Canadian Immigrant - 2019, January Issue

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Israa Hilles Rising entrepreneur

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Job Search Trends in 2019

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Argentinian-born Javier Schwersensky is CEO of the Winnipeg Humane Society

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CONTENTS Volume 16 Issue 1

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fusion

PROFILE: Israa Hilles NEWS: Immigration numbers for 2019 CANADIANA: Black History Month

cover story

Javier Schwersensky leads the Winnipeg Humane Society with compassionate leadership and communications savvy

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12 INTEGRATION

Is your name difficult for others in Canada to say?

Should you change it or focus on strategies to help others pronounce it?

15 CAREERS AND EDUCATION

CAREER COACH: Job search trends for 2019 JOB SEARCH STRATEGIES: Do you want a career do-over?

The smart jobseeker’s toolkit

20 SETTLEMENT

IMMIGRATION LAW: Should courts defer to immigration officers?

TIPS FOR SETTLING IN FASTER: Time for New Year’s resolutions?

26

22 CULTURE

From Colombia, Carlos Delgado is a visual artist in Toronto

24 MONEY AND BUSINESS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP: New column!

Pizza restaurateur’s Jagjit Sanghera’s slice of success

30 BACK PAGE

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FUSION

People. News. Information.

Volume 16, Issue 1

2019

Group Publisher Sanjay Agnihotri

profile

Editor Margaret Jetelina mjetelina@metroland.com Editorial Design Terry Lankstead, Anne Nawrocka Courtland Shakespeare

Israa

Digital Media Developer Kamil Mytnik

Hilles

Sr. Ad Manager Ricky (Kawaljit) Bajaj rbajaj@metroland.com Tel: 905 273 8170 Assistant Manager Laura Jackman ljackman@metroland.com

Rising entrepreneur

By Margaret Jetelina

Marketing & Events Taylor Budd, Jamie Coffin General Inquiries: info@canadianimmigrant.ca

above Young entrepreneur Israa Hilles has big plans for her business in Montreal.

Photo by Jimmy Santos

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

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 four times a year in print. Canadian Immigrant welcomes submissions, but is not responsible for unsolicited material.

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Entire contents property of Canadian Immigrant.

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

I

sraa Hilles is a young, creative entrepreneur who, after only one year in Montreal, opened her own business and won Canada’s Futurpreneur Award 2018. Of Palestinian origin, Hilles was born in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and arrived in Canada in 2015. After travelling to various cities in Canada — Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, New Brunswick and Halifax — she chose to settle in Montreal. Here in the cosmopolitan city, she has, with a business partner, launched Escritoire. It’s a co-working space where immigrant entrepreneurs, young business owners and freelancers gather to work, connect and share ideas.

Why did you decide to come to Canada?

Canada is a secure, multicultural country that believes in human rights and encourages industrious people with creativity and innovation to achieve their goals. I dreamed for years to have my own business in Canada.

How do you like Montreal?

I love Montreal so much and I found that the Québécoise are so co-operative. When I speak English, they change the conversation from French to English to help me understand the dialogue.

Tell me how you came up with the idea for Escritoire.

In 2014, I graduated from my studies in the U.S. on

4

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

entrepreneurship and small business development with a focus on building and developing common work spaces. When I came to Canada to start looking for work, it was not easy.

After I studied more about immigrant entrepreneurs, I found that when they move from one country to another, they are hesitant about the new environment and enter a spiral of questions. They need help and guidance to enter the Canadian market smoothly.

Escritoire Coworking Space is the bridge between entrepreneurs and the new market.

What does “Escritoire” mean?

My partner, who speaks French, chose this name because it means an old small writing desk with drawers and compartments. It

suits the historic building where we set up the company in the heart of Montreal — we have combined past and present.

What do you hope to achieve with your company?

For the short term, we want Escritoire to be the benchmark for quality co-working spaces in the greater Montreal area. For the long term, we want to establish a co-working space in other cities in Canada to build networks between other entrepreneurs and freelancers to learn and exchange knowledge.

What’s your advice to other immigrant entrepreneurs?

My advice is to be convinced of your abilities, have a strong knowledge of your project and have belief that you will achieve success.

Have perseverance in achieving your goals. Learn from your mistakes, look for information and make an alternative plan if needed.

And do not hesitate to ask the help of specialists and mentors.

There will be some pitfalls, but continuing on and having faith in achieving your goals is the secret of success.

What’s happening in immigration?

As we enter 2019, there is much to report about immigration in Canada.

Immigration numbers are going up. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its multi-year immigration levels plan for 2019 to 2021. The new plan will welcome 330,800 permanent residents in 2019, 341,000 in 2020 and 350,000 in 2021.

The 2019 Parents and Grandparents Program will open in late January. IRCC will accept up to 20,000 applications this year — four times the number of applications accepted when the program reopened in 2014 with a 5,000 cap.

The Canadian government has adopted the United Nations’ Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration — the first global framework on international migration that sets out 23 objectives for better managing migration.

news

Canada is expanding its biometrics collection program for 2019.

Now, nationals from countries in Asia, Asia Pacific and the Americas, in addition to Europe, Middle East and Africa, will need to give their fingerprints and photo (biometrics) when applying for a visitor visa, study or work permit, or for permanent residence.

Thanks to immigration, Nova Scotia’s population is seeing growth, having risen for the third consecutive year. According to Statistics Canada, the province has added 26,373 residents since 2015 to reach a total population of 964,693 as of October 2018.

Finally, the employment gap between immigrants and Canadian-born workers is narrowing, according to Statistics Canada. It found 78.9 per cent of newcomers aged 25 to 54 are in the workforce, compared to 84 per cent of Canadian-born.

Follow impaired driving law carefully

With the introduction of the Cannabis Act and its companion legislation, Bill C-46, Impaired Driving Act, permanent residents now have to be extra careful in following impaired driving laws.

With the new law, the penalties for drug and alcohol impaired driving rise from the current maximum prison term of five years to a new maximum term of 10 years. This escalates impaired driving from “criminality” to “serious criminality,” which has a serious potential impact on permanent residents — possible deportation.

Even if convicted of a minor impaired driving offence in which no one is injured and no property is

damaged, a permanent resident can face the loss of permanent resident status and appeal rights.

While the Senate had proposed an amendment in June that would have limited these severe immigration consequences, it was declined by the government.

Senators Mobina Jaffer and Ratna Omidvar noted in a joint release: “At our urging the government is working to mitigate some of these consequences through directives to Canada Border Services Agency officers, but a permanent fix is needed. In the meantime, our message to all Canadians, and in particular to permanent residents, is to follow the law very strictly.”

