school COVID-19 communicable disease guidelines.

Make sure your child has the necessary vaccinations and inform the school of any medical conditions and medications. Educate children about the importance of practicing physical distancing, handwashing

and wearing a mask while in school. Safety gear Feeling safe Do a daily health check, stay home Provide children with necessary Identify key school staff such when sick and get tested if showing safety gear for when going to and as counsellors, settlement/ signs of COVID-19 symptoms. from school, such as personal safety multicultural workers or teachers alarm, whistle, cellphone, helmet that students can turn to for Emergency plans and pads for when biking, and support. Do utilize other resources Familiarize yourself and your safety reflectors. Do not forget hand such as Kids Help Phone and other child with the school’s security sanitizer, tissues and masks for use services for additional support. and emergency plans. Know that in school.

Keep open communication with some common safety drills such school administrators and children as earthquake, lockdown and fire Home alone after school in case of school bullying, hate drills are set in place to ensure For children who are mature, crimes and other mental health students know what to do in times responsible and of age to stay at issues that might arise due to the of emergencies. Expect some home unaccompanied after school, pandemic. modification to the safety drills due set rules and teach them about safety to COVID-19 protocols.

In closing, the challenges of the matters when home alone. Ensure children know about home safety pandemic can negatively impact School commute and what to do during different students’ school experience.

Plan several routes, for when there types of emergencies. Also plan for Addressing children’s safety is are roadblocks due to construction when your child might require to paramount for children to thrive or emergencies. Remind children be in isolation due to COVID-19 and get the best learning experience to avoid taking shortcuts to avoid exposure. in school. getting lost during an emergency. If taking school buses or public transit, Cheryl Song, an immigrant from Malaysia, has more than remind your children to wear their 20 years’ experience of working in early learning and family mask and follow the physical programs. Contact her at cheryl@learnwithsong.com or visit distancing protocol. her website at learnwithsong.com.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021

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LIVING WELLNESS

Are you too busy being busy?

T

his time of year is usually one of transition. A changing season, and with it a change of pace, children settling back into school, work shifting up a gear and a renewed focus on routine. It feels like there’s a lot to organize, to complete and to juggle, and things just can’t wait. Add to that the election, the disastrous effects of climate change and extreme weather in our communities, the ongoing (seemingly never-ending) COVID roller coaster, and the various crises in other parts of the world. It’s not surprising so many of us are feeling overwhelmed by events, changing circumstances and a constant stream of new information.

Slow down to speed up! agenda and judging others who don’t engage in the same way.

Setting up to fail

exhausted than effective, so urgency can in fact set us up for failure. It’s also not good for our health. In this "fight or flight" mode, the stress hormones of cortisol and adrenaline kick in. These can inhibit our ability to think clearly, to focus and maintain a balanced perspective.

We may overlook, or even ignore, stress signals from our body that Here are five simple things we can are indicating we need to step back or step out. In an effort to feel do to achieve more ease. better and find some comfort in the discomfort, we distract ourselves 1. Notice when we are not at ease: by seeking reward or pleasure when the pace at which we are living our life is not serving us well, elsewhere. or when the things that are most consuming our time and energy Is your fix friend or foe?

What are your coping strategies? are not the important things, i.e.

In what ways do you distract whatever gives our life meaning and yourself when feeling overwhelmed? joy or adds value.

In addition to the external environment of urgency, there’s also our internal sense of urgency. Many of us have become addicted to being busy. We pride ourselves on the number of tasks we can juggle and frequently set ourselves unrealistic goals for the time available. Being busy can make us feel important and valued. It can fuel our selfesteem. If we’re not constantly doing something, taking control or fighting for a cause, it can feel like we’re not contributing, or being a good person.

It doesn’t help that our culture and society reward us for getting things These times of uncertainty, done. We are praised for being change and crisis seem to demand driven, resilient and strong.

Social media, junk food, sugar, 2. Set clearer boundaries on our our immediate attention and In truth, urgency and speed don’t alcohol, Netflix…? Or meditation, time. That may mean saying “no” response. Everything can feel urgent, so we get busy doing, taking serve us well. When we are always prayer, exercise, fresh air, self-care…? or “not now” to some requests that don’t feel right for us or don’t serve action, working hard, pushing our in a hurried rush, we end up more us well. It may mean looking at our Urgency destroys While it’s possible to work from decisions and choices and asking this place of urgency and rush, it’s ourselves if they are aligned to our not sustainable over time. It’s tiring, values – the things and people who for us and others around us, at matter most. Clear boundaries work and at home. We can become require us to know, and stick to, anxious, impatient and judgmental. what’s OK for us and what’s not OK. We may be busy but, we may not be 3. Stop multi-tasking and become productive or doing our best work. selective with our attention.

