Canadian Immigrant - July 2020

Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020 c anadianimmigr ant.c a

ARRIVE. SUCCEED. INSPIRE.

EMERGING FROM COVID-19

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Publications mail agreement number 40011993 | $5.95

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VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY

JOB ROLES TO EXPLORE IN 2020 IN-DEMAND SKILLS THAT CAN BE MASTERED ONLINE

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON MAKE THE BEST OF YOUR SUMMER

RBC TOP 25

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT AWARDS

OPEN FOR ONLINE VOTING

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT

WEB CONFERENCE SERIES

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

CONTENTS Volume 17 Issue 3, 2020

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PROFILE: Entrepreneur Catherine Addai turns her passion into a six-figure clothing company NEWS: Canadian Immigrant Web Conference Series, RBC Top 25 Awards, Solidarity and Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion HUMOUR BY HEMETERIO

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COVER STORY

22 MONEY AND BUSINESS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP: How to become an independent consultant TIPS FOR SETTLING IN FASTER: Saving up for your financial goals

24 RANDOM ACTS OF CANADIAN

Celebrating acts of kindness in challenging times

28 PROFILE

A passion for science: Italian-Canadian scientist and UBC Professor Carolina Tropini becomes the first Canadian to win prestigious 2020 Global Scholars Award in Engineering

Emerging from COVID-19 and Voices from the community: Canadian immigrants share their experiences in these pandemic times

14 CAREERS AND EDUCATION

HIGHER LEARNING: Dealing with the unknowns CAREER COACH: Five job roles to explore in 2020

IMMIGRATION LAW: Preparing for the start of the school year WELLNESS: Keep calm and carry on RECOGNIZE AND QUESTION GENDER STEROTYPES: Protect young women’s mental health PARENTING: Maintaining family connections during the pandemic

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Catherine Addai

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People. News. Information.

CATHERINE ADDAI

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 3

2020

With hustle and heart

Group Publisher Sanjay Agnihotri

By Ramya Ramanathan

Editor Ramya Ramanathan rramanathan@metroland.com

Tell us about yourself

I am a designer and CEO of Kaela Kay. I’m also a wife and mother to three fabulous kids. I was born in Ghana and my family moved to Amsterdam when I was three and lived there till I was seven. My mother and I moved to Canada and I remember turning seven here in my new country. We came to Canada because we had family here already and knew we would get family support.

Editorial Design Safi Nomani Digital Media Developer Kamil Mytnik Sr. Ad Manager Ricky (Kawaljit) Bajaj rbajaj@metroland.com Tel: 905 273 8170 Assistant Manager Laura Jackman ljackman@metroland.com

Tell us about the work you do. What inspires you?

General Inquiries: info@canadianimmigrant.ca

As a fashion designer and business owner, I am striving to build a brand and a business with purpose and stability – one garment at a time. My clothes focus on using prints native to Ghana but fashioned into modern North American attire. My team consists of three seamstresses, an assistant and a marketing representative – currently all positions are held by women, a fact that is very important to me. I’m inspired by women, working moms, boss babes who are striving to be better and build the lives they want to live – and do it all looking fabulous. I’m inspired by my heritage and Ghanaian roots as well as my Canadian upbringing and exposure to fashion and style. I want, through my brand, to share my heritage in the prints and share North American fashion through the styles – a beautiful blend.

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 five 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

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hana-born Catherine Addai is CEO, designer and lead stylist of Toronto-based clothing label Kaela Kay, which she describes as a lifestyle brand for the modern woman who wants to express her inner colours in an outward way.

How did you get started as an entrepreneur?

What are you currently working on?

I literally fell into it. My mother bought me a sewing machine and I started sewing for myself and a few friends – the rest is herstory. I’m currently working on a very special but super private project for August as well With a degree in health informatics, Addai worked as a fall collection. I am learning to navigate the future in the corporate sector for a decade. In 2017, she quit of fashion in a pandemic. My boutique has reopened her job to focus on running her business full-time. Over [after COVID-19] and I’m also focused on bringing the years, she has taught herself to sew, design, manage clients back in smoothly and safely. people, be a businesswoman – all with no formal training; as she says with simply “hustle and heart”. What is your advice to other immigrant She has turned her passion into a successful six-figure entrepreneurs?

For me, Canada has been a great place to start my clothing company. business especially one with such a cultural focus.

In April 2019, she opened her flagship retail store My brand, my aesthetic and style has been very well Kaela Kay Fashion Boutique & Design Studio to offer received and growing. There are also a lot of great her customers a place to connect with the fabrics, enjoy resources and support, some geared towards immigrant the shopping experience, express their personal style, women in business. So far, whatever information I’ve and immediately buy and wear African print fashion needed or looked for, I have found the resource for. and creative fashion. She has won many international Visit government sites and find out about available programs and go for it. and Canadian fashion awards.