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fusion

11 things to know about Black Canadian History

February is Black History Month in Canada, celebrating the achievements and contributions of Black Canadians.

Here are 11 facts to know about Black history in Canada.

1

While the commemoration of Black History Month dates back to 1926 in the U.S. and unofficially in Canada shortly thereafter, it was only in December 1995 that the House of Commons ofJean Augustine ficially recognized February as Black History Month in Canada, following a motion introduced by Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman elected to federal Parliament.

2

In 1790, a statute effectively allowed settlers to bring enslaved persons to Upper Canada. But, by 1793, an anti-slavery bill passed in

Upper Canada, although it was not a complete ban. Slavery was officially abolished throughout the British colonies on August 1, 1834.

3

Thousands of Black volunteers fought for the British during the War of 1812. Canada’s reputation as a safe haven for Black people grew at the time.

4

In 1851, the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada was formed to aid in the extinction of slavery all over the world.

5

In 1851, James Douglas became the first appointed Black politician in Canada and then took over as governor of the colony of British Columbia. James Douglas

6

Until 1860, thousands of African Americans travelled the Under-

ground Railroad from the U.S. to freedom in Canada.

7

Despite the anti-slavery movement, discrimination against Black people was prominent in Canada in the early 20th century, with calls to avoid Black immigrants.

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Leonard Braithwaite became the first Black person in a provincial legislature when he was elected in Etobicoke, Ontario, in 1963. In 1964, Braithwaite introduced legislation to remove the law that allowed segregated schools to exist.

9

Michaëlle Jean became Canada’s first Black governor general in 2005.

Michaëlle Jean

11

A new $10 bill was issued in 2018 featuring Black racism activist Viola Desmond.

Sample of new $10 note is copyright Canadian Crown.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

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cover story

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animals

From Argentina to Canada, Javier Schwersensky leads the Winnipeg Humane Society with compassionate leadership and communications savvy

By Rebeca Kuropatwa

J

avier Schwersensky was confident in his decision to immigrate to Canada from Argentina. Born in the city of Villa Ballester, a suburban neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, he felt his personality clashed with the culture in Argentina. “Given that I spent time studying in the U.S. [as a teenager], I just felt that North America was a better fit for me, but I did not necessarily want to live in the U.S.,” explains Schwersensky.

“So, I looked at Australia and Canada. I decided that Canada would provide great opportunity, a tolerant and open society, and that I’d be close to my friends in the U.S.” But the communications professional’s confidence no doubt wavered when he found himself at his immigration interview at the Canadian visa office in Buenos Aires, facing a straight-talking immigration officer.

“The immigration officer sat down, looked at me and said this — I think I remember it almost word for word — ‘Let’s let the elephant out of the room. You are approved to immigrate to Canada. I just want to tell you this: if you choose to go, all your credentials, all your experience and everything you currently have in Buenos Aires will be gone. You won’t have Canadian experience and that means that you will have to accept jobs cleaning floors or serving coffee at a place called Tim Hortons for at least three or five years, until you can get back to your line of work. And that is not guaranteed.’”

Today, as CEO of the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS), Schwersensky is glad he stayed the course, not only in choosing Canada, but his specific destination of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

He credits his decision to move to Winnipeg to member of federal Parliament, Minister Jim Carr. “I met Jim Carr in Buenos Aires. The Province of Manitoba, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the Business Council of Manitoba went to Argentina in 2000 to promote their new Manitoba provincial nominee program. I already had my Canadian permanent resident visa issued, but saw an ad in the paper that they were coming and e-mailed them.”

They told Schwersensky to come talk to them.

“In that meeting, Jim gave me his card (he was the CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba at the time) and told me, ‘If you come to Winnipeg, I will send your resumé to 50 CEOs.’ I took him up on that offer, and he put me in touch with the owner/principal at McKim Communications.

McKim offered me a job as special projects manager within 40 days of landing in Winnipeg in 2001.”

After a successful stint at McKim and settling into the Winnipeg community with his then wife and son, Joel (now 13), Schwersensky moved on to other positions in his field of communications, first with Pollard Banknote, then with the Manitoba Museum as its deputy executive director with responsibility over marketing, communication, sales and programs.

There he was introduced to the power of social media in communications, and earned a little local fame in the process. Winnipeg was experiencing an extreme cold snap lasting more than 10 days, and “the team I was leading there came up with a clever social media post connecting our Planetarium, the Mars Rover and how cold it was,” he says. “Well, the

right Argentinian-born Javier Schwersensky leads the Winnipeg Humane Society as its CEO. Cover photo by Jim Harvey. Photos courtesy of Winnipeg Humane Society.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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cover story story went viral like nothing we have ever seen. Even U.S. talk shows picked it up. Herzing College noticed it and they wanted to start a social media program, and they called me [to teach],” says Schwersensky. “The rest is history!”

Schwersensky is still a digital media instructor at Herzing College and believes CEOs must be fluent in how social media impacts the brand, reputation and support an organization receives.

It’s certainly part of his role at the helm of the WHS since 2015.

The job is a natural fit for Schwersensky not just because of his communications savvy, but also because of his deep love for animals. “In Argentina at home, we had a cat named Mumi and a dog named Pelusa, both rescued from the streets. And we also had for a while a canary, which we called Pipo. On top of that my mom’s family had a family farm and I spent many summers there, where I played with a dairy cow named Mimosa and learned about animals in general.”

Today, he shares three pets with his son and second wife, Elizabeth — two dogs named Floyd and Lucy, and a cat named Spencer.

“Floyd is a Humane Society alum, Lucy comes from the City of Winnipeg Animal Services Agency, and Spencer was adopted a couple of weeks after I joined the WHS, because my wife, Elizabeth, fell in love with his long whiskers,” says Schwersensky, who is humbled by his leadership posi-

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

tion with the oldest animal shelter and welfare organization in Manitoba.

“This role is a responsibility, but also an opportunity very few people — let alone immigrants — get to experience. So, I always remind myself of the privilege and luck I’ve had,” says Schwersensky.

“Every single person working or volunteering at the WHS — we have more than 750 volunteers and about 90 staff — is an inspiration. Their passion, knowledge and ability to turn animals around from very difficult situations to a new chance at a good life is the most fantastic encouragement I can possibly receive.”

As the WHS turns 125 years, Schwersensky’s hope is to make sure it is a sustainable charity for the next 100 years by growing its endowment fund and by aligning the needs and wants of WHS’s supporters, board of direc-

I see my role as the facilitator of conversations to … make our shelter the most progressive, hu­mane and successful animal welfare organization in Canada.” tors, staff and volunteers. He subscribes to a holacracy leadership style, which eschews rigid job descriptions, instead focusing on managing and trusting dynamic teams working toward clearly defined goals.

