A Canadian Immigrant's Story

Category: Daily Life

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...

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...

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Daily Life / Immigrant Stories

Rozy’s Story: Pursuing the Passion for the Arts in Canada

“We left a well-settled life in India and started from scratch in an empty basement in Canada. It wasn’t easy to start over again. But we were determined. Now, our family is enjoying our life thoroughly while I pursue my passion for the arts in Canada.”, says artist Rozy. Leaving a Wonderful Life Behind They had a great life in India. Her husband had a plush job in a multinational company. She was a busy homemaker who gained recognition within the art fraternity in their city. So, they were perfectly content and never thought of leaving their home country. But...

Breathtaking View of British Columbia, Canada 0

Daily Life / Food / Shopping

7 Things About Canada That Surprised Me

Moving to another country brings us a lot of new experiences and takeaways. Today, let’s take a look at the things about Canada that surprised me in my first week as an immigrant. Sunny does not necessarily mean warm. Canada is a cold country. I guess everybody knows that. So, I prepared myself for the winter weather. But a girl from a tropical country does not know what “cold weather” means without experiencing it. Therefore, the weather still lands on top of my list of things about Canada that surprised me. On my first week in Canada, I walked to...

Record-Breaking Low Temperatures Resulted In Ice Sheets Floating on the Fraser River 0

Daily Life / Shopping

Enjoy the Season with the Right Winter Clothes and Accessories

When I first heard the forecast that British Columbia will experience record-breaking winter temperatures in December 2021, I got scared. You see, I moved from a tropical country to Lower Mainland, BC. There was no need to precisely apply the science of layering until that moment. But with a bit of research and lots of experiments, I found a combination of winter clothes and accessories that helped me survive enjoy winter. I am sharing these especially with newcomers and future immigrants so you can enjoy daily winter life as well. Have a look at this list and see what works...

Managing a Business 0

Finances / Immigrant Stories

Nida’s Story: Starting a Restaurant Business in Canada

“Starting a restaurant business in Canada is certainly not for the faint-hearted. It requires an entrepreneurial mind, hard work, sacrifice, and patience.,” says Fresh Cravings restaurant co-owner Nida. Today, we will learn about Nida’s Canadian immigrant story and how she surpassed the challenges of setting up a restaurant. Life Before Immigration to Canada Nida hailed from a town in the northern Philippines where her father ran a family shoe business. This business gave her the skills, knowledge, and experiences that she needed later in life. At a tender age, Nida and her siblings were exposed to meeting people from different...

DIY Projects Are Great Holiday Gift Ideas 0

Daily Life / Shopping / Things To Do in Canada

5 Holiday Gift Ideas to Circumvent Canada’s Supply Chain Issues

The lingering pandemic, uncertain economy, and raging weather put everybody through unprecedented challenges. The upcoming holidays are supposed to give us some sort of respite from these realities. However, these same issues are causing supply chain problems that threaten our much-needed celebrations. Now is a great time to be creative. Here are a few non-mainstream holiday gift ideas that can bring back the holiday cheer. 1. Stocking Stuffers and More from Liquidation Stores Liquidation stores offer discounted merchandise from brand-name closeouts and factory overruns. The photos feature above show toys and workout paraphernalia from a liquidation store. Shopping in liquidation...

Charleson Park 0

Culture / Daily Life / Food / Things To Do in Canada

10 Things That I Love About Canada

I love Canada. I truly do. In this post, I will tell you 10 reasons why. Notes: There is an exception to almost everything. So, this list contains general observations only. If you have a different experience or opinion, please leave a comment. I would love to learn from you, too. This post is not meant to criticize my beloved country of birth or any other country. Rather, it is more of a list of best practices from Canada that I wish others will emulate. So what are the things that I love about Canada? Clear Air One of the...

Vancouver Public Library Central Branch - One of the Most Beautiful Libraries in Canada 0

Career / Daily Life / Places in Canada / Things To Do in Canada

Libraries in Canada Offer Knowledge, Entertainment, and Hope

Libraries in Canada offer much more than knowledge and entertainment. For new immigrants, these institutions are also catalysts of belonging, hope, and success. My Story When I was a newcomer in Canada, I frequently visited public libraries. I enjoyed my visits so much that I own cards for Langley, Surrey, and Vancouver library systems. Here, I was able to: Do my job search-related activities I spent a chunk of my time doing job searches on their computers. Of course, this can be done at home. But, the library environment somehow boosted my productivity. I was also able to gain industry...

Food Options in Canada Include Sushi and Sashimi from Groceries 0

Daily Life / Food / Shopping

Food Shopping in Canada to Satisfy Every Lifestyle

“Food shopping in Canada!”, said my colleague when I asked him what he wished he knew more of when he was a new immigrant. It’s completely understandable. Don’t we all need food for survival and comfort? The thing is, regular people here have to do all household chores including meal preparation. Fortunately, there are many food shopping options in Canada catering to various culinary skill levels, budgets, and lifestyles. Here are a few options apart from buying from restaurants and cooking from scratch. Deli and Ready to Eat Food Stores such as Real Canadian Superstore, Walmart, and Save-on-Foods offer salads,...