Research shows it take more time to Ease creates When we work from a place of multitask – i.e. constantly switch our ease, in mind and body, even amidst attention between tasks. It’s better the busyness, we are more creative, to plan one task and concentrate calm, clear-headed and balanced. until it’s done.

We make better quality decisions and recognize opportunities. As we 4. Breathe deeply from the belly relax, we are better able to problem (rather than the chest). Push the belly out on the inhale and in on the solve and work through our issues. exhale. Do this for three minutes, It is possible to operate in a four times a day. dynamic, fast-paced environment and be at ease because ease comes 5. Drink plenty of water. We can’t think clearly when we are defrom within. hydrated.

Slow down to speed up

Paradoxically, if we want to speed up, we need to slow down. If we want to do more, we need to focus on less.

As we transition into fall, what one small thing would allow you to bring more ease into your life?

Hazel Morley has worked as a trainer, facilitator and coach for more than 25 years, in England and after immigrating to Canada in 2009. After her own personal health crisis, she shifted gears to focus on strategies for enjoying optimal health.

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LIVING WELLNESS

Feeling you are being treated differently?

Ten ways to deal with the situation

F

eeling that you are being treated differently because of religion, gender, race, sexual orientation or ethnicity can be damaging to one’s well-being.

When you face multiple and routine experiences of discrimination, you may experience chronic stress and anxiety.

Individuals who feel that people are avoiding them, that they are not being heard, that they are being questioned without any reason by law enforcement or are denied housing, employment or appropriate health care avoid situations where they expect to be treated differently. This can lead to lost opportunities and delays in settlement and integration.

As a newcomer, you may not have the time to deal with the issues and take the necessary action. Here are a few helpful ways to deal with it while pursuing your goals:

1. Disclose or share the experience of discrimination with someone you trust. It can be a friend, a peer, a professional or a faith leader. They can offer support, remind you of your worth and share how they handled similar events.

2. Engage in self-care or spiritual practices that can help you relax as well as give you the strength to deal with these difficult situations. Prayer, meditation or chants can be effective in relaxing your mind and body.

Making time for exercise can reduce stress and improve your sleep as well.

3. Journaling can be a helpful way to detail the incidents immediately after they occur. It can help you to go back and see what happened and how you felt about it. Writing down in a journal can alleviate anxieties, help you see patterns and avoid situations that trigger similar emotions.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 18 Issue 5 | 2021

4. Channel your anger and other emotions through artistic pursuits or hobbies such as writing a story, making a short movie or writing poetry. This has helped many people cope with these negative experiences.

valid and what steps and channels are available to pursue it.

9. Embrace your own heritage and culture through music, books, art or films and strengthen your ties with your community. The feeling of belonging will build your self5. Practice appropriate responses esteem and make you more resilient in these situations. Reacting calmly to face other future challenges. or not reacting at all may be the best response for one’s safety and 10. Learn to recognize the emotions, security based on the situation. If signs and symptoms you experience needed, enroll in a training program and monitor to see if they are interfering with your ability to to identify and manage emotions. perform your routine activities. This 6. Empathize with others will help you to seek help from a experiencing unequal treatment. professional who has the competence Supporting and validating others can to understand your experiences. show them that they are not alone Feeling that you are subjected and that their experiences are not to discrimination when you are ignored. struggling to find your footing in a 7. Take a stand by joining and new country can bring up negative supporting a group advocating feelings that are hard to shake it off. It against all forms of discrimination. is important that you don’t dwell over You can volunteer your time, use it and remain hopeful by focusing on your social media account to educate your strengths, values and beliefs. or make a monetary donation to Celebrate successes, embrace support the cause. diversity and create social support 8. Expand your knowledge about networks that are safe and welcoming the process, resources and laws for you and your family. However, if prevalent in Canada to take action you notice signs of mental distress, against discrimination. You will feel talk to someone, and if you decide to empowered to know what help is report a situation, get help from the available if needed, if your claim is right people!

Nandini Tirumala is a mental health wellness coach, educator and advocate with 25 years of experience in Canada with a special focus on mental health support services for newcomers and immigrant families.

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