“I see my role as the facilitator of conversations to understand what is expected of us and how to make our shelter the most progressive, humane and successful animal welfare organization in Canada. Our team is amazing, our supporters are the most loyal and phenomenal people you will find anywhere, so I am extremely humbled to be the CEO of such a prestigious charity,” says Schwersensky. “I love my job!”

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Hello, my name is ‌ Is your name hard for other cultures to pronounce?

Have you considered Canadianizing it? Here’s how other immigrants feel about this very personal choice 12

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

integration

Overall, there are more people keeping their original names. It is not automatic that people adopt English names the way it used to be.”

— Karen Pennesi

Illustration by Hemeterio

By Ramya Ramanathan

W

ith Canada being so culturally diverse, almost every immigrant has a “name story” — be it the mispronunciation of their ethnic name, using a Canadianized version of their name, or struggling to say or spell a name from a different culture than their own. With about one million immigrants arriving over the next three years, what can newcomers with ethnic-sounding names expect to face?

Take Mr. H, who considered changing his first name when he first came to Canada six years ago from India. “Some people suggested it and I thought about it on and off because native Canadians were struggling with my name. As a public speaker and trainer, if people struggle to remember my name, it is difficult to refer me.”

He is not alone. A number of newcomers with different or uncommon names — also referred to as ethnic or foreign or non-Anglo names — face this challenge as they try to establish themselves in Canada.

Today, Mr. H has kept his name. “I should have changed it when I first got here. It would be challenging to establish myself with a brand new name right now. If I could start all over again, I would change my name day one.”

That’s what Jiawen did. She called herself Amy when she came to Canada from China 17 years ago because people struggled to pronounce and remember her name. “A random name! My real name (which means good or quiet) is what my parents gave me so I wanted to keep [that part of me] and didn’t change it on the official documents,” she says.

But she started using Amy on a daily basis. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t use Amy. Sometimes I feel trapped in between,” she says.

Unlike Mr. H and Jiawen, Sadna from Mauritius was very clear she wanted to keep her name. “At my first resumé writing and job search workshop, I was asked to consider changing my name to Sandra. I think the guy was speaking from experience since he had a difficult last name. I shook hands with him and thanked him for his advice,” she says.

Hang from China decided to put down his name as Hunter in his university and job applications when asked for a preferred name. “While Hang is easy to pronounce, Hunter seemed more native and similar enough,” he says.

How does he feel about his choice now? “I have an emotional connection to my name: Hang means direction or guidance in Mandarin. I am now regretful because it’s hard to change it back.”

What’s in a name?

In terms of career integration, several past studies have shown that job candidates with foreign or non-Anglo names are less likely to get job interviews. University of Toronto’s Philip Oreopoulos, a professor of economics and public policy, has documented the struggle of skilled immigrants in the labour market. His well-documented findings suggest significant discrimination by ethnic names. But that doesn’t mean they should have to change them.

Oreopoulos says: “They shouldn’t have to. The impact is significant with job applications, but your name is so much more than just a tool for getting a job. The question is: Are you doing it reluctantly? If you do it voluntarily, it is a lot easier to live with.”

The stories are many, the emotions span the range, and people with CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

13

integration foreign-sounding names (whether they were born here or are newcomers) deal with the situation in a variety of ways.

Nicknames are very common. Some truncate their names (for example, Subbalakshmi is now Subba) while others add an anglicized nickname in brackets. Mohammed calls himself Mo with his real estate clients, for example.

Dorota seized the opportunity to change her name when she was about to start at a new school in Grade 3. The night before the first day of school, she remembers her dad asking if she knew how to spell her new name. She has been Dorothy ever since, but “when I am in a Polish setting, I automatically switch back, it’s fluid.”

She finds that people do make an effort to pronounce her name properly, even her “complicated last name.” Her advice? “If it’s important to you, then keep your name. If you see an opportunity and want to be referred to by a nickname or an Anglicized name, take it.”

Strategies to help others with your name For most of us who keep our names, being patient and helping people from other cultures pronounce it is a good strategy. Some use syllable emphasis to help others with the pronunciation of their name or break down their name by syllables in writing, especially when names are not pronounced as they are written. (I always add a phonetic pronunciation to my name on my resumé.)

In group settings or face-to-face meetings, you can help others pronounce your name with a “sounds like” strategy; for example, written Shekar sounds like “shaker.” Or help others remember your name with name associations; for instance, provide context like I am Ganga, named after the river Ganges in India.

Mr. H., Amy, Hang, Subba, Mo, Dorothy and many others believe that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Do what works for you! What people want to be called is ultimately a personal choice.

And remember to gently and kindly help those who pronounce your

name wrong — especially if it is people you want to build connections with. Karen Pennesi, from the University of Western Ontario’s department of anthropology, writes that having one’s name recognized, remembered, accepted and correctly pronounced and spelled contributes to a sense of belonging.

Times are changing; names don’t have to Pennesi also speaks of how as a multicultural society with a growing immigrant demographic, the onus is not only on newcomers, but the responsibility for integration should be shared in Canada.

“Members of the host society can participate in the integration process by learning to spell and pronounce unfamiliar names correctly and by avoiding making assumptions about an immigrant’s language ability, citizenship status, religion, political affiliation, morality or work skills based on stereotypes that are often indexed by one’s name.”

Recommendations from her research on “reciprocal aspects of integration” include: getting people to say their own names in a group setting so it can be pronounced right the very first time; verifying spelling or pronunciation in a matter-of-fact manner as if asking for a phone number; and definitely not ignoring a person or avoiding talking to someone because you are uncomfortable with their name. Bottom line: the more you practise the name, the easier it gets!

What about current trends? Pennesi says that, “Overall, there are more people keeping their original names. It is not automatic that people adopt English names the way it used to be.”

Rashmi Nathwani, who immigrated from India in the mid-1960s and spent decades working at city hall in Hamilton and Toronto, has faith in our society’s ability to adapt: “The level of accommodation is much better today, also because so many of us immigrants are in successful positions,” Nathwani says. “I believe it takes one full generation before we adapt and for things to change.”

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

Careers & Education career coach

5 job search trends that will define 2019

T

AI, virtual reality, the gig economy, social and your story

growing network of high-quality talent. This also offers companies an opportunity to move toward relationship-oriented strategies to employ talent that jives with their culture and values.

he emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality amid the rise of a new generation means every industry is undergoing massive change. And that includes human resources as well.

