A Canadian Immigrant's Story

Author: Katrina

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Places in Canada / Things To Do in Canada

Bowen Island: A Serene Sanctuary 20 Minutes Away From the City

Bowen Island is a relaxing, charming, and serene sanctuary 20 minutes away from Metro Vancouver. It is an ideal refuge for city dwellers looking for respite. Population In 2021, the population of Bowen Island was 4,256, equivalent to a 15.7% increase from 2016. In contrast, the average population increase in the province of BC is 7.6%, and 5.2% in the entire country. The land area of Bowen Island is 50.12 square kilometers and the population density was 84.9 people per square kilometer for the same time period. Starting Your Adventure Bowen Island’s tourism website is right – there is no...

Seizing Opportunities in Canada 0

Application / Career / Immigrant Stories

Alwyn’s Story: Seizing Opportunities in Canada

Alwyn’s story is about successfully reinventing himself and seizing opportunities in Canada. I first met Alwyn two decades ago when we started working for the Livestock Division of a well-known pet company in the Philippines. I worked in research and compliance while he worked in sales. Back then, he was passionate about animal health and husbandry. His passion, knowledge, and experiences brought him to Manitoba, Canada. However, his courage to reinvent himself has opened up opportunities for a better life for him and his family. Here is Alwyn’s story in his own words. Experiencing The Joys and Struggles of a...

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Application / Immigrant Stories / Networking

Lola’s Story: Creating Fun and Inclusive Spaces for Immigrants in Canada

Like most immigrants, she left a great life with the goal of experiencing better living standards. She accomplished her goal and more. Now, Lola aims to help immigrants in Canada and create fun spaces for them through her @afroedmontonian Instagram page.  Lola Oduwole shares her Canadian immigrant story. Dreaming of Better Living Standards When I reflect on my life before Canada, three things come to mind: a community of friends, a familiar culture, and a job in Marketing that I loved doing. You’d then wonder why I hauled my bags across the world from a +30 degrees country to a...

A Unique Canadian Workplace 0

Career

5 Canadian Workplace Observations to Help Immigrants Integrate

Each workplace has its own unique characteristics that are influenced by regulations, societal expectations, and corporate policies. For immigrants, successfully integrating into a new job then requires adjusting to Canadian workplace norms. Here are 5 things that you should know about the Canadian workplace: Employees refer to each other by their first names regardless of their rank. It took me a while to adjust to calling the highest-ranking executive by their first name. In my home country, this is regarded as disrespectful to senior employees. But, most Canadians seem uncomfortable when addressed as Sir or Ma’am while a few get...

Enjoying Life in Canada 0

Application / Immigrant Stories

Aeron’s Story: Sharing Inspiration Through An Immigrant’s Life Podcast

He strongly believes that the struggles, resilience, and successes of immigrants must be shared to inspire others. So, he created the podcast An Immigrant’s Life to ensure that these stories are never lost and forgotten. This is Aeron and here is his inspiring Canadian immigration story. A Challenging Childhood My childhood in the Philippines was incredibly challenging as I came from a poor family. To improve our lives, my Nanay (mother) left to work in Hong Kong when I was eight years old. She would work for 2 years and then visit for a month before she leaves again. This...

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Places in Canada / Things To Do in Canada

Chasing Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver

Everybody knows that Vancouver, BC is beautiful beyond words. But spring and the burst of pink colors make the city magical. I always want to be part of the magic that cherry blossoms in Vancouver bring. Today, I will share with you the joy of chasing cherry blossoms in Vancouver. A Bit of Trivia People usually call these spectacular creations cherry blossoms. However, some are actually plum blossoms. I didn’t know I heard it on TV this year, 2022. So here’s how to tell these beauties apart according to the Vancouver Cherry Blossoms Festival (VCBF). A Look at the Origin...

Negotiate Bills in Canada to Divert Cash to Meaningful Spending 0

Finances

Negotiate Bills to Slash Your Spending

Have you tried to negotiate bills for lower payments in Canada? If you haven’t, read this post and find out how you can save on your cable, internet, and phone payments. The current economic situation is forcing us to find ways to save. Fortunately, there may be one more way to slash your spending without sacrificing your lifestyle – negotiating cable, internet, and phone bills to reduce payment. This way, you can divert your money for more meaningful spending. Here’s my story. Two years ago, I switched my cable, internet, and home phone to a different provider. They offered a...

Charisse - Helping Newcomers in Canada 0

Career / Daily Life / Immigrant Stories

Charisse’s Story: Helping Newcomers in Canada Navigate Life

She was fortunate to have a straightforward immigration journey. So, she is using her knowledge and experiences in helping newcomers in Canada create an easier path for themselves. In her own words, Charisse shares her immigration story. Experiencing Life Around the Globe Life before Canada was a lot of moving around because of work. I work in tech, and it has brought me to many places; so I lived in different countries aside from the Philippines before moving to Canada. However, I wanted to live in a politically stable country where the rule of law truly governs. I wanted to...

View of the City of North Vancouver from a SeaBus 0

Places in Canada

The City of North Vancouver: A Lovely Waterfront City

Are you raring to explore the world once again? I am. So, let me take you to a spectacular place that is worth exploring – the City of North Vancouver. Geography The City of North Vancouver is one of the member municipalities of Metro Vancouver. It is the smallest in terms of land area but the most urbanized among the three North Shore municipalities. It is densely populated due to the number of residential high-rise buildings in the Central and Lower Lonsdale areas. This beautiful city is accessible from Vancouver through the SeaBus passenger ferry as well as the Lions’...

Chimma's Canadian Immigrant Story 0

Daily Life / Immigrant Stories / Immigration

Chimma’s Story: Helping New Immigrants in British Columbia

Imagine packing up your comfortable life to move to another country then find the world at a standstill. It is challenging to say the least. But we find ways, resilience, and knowledge to thrive. It’s even better if we use these to help others who come after us. This is the inspiring story of Chimma and how she established BC Settlement Buddy with the aim of helping new immigrants in British Columbia. In this post, Chimma answers questions that you and I are curious to know about moving to Canada. How was life before Canada? We were pretty comfortable in...