In 2019, it will no longer be a linear start-to-finish hiring process.

Both candidates as well as hiring managers will go through a continuous cycle of engagement with each other. Today, employers and jobseekers alike are adapting to this model to navigate the new world of job search and recruitment.

Here are the top five job search trends on the horizon this year.

By staying aware and flexible, you can better prepare yourself for the challenges that 2019 will bring to your doorstep.

1

5

AI, eh?

The rise of AI is bringing about rapid changes in the human resources landscape, where manual processes are being replaced by automation and rebuilt on AI. This helps them get to more applicants faster and at a lower cost.

Hiring managers are using AI including applicant tracking systems (ATS) to parse through resumés and do initial phone/video screening.

TIP: As a savvy jobseeker, you will need to embrace AI platforms more to drive efficiency in your job search, resumé development and video interviewing. Read more about AI and learn how you can adapt to AI platforms including video screening for a high-impact job search.

2

TIP: Use digital tools to stay close to recruiters in your field. Indicate that you are open to freelance/temp/contract positions in addition to your full-time preference.

Wow with your personality

In 2019, your personality and social skills will play an even greater role in your success.

With thousands of people unemployed on any given day, it means huge competition for the jobseeker. Hiring managers are not just looking for candidates with the core skills needed for any specific

job. They want people who would also fit well into their office culture.

Hiring managers want to sense a candidate’s personality. While skills, results and experience are important, finding the right cultural and emotional fit leads to satisfaction for both employers and employees.

TIP: Show and share your personality through stories. Use video, embedded media and your LinkedIn summary to let them get a sense of the real you.

3

Delight virtually

Virtual reality has truly entered the field of hiring and recruiting. Today, HR personnel are increasingly using virtual reality simulations to help assess candidate skills.

Instead of answering a typical situational interview question, you may be judged through video and your answers assessed by an expert panel through video. Those who can showcase their abilities on video will shine further.

For many human-facing positions, more companies will require

a video submission with applications to quickly gauge the soft skills of a candidate, as one of the initial filters for hiring.

TIP: Enhance your YouTube presence. Practise and master the art of video submissions, often the first-line candidate filter.

4

Goodbye 9 to 5, hello gig economy

Job roles are increasingly becoming transient. More and more of the traditional workforce now comprise of temp, contract or freelance workers — and this trend will continue to rise. The traditional 9 to 5 structure is giving way to the gig economy with businesses preferring to save money and employ skilled talent on an as-needed project basis.

Rather than being tied to a specific group of employees, HR departments are nurturing an ever-

The internet, your holistic self-marketing platform

In 2019, look beyond the paper resumé. The internet will be your most important resource during the job-hunting process. You don’t just use it to search for a job. It’s also a medium to present yourself as an ideal candidate.

Get creative on social media. It’s no surprise that LinkedIn is the most-used channel for job search, followed closely by Facebook.

Coming in at a close third is Instagram, more popular with millennials.

Social media will play an even bigger role in your career progress.

There’s a reason most LinkedIn and Facebook profiles are filled with important demographic information like age, past job titles, employer information, educational background and even interests.

This will be key for employers to reach candidates with the proper credentials.

TIP: In addition to the paper resumé, utilize your personal website, social media profiles, online portfolio and even LinkedIn connections to stand out. This will be crucial as recruiters will also be assessing you in the same way.

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 chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. Learn more at aceworldfoundation.com.

CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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careers & education j o b s e a r c h s t r at e g ie s

Looking for a career do-over?

It’s a risky step, but here are 8 tips to help

T

here are many reasons why immigrants may consider a career change: moving to another country may offer the opportunity to “start fresh” and do something you’ve always wanted to do.

Or perhaps the market is saturated or the requirements to become requalified in Canada are so steep that doing something different may look like a better option.

While changing your career may offer the opportunity to explore new interests, learn new skills and infuse passion and variety to your life, it is a risky step that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

In my 10+ years as a career counsellor for immigrants, I have seen some succeed and some fail at this transition; it is, however, never too late — I have done it myself!

Tips for a career change Here are eight tips to consider

if you’re contemplating a career change:

1 Do your homework. Don’t just trust what someone else tells you; nobody, no matter how qualified, should decide on what you do for a living. Talk to different mentors, explore the market trends, sit in at various information sessions and talk to people working in the field you are considering.

2

Take some time to explore your core values, interests, passions, skills and the moments and environments you really enjoy.

They all can give you cues for where to focus your next career move.

3

Consult with a career counsellor or coach, but don’t let formal tests define you. Good coaches will help you explore different options and make your own decision.

4 Do some “prototyping.” Explore the new career through paid or unpaid short and small projects or part-time work.

5 Further explore the new career through short courses, seminars and conferences before risking going back to school (and into school debt) for a full degree.

6 Look at your transferrable skills. Sometimes you don’t need to go back to school because you may have skills from your previous jobs, volunteering or hobbies that just need to be polished.

7 Think outside the box — many jobs that exist today didn’t exist 10 or even five years ago.

Many of these jobs use a combination of skills you may already have, only organized in a different way or for a different outcome.

8 Remember that starting in a new career path can be challenging. You’ll be competing with people who may be younger, have more skills and experience and you are starting late. So, think about what you are bringing to the table — and go for it!

Argentinian-born Silvia Di Blasio is a certified career counsellor, life coach and an immigrant herself. With a passion for sustainability, food security and resilient communities, she shares her time and skills through writing, facilitating workshops, coaching, consulting and more. She works as an employment specialist at DIVERSECity in Surrey, B.C.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

· Canadian Property Law

careers & education

The smart jobseeker’s toolkit Get more job interviews with these online tools

Y

By Connel Valentine

ou’ve just read a horror story online about an internationally trained professional working survival jobs, struggling to make ends meet and stuck in debt in Canada. You’re now worried your Canadian dreams will turn into a nightmare. Did you just make the biggest mistake of your life?

The decision to move Canada is not an easy one, as you leave behind the family and friends you created so many cherished memories with. You don’t want to start your life-changing journey stuck in a boring job that’s well below your skill level.

I was in your shoes just over three years ago when I made the move, surrounded by the same negativity and concern. But, with an ambitious mindset and the right tools to master a job search that works in this day and age, I secured a job in my target industry and company. It happened just two weeks after I landed. Three years and two promotions later, I surpassed the position I had back in my home country.

This article gives you the tools you need to get the life you deserve and dodge the survival job bullet. You don’t need to have a start-from-scratch mindset, if you put in the effort a true job search requires.

An interview-converting resumé

By now, you know it’s important to customize your resumé to the job description. Your competition knows this, too. So, how do you reach the top of the recruiter’s shortlist?

I was a speaker at the Canadian Immigrant Fair in Mississauga in November, where I met a new Canadian seeking a role as an HR business analyst. Her resumé had her first three years of experience and responsibilities as a recruiter. I asked her why she included this, even though it was not a requirement for a HR business analyst. She said she felt it was too important to her personally to exclude.

Remember this — your resumé does not get you the job. It gets you the job interview. A perfect resumé is not one where there is nothing left to add in. It’s when there is nothing left to take out. Use indeed.ca to scan responsibilities of your target job title in Canada and assess what to include and exclude from your resumé.

If you want assurance that your resumé will get shortlisted, use a resumé scoring tool like jobscan.co and target a score of 80 per cent and above.

This is one of the most essential items in your toolkit during a job search.

As recruiters scan your resumé, they are deciding whether to call you or ignore you. Don’t distract them from that decision by including re-

sponsibilities that are not asked for in the job description. You’ll have the opportunity to speak to what you left out at the interview.

How real cover letters are written

You hear the words “cover letter” and you think: “that boring document you attach with your resumé stating your interest in the role.” This is not

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17

careers & education what a cover letter is.

A cover letter that recruiters ignore sounds like this: “I came across this role and I’m interested in applying for it. I have a master’s degree in business administration and 5+ years’ experience as a business analyst. I am hardworking, driven and self-motivated to hit the ground running. I welcome an opportunity for an interview with you.”

Understand the basic difference. The resumé explains how you are a good fit for the job. The cover letter should explain why you want the job in the first place. Do research about the company or the person reading it and personalize the cover letter with a captivating hook.

Google “cover letter hooks” to learn how to start writing effective cover letters that help you stand out.

Here’s the surprise. Cover letters are also the emails you would send directly to hiring executives — yes, you can do this. Use LinkedIn or tools like hunter.io to discover the hiring executives at the company you are applying for and their email addresses. Contact them directly.

Why? Because your competition is too afraid to do so. That’s reason enough!

Polish your online presence

Did you know that, according to a survey

by JobVite, 87 per cent of recruiters scan your LinkedIn profile before deciding to call you? It astonishes me how jobseekers still don’t have

an All-Star LinkedIn profile. Google “How to get an All-Star Profile on LinkedIn” and follow the guidelines. Invest in a great picture (selfies don’t count).

If you want to take your online presence to new heights and really stand out from the crowd, create your own website like I did: connelvalentineresume.com. You don’t need to be a web designer to do this. I used a drag-anddrop tool called wix.com.

Network by giving gifts!

When you think of “networking,” you think about going to events, awkwardly shaking hands with strangers and handing out business cards that will end up in the trash. Why put yourself through that uncomfortable situation when you can build relationships through social media, so you can meet a familiar face at the event? As easy as it sounds, people still get the basics wrong.

I get LinkedIn connection requests with a generic greeting, and the very next message after a couple of days is an ask to refer them to a job opening they found in my organization. I ignore them all. Not because I’m a bad person.

It would be unethical for me to refer my company to someone I know nothing about.

When you connect with someone, stop asking and start giving. Spend a weekend using blog aggregator tools like flipboard.com and feedly.com and Google Alerts to stay informed

Be yourself and soar with us Your individuality is an asset You have the potential to succeed wherever you go. At FCC, we’ve built a culture where diverse people succeed together. Be distinct. Be original.

Be yourself, with us.

Find your place at fcc.ca/Careers.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

and gather news about your industry that is worth sharing. Create your own “gift shop” of reusable content that you freely give to your network, with your insight in the share. Not only are you offering value to them, you also demonstrate you have keen interest and knowledge in your industry.

A laser-focused networking strategy involves choosing 15 to 20 companies you’d want to work for in Canada. Use a filtered LinkedIn search to find the relevant people within that organization to connect with, using the same gift-giving strategy. A tool called jibberjobber. com can organize your job search and networking efforts.

Ignore the nay-sayers

Do you think the people who wrote those negative stories you read online put in even half the effort you have just read in this article?

Follow the tools and guidelines in this article to get the job you deserve.

Connel Valentine, the author and co-founder of Zero2Hired, believes continuous success starts with understanding Canadian work culture.

Get his online video course on this topic for free at courses.zero2hired.com.

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SETTLEMENT

I m m i g r at i o n L aw

Should courts defer to immigration officers’ decisions?

I

Upcoming Supreme Court of Canada decision could have broad-ranging impact on immigration law

n 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada will release what could be its most impactful decision on Canadian immigration law in a decade. The case, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration v. Alexander Vavilov is about whether a child who was born in Canada to Russian spies is a Canadian citizen.

Canadian citizenship legislation states that people who are born in Canada but have a parent who is a “representative or employee in Canada of a foreign government” are not Canadian citizens. Upon discovering that Vavilov’s parents were Russian spies, an immigration official cancelled his citizenship.

The Supreme Court of Canada must now address whether it will uphold the immigration official’s decision that being a spy means that one is a representative or employee of a foreign government.

While Vavilov at first seems to involve a narrow issue that does not impact many people, in May 2018 the Supreme Court announced that it was going to hear this case at the same time as two non-immigration related cases, and that the court was going to use the trilogy of cases to consider whether the law on the standard of review of administrative tribunal decisions needs to be changed.

The standard of review pertains to how courts review administrative tribunal decisions. In the immigration context, administrative tribunals include visa officers, border officials and Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada members.

If the Supreme Court changes the law on standard of review, it would have a dramatic impact on Canadian immigration law.

Understanding the standard of review

The question here is what degree of deference courts should show these immigration officials.

20

The concept of the standard of review is perhaps best illustrated by using the analogy of a parent asking her child to pick the clothes that she will wear to school that day. A parent who is showing her child a lot of deference will let her child wear whatever she wants to wear to school, as long as what the child picks is reasonable. If the child tries to wear pants over her head, for example, the parent would say that the child’s choice is unreasonable and prohibit the outfit. A parent showing deference will not interfere, however, simply because the clothes do not match or look bad. Such an approach is known as the reasonableness standard.

In contrast, a parent not showing a lot of deference would stop her child from wearing clothes that don’t match or look bad. The parent would only let the child wear outfits that the parent would wear.

This approach is known as the correctness standard.

Under current standard of review principles, judges show a great deal of deference to immigration officials and will only intervene if their decisions are unreasonable.

An exception to this involves mat-

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

ters of procedural fairness, where the correctness standard applies. A decision is either fair or it isn’t.

The standard of review for the interpretation of law, like the immigration official’s decision that being a spy means that one is a representative or employee of a foreign government, is a little more muddled. Indeed, one Federal Court of Appeal judge recently remarked that the multiple standards of review in different situations is so unclear it has resulted in the state of judicial review becoming incoherent. This is likely the reason why the Supreme Court of Canada in Vavilov has indicated that it will revisit the issue.

Degrees of deference

The question on most immigration lawyers’ minds going into 2019 is what does the Supreme Court plan on doing?

The Government of Canada, perhaps not surprisingly, argued to the Supreme Court that judges should

show a great deal of deference to the decisions of immigration officials, regardless of the seniority of the official. Judges should not set aside decisions just because they contain inconsistencies, are vague or omit pieces of evidence.

If the judge looks at the application and thinks, “I can see how the officer reached their decision” and the decision was a reasonable outcome from a range of possible outcomes, the decision should stand.

As well, the government argued that it is OK if different visa officers have different interpretations of the law, so long as their interpretations are also reasonable.

Vavilov’s lawyers, on the other hand, argued that not all immigration officials should be given the same degree of deference. As well, the greater the decision has on an individual, the less deference courts should show.

Furthermore, Vavilov argued that showing deference on matters of interpreting what the law is will result in inconsistent decisions, as each visa officer would essentially be able to apply their own standards.

There were dozens of other organizations and levels of government that made arguments before the Supreme Court of Canada during the three days of the Supreme Court of Canada’s hearing in December 2018. They all presented different opinions and suggestions as to what the standard of review should be.

The hearing has concluded.

And now we wait for the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision. It has the potential to impact every visa applicant and individual who interacts with Canada’s immigration system.

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.

settlement T i p s f o r S e tt l i n g i n Fast e r

Goals forward

Are your New Year’s resolutions helping or hindering your journey?

• Attainable: plot out how you will achieve your goal; ask yourself what resources you need to achieve your desired outcome.

• Realistic: determine if your outcome is achievable with the available resources.

• Time-bound: create a completion date for your objective (and make sure it’s realistic).

Take control of your finances It’s crucial to establish a Canadian credit history as soon as possible; it can be used to help manage everyday finances such as signing up for a mobile phone, buying groceries and setting up household utilities. With your Canadian finances in order, you’ll be able to face your goals head on.

Get involved in your community When managed properly, New Year’s resolutions are a great way to drive meaningful change. If you’re closer to the end of your settlement journey and have additional time to take on something new, getting involved in your community is a great way to give back. Consider volunteering your time to the services that supported you in your journey, getting involved in a local charity or participating in events at your children’s school.

Most importantly, remember that your goals are about you creating a happy home in Canada. Congratulations on how far you have come and happy New Year!

Ivy Chiu is the senior director, cultural markets, at RBC. Once a newcomer herself, Chiu is interested in helping newcomers integrate to life in Canada. Are you new to Canada or know someone who is? Visit rbc.com/newcomers for more advice.

W

hether you celebrate with the calendar year or with your own traditions or faith, the New Year is a time to celebrate with family and friends. It’s also a chance to acknowledge the year that’s gone by and look ahead to the coming year. The dawn of a New Year is full of possibilities for you to shape your year and it’s a common tradition to make resolutions in order to do so.

New Year’s resolutions can be anything you want them to be; how can you bring about positive change in your life or those of others? What negative elements would you like to leave in the past and what positive aspirations would you wish to bring forth? This annual milestone is an opportune time to make and commit to a plan; however, it can also bring stress and anxiety.

As a newcomer, your settlement journey comes with its own set of pressures including many changes and endless items on your to-do

list, in addition to goals that you’re working toward. Instead of adding pressure with New Year’s resolutions when you’ve already got so much going on, why not focus on your existing goals and get them done right?

To help, here are a few tips on how to ease into change, cross off those to-dos and achieve your settlement goals.

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left A painting from Carlos Delgado’s recent series, Transitions.

The ar t of

CHANGE

Colombian-born visual artist Carlos Delgado uses his paintbrushes to delve deep into themes of humanity and transition

By Vivien Fellegi

W

hen visual artist Carlos Delgado sets his mind on a goal, there’s no stopping him. “I’m very tough and persistent,” he says. Eleven years ago, in a rural Colombian town, Delgado determined to devote himself to his art. “That was an important moment for me — it changed everything,” he says.

Delgado ’s fascination with drawing began one Christmas when the two-year-old boy spontaneously began copying the design on a holiday card. His father was impressed by his talent but couldn’t afford to nurture it through formal education. Though the young Delgado spent his childhood scribbling and doodling in his notebooks, he shelved his aspirations when he reached adulthood. He resigned himself to a hardscrabble existence, cobbling together various odd jobs. That difficult period moulded his character. “I know what it is to live on a minimum salary in South America — I know hard work,” he says.

But Delgado’s drive for self-expression eventually triumphed over his doubts. He moved from the countryside to Colombia’s capital city, Bogota, where he was soon hired by a local NGO to paint murals and lead art workshops with youth. That’s where he met his partner, Snjezana, who

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

was visiting from Canada. She quickly became his greatest supporter.

“She believed in what I was doing,” he says. They got married and moved to Canada in 2010.

There was a whole different set of obstacles in his adopted country. “It was very hard,” he says. Disadvantaged by his inadequate command of English and his lack of a formal art education, Delgado didn’t make any money from his art during his first few years in Canada.

Luckily, Delgado’s ability to think outside the box helped him find new ways to break into the art world. In 2016, Delgado led a series of art workshops with Toronto youth from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Delgado wanted to help them defy the negative stereotypes and develop their authentic voices through art. Using their sneakers as their canvas, he taught them to inscribe their stories on the shoes. Delgado has also participated in other community projects, including painting murals and performing live art at public events.

Though Delgado was finally making a living from art, he didn’t feel totally fulfilled by these joint works. So, he found a private studio where he dedicated himself to producing his own original works. “I was very

culture disciplined, painting all the time,” he says. He began experimenting with different forms of self-expression. Though he had started with realistic portraits, he realized that this style conflicted with his dynamic personality. “I’m frustrated sitting for two months with one piece — I like to paint fast,” he says.

Delgado found inspiration in an odd place — the Toronto Transit Commission. Riding to work every day on the subway, Delgado was struck by the disconnect among the crowd of people squeezed tightly together on the trains. Delgado noticed the riders’ deliberate attempts to sequester themselves from each other, gazing into the distance and avoiding eye contact. But a flash of the eyes or a contortion of a body revealed to him the inner worlds hidden partially behind the masks. It was these snippets of humanity in the anonymity of the system that captured Delgado’s curiosity.

Delgado’s new subjects required a new style. Instead of merely replicating a particular set of features, Delgado strove to capture a momentary mood filtered through his own perception. “I try to catch what the people think, but at the end of the day I try to give it my own perspective,” he says.

An abstract art form was more conducive to illuminating this kind of psychological interplay, so the self-taught Delgado developed his own rapidfire technique, painting quickly in layers of oil and acrylic, and allowing the works to develop organically. “I start with a scratch on the canvas and then something comes from that,” he says.

Though Delgado became known for this series of portraits, Being Human in the System, he’s never been one to rest on his laurels. “There’s always something new, something fresh, something different from the last show,” he says. Delgado continued his foray into faces with another exhibit, Travellers under the moon. This theme was inspired by the global refugee crisis, and illuminated both the love and loneliness in the features of the voyagers. Delgado donated some of the pieces to FCJ Refugee Centre in Toronto.

Just as he’s constantly pushing his boundaries to generate new material, Delgado has also had to use his ingenuity to find buyers. He tried joining an art collective, but didn’t manage to sell a single piece in 10 group shows. Eventually he began using social media to reach online markets, and started selling his work to European and U.S. clients. His recognition abroad spurred interest at home, and Delgado established a solid client base both internationally and within Canada. (See a catalogue of Carlos Delgado’s work at artcarlosdelgado.com.)

Delgado has achieved critical acclaim as well as economic success.

He has shown his work in more than seven countries, and he’s garnered awards from the Toronto Arts Council, Toronto Arts Foundation, Canada Arts Council and others.

Today, Delgado is thriving, thanks to the promise he made to himself more than a decade ago. “My art has given me a chance to support my parents, travel around the world to do shows and meet nice people,” he says. “Everything has come together.”

Delgado also continues to evolve as a painter. His latest exhibition of paintings, Transitions, the paradox of change, which was presented in December at the Sur Gallery in Toronto, was inspired by his own personal growth. As he reconnected with his former compatriots on a recent trip to Colombia, he realized how much he had altered since his emigration. “I’m a totally different person than when I left the country eight years ago,” he says. After returning to Toronto, he began on this new series of paintings, adding soft touches with a brush to complement hard edges carved with a palette knife. “The softer strokes helped me explore the subtle emotions that people experience when going through transitions,” he says.

The exhibit was a success. Seventy people showed up, and Delgado sold some paintings. But more importantly, his paintings touched many of his viewers and helped them unearth old memories. “It’s a very big pleasure to know that when you’re making something and sharing your soul, you’re connecting with people.”

above Visual artist Carlos Delgado will be one of the featured artists at the Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair in Toronto, February 21-24, 2019. Photo by Alex Usquiano

CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

23

money & business e n t r e p r e n e u r s h ip

Powerful advice

C

How to be self-employed as a consultant in five steps

onsulting is one of the best business models on the planet.

I don’t think there is any other business that can beat consulting, considering the benefits it offers. It gives you an opportunity to add value to other people’s lives and businesses.

It has low start-up costs, high profit margins and unlimited growth potential. You can have the freedom to work from anywhere in the world.

You can get clients from anywhere in the world.

However, the question that many people struggle with is how to actually start a consulting practice. I struggled with it, too.

Eventually, I found the answer to this question after trying out hundreds of different approaches and strategies. It can take some people years to set up a successful consulting business. But, after going through the process myself,

3

Identify your target market

4

Get prospects on the phone

5

Sell on the phone

Who is your ideal client? Who would benefit the most from your consulting skill? You might be able to serve a lot of different businesses, but you want to position yourself as an expert in a specific segment. For example, if you’re an accountant, you could potentially serve any business in Canada. But if you position yourself as an accounting specialist in a specific segment like tech start-ups, your demand will be higher.

and taking thousands of my students through it, what I’ve found is that if you understand the right approach, it takes you only two to three months to start a thriving consulting practice.

Here is my approach with five key steps to becoming self-employed as a consultant.

1

Being desperate while you’re starting a new business is not the best state to be in. A job that’s paying your bills and making you comfortable will allow you to think about diversification, expansion and growth. While being employed, try to invest one to three hours per day into setting up your consulting practice, before you gradually go into consulting full time.

2

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Identify your consulting skill

A consulting skill is a skill that can potentially add value to other people’s lives and/or business. What is it that you would initially offer to the marketplace in exchange for money? Some examples of consulting skills are accounting, life coaching, marketing, copywriting, digital marketing, finance management and operations improvement. What is it that you have developed over time that can add value to others?

Once you have completed steps 2 and 3, you want to find a way to get decisionmakers from your target market on the phone with you, to discuss your service offering.

You can do this by first connecting with them on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, or at networking events and conferences.

Finally, once you have your prospect on the phone with you, you have to guide the conversation toward a sale. This happens by positioning your consulting offering as a solution to a problem your prospect is facing or a need they have.

Getting started as a consultant Any immigrant in Canada can build a consulting practice by following the above five-step approach.

Remember, you only need one client to get started. Even if you have to go through a few rejections to get that first client, it will still be worth it. That’s how the biggest consulting business owners in the world started — with a single client and lots of rejection. So go out and get things rolling.

Indian-born Himanshu Narang has consulted for some of Canada’s leading companies in areas of business strategy and operations improvement, and also trained more than 25,000 executives and entrepreneurs on effective business skills.

Learn more about him and his book Legendary Consulting – How to Consult Like the Top 1% at himanshunarang.com.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

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Running a pizza restaurant chain wasn’t Jagjit Sanghera’s plan when he immigrated from India, but it’s made his Canadian journey a delicious one

L

ike all good success stories, Jagjit (Sam) Sanghera has a tale worth listening to.

Since he’s the owner of the Pizza Factory — one of the largest locally owned pizza chains in the Lower Mainland — I sat down to hear his amazing story over a couple of slices of his favourite pizza (the “House Special”).

Sanghera came to Canada with his father in 1982, from Talwan, Punjab, in India, when he was just 18 years old. He had only $50 in his pocket. Although he didn’t have much money and he didn’t speak a lot of English, he says he wasn’t scared: “Because I knew I had the love and support of my family, so I knew everything would be OK.” Like many immigrants, they came in search of a better life, but life wasn’t always easy. They arrived in B.C. in February and went straight to Williams Lake in the province’s Cariboo region, where Sanghera’s sister lived, only to be greeted by -30⁰ Celsius temperatures, “So much snow — at least five feet, everything was white, I’d never seen anything like it before!”

Once spring came, Sanghera and his father travelled to the Lower Mainland, where for the next couple of years he worked as a tractor driver. His father also worked on the farms, picking berries — a huge departure for a man who had spent a lifetime in India working in a good government job.

“But he was happy to do it as it was for his family,” says Sanghera.

It was while Sanghera was working as a tractor driver that a chance conversation changed everything. “My uncle suggested that cooking was a good profession, but I didn’t know anything about it. So, I got a job at a family friend’s restaurant in Surrey and I worked there for a couple of years as a manager and I learned everything about cooking: seafood, Italian food, burgers and pizzas — I learned how to cook it all.”

In 1985, Sanghera opened his first Pizza Factory restaurant in Coquitlam. But the early days of forging his pizza empire were not easy. “The first couple of years of running my own business were very hard,” he says. “We were surviving hand-to-mouth. There were not many custom-

26

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

By Nicola Enright-Morin

ers, so it wasn’t that busy, we didn’t have enough money for advertising and it was our first time running a business, so we didn’t have a lot of experience.”

But Sanghera was hard-working and determined to succeed, and over the next 20 years, he learned not only how to make a success of his flagship store, but would go on to open, own and operate 25 Pizza Factory locations all over the Lower Mainland, as well as in Kelowna, Vancouver Island and as far away as Seattle.

Sanghera says if you want to achieve your dreams, you mustn’t be afraid of hard, honest work. “There’s a lot of hard work to running any business, but especially in the food and hospitality industry. You have to be hands-on and

make sure the quality of the food and customer service is excellent.”

He adds that running a profitable business involves making sacrifices. “Sometimes when my kids were younger, I was working such long hours that I didn’t always have enough time for my family, but I was trying to build a better future for them,” he says.

He remains super focused. “I try to avoid distractions — I never really watch TV — and I still work very hard. We’re open seven days a week; I don’t need a day off — what am I going to do with a day off? This is not my second home, this is my first home.”

When he’s not cooking pizzas (plus other menu selections such as pastas and salads) and enjoying a joke or two with his customers — “we have lots of very loyal customers, some of them have been coming to us since we first opened” — Sanghera can be found spending time with his family: his wife, Kulwinder (who is also instrumental in running the business), and his adult daughter, Navjot, and son, Karan.

Although Sanghera is still very much involved in the day-to-day running of his pizza dynasty, he now makes more time for some personal passions: travelling and being an active member of his community.

Giving back is important to Sanghera, and every year he donates pizzas to community and charitable events all over the Lower Mainland, including organizing the donation of thousands of pizzas handed out at the annual Vaisakhi parades in Surrey and Vancouver.

As we finish up our delicious meal (I can see why the “House Special” is, in fact, the house special), I ask Sanghera to reflect on his life as an immigrant. He tells me that he made a good choice in choosing Canada as a place to build his life.

“I don’t think I would have been this successful in my life if I hadn’t immigrated here, so I’m very thankful to Canada,” he says. “It’s a country that has opportunities for everybody. And in Canada there are all different nationalities, different communities of people that all live together and work together — and it works well.

I’m very happy to be here.”

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S.U.C.C.E.S.S. aims to help the community overcome barriers to the Canada health care system by providing knowledge and connection to a healthy life. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. – HIV & Hepatitis C Intervention Project focus on immigrants and refugees, in particular, on ethno-cultural communities such as Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and South Asians, in the Lower Mainland. Our project offer educational workshops to the public and provide information on the introduction to the Canada health care system, basic knowledge on HIV & Hepatitis C, risks of transmission, preventive measures and treatment. Come to our workshops to learn more and get a FREE screening test!

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canspeak...

Words, expressions and sayings

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30

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 1 | 2019

PUBLIC NOTICE The Immigra�on Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) is the na�onal regulatory body that serves and protects the public by overseeing licensed Canadian immigra�on and ci�zenship consultants and interna�onal student advisors.

ICCRC’s federal mandate stems from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Citizenship Act. To ensure ongoing consumer protec�on, the Council administers a complaints and discipline process to ensure that its consultants and advisors comply with ICCRC’s Codes of Ethics and Regula�ons.

Below is a list of Regulated Canadian Immigra�on Consultants (RCICs) who are currently subject to a prac�ce restric�on, suspension, or revoca�on as a result of disciplinary ac�on. ICCRC publishes this informa�on as it recognizes the importance of providing the public �mely informa�on that enables them to make an informed decision about how to handle their immigra�on ma�ers.

If you have any concerns about these individuals or any of our other members, we encourage you to contact us via our website with the informa�on. This list was current at the �me of publica�on and is subject to change. To see the most upto-date list of members under prac�ce restric�ons, suspension or revoca�on, please visit ICCRC’s website.

Member Name

License# Company Name

City

Disciplinary Ac�on

Effec�ve Date

Dunstan Munro

R416111

Immigra�on Experts

Toronto, ON

Revoca�on

8-Nov-18

Carlito Manansala Benito R508779

Triple Maple Leaf Canada

Edmonton, AB Interim Suspension

14-Sep-18

Carl Mark Benito

R515855

Triple Maple Leaf Canada

Edmonton, AB Prac�ce Restric�ons

14-Sep-18

Charles Benito

R516032

Helping Migrants Canadian Immigra�on Corp

Edmonton, AB Interim Suspension

14-Sep-18

Nageshwar Yendamuri

R423199

Migra�on Solu�ons Inc.

Toronto, ON

Interim Suspension

15-May-18

Oleksandr Arbetov

R407007

ARIS Consultants Immigra�on Inc. Vancouver, BC Interim Suspension

11-Sep-18

Raed Mahko

R414983

Raed Mahko Consultant

Montreal, QC

Prac�ce Restric�on - Shall not represent Syrians

2-May-18

Robert Proulx

R417415

Robert Proulx Consultant

Blainville, QC

Interim Suspension

1-Dec-18

Sharandeep Singh Mann

R415175

Orbit Immigra�on Services

Surrey, BC

Interim Suspension

13-Aug-18

Smedley Prescod

R417391

Prescod Immigra�on Services

Mississauga, ON

Prac�ce Restric�ons - Shall 29-Sep-18 not prac�ce before the IRB

Sunita Manhas

R507918

Simple Immigra�on Solu�ons Inc. Calgary, AB

Tamara Be�y-Lou Judge

R422319

Judge & Associates

Edmonton, AB Revoca�on

12-Dec-18

Wissam Qita

R511653

Explore Canada Immigra�on Services Inc.

Mississauga, ON

Interim Suspension

19-Oct-18

Ziad El Shurafa

R410255

Canada 2000 Clearing Services

Dubai, UAE

Revoca�on

3-Mar-15

www.iccrc-crcic.ca

Interim Suspension

1-Dec-18

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