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

news Canadian Immigrant launches industry-specific Web Conference Series Canadian Immigrant has launched a new Web Conference Series – free, live, industry-specific virtual events, sponsored by Windmill Microlending, to assist newcomers with information and inspiration in their specific professions.

With more than one million immigrants coming to Canada in the next few years, and many more arriving as students and temporary workers, it is important to help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada. With the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 in terms of what the near future holds, Canadian Immigrant has chosen to support newcomers with an engaging and insightful virtual series, as we have temporarily put our inperson large-scale signature fairs across Canada on hold.

Through these webinars, participants can engage in a myriad of career and personal development experiences, guided and encouraged by subject matter experts from licensing bodies, educational institutions, professional associations, skilled facilitators, employers and even successful immigrants themselves.

Each web conference will cover one specific industry to make it as informative as possible along with a Q&A to dive deeper into the topics.

The first in the series was held recently, on July 23, 2020, specifically tailored to internationally educated nurses and featured key speakers from across Canada who are experts in the industry.

The next event in the series, brought to you by Osgoode Professional Development, is on August 13, 2020, and will provide information and advice to internationally trained lawyers, an overview of options available

and a roadmap of how to get there.

The following event on August 23, 2020, brought to you by the Information and Communications Technology Council, will speak to opportunities available for IT professionals.

To learn more about upcoming topics, line-up of speakers and how to join, visit our website at canadianimmigrant.ca/web-conference.

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Have you cast your vote in the 12th annual RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards?

Top finalists for our 12th annual RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards have been announced and voting is now underway. While the voting phase of these awards was initially postponed due to the pandemic, we are excited to be going forward with an online awards event.

We received hundreds of nominations, and our judges have had the tough task of choosing the top 75 finalists from such an inspiring and deserving group of individuals. Now it’s your turn to help vote for the Top 25 by viewing the finalists’ outstanding stories and voting for your favourites.

These prestigious national awards have always been a symbol for diversity and the importance of coming together as Canadians. Now, more than ever, we need positive stories of Canadians from all walks of life, all cultures and all regions to show we are all in this together.

All the award winners will be announced on September 8, 2020, on canadianimmigrant.ca and in the September issue of Canadian Immigrant magazine. Each winner will also receive a commemorative plaque and $500 will be donated in their name to Windmill Microlending as part of the $50,000 donation.

This year’s media partners are CityTV, Toronto Star, Metro Newspaper, Metroland Community papers, Sing Tao and OMNI Television.

You can vote for up to three of your favourite finalists at canadianimmigrant.ca/rbctop25 until August 7, 2020.

A message of solidarity and commitment to diversity and inclusion: Editor’s note

By Ramya Ramanathan At Canadian Immigrant, we tell many heartwarming stories of diversity and integration. We share success stories of newcomers who’ve made Canada their home. We speak to experts in various fields who share their advice based on their own experiences about how newcomers and immigrants can build vibrant new lives in their adopted home. But, at the same time, we don’t shy away from spotlighting challenges and issues here in Canada.

We are committed to drawing attention to and coming together as a community, not just during times like this, with the shocking murder of George Floyd, but talking about critical issues of integration, diversity and inclusion on an ongoing basis.

How can we stand in solidarity in fighting racism and discrimination?

How can we empower our communities to share their stories? How can we ensure that we go beyond our commitment to diversity to focus on increasing inclusion – in community and social settings and in workplaces?

This does mean change. Often, gender is the only checkbox that is taken into account – and, it did take us a while to get where we are at (and we have far to go!). I have often heard from our community and personally, in boardrooms and meeting rooms, that there needs to be adequate gender representation. But, when the question of diversity and inclusion arises, often there is silence.

I have personally witnessed and heard of conversations around recruitment for senior leadership positions or boards or thought leadership councils: “We are colour blind” or “Immigrants won’t make the cut for senior leadership positions” – how do we deal with these situations? How can we bring these conversations front and centre? How do we ensure a

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

diversity of voices at the table?

What we need to do is to admit that there are issues. And that it’s okay to not have the answers. But we have to start making a conscious commitment to educating ourselves and making change.

It is also clear that we need to focus on inclusion (not just diversity!) in social circles, political arenas and corporate settings. This means making sure that decision makers, senior management, boards, committees and thought leadership councils are all representative of the audiences we serve and the country we live in.

Tackling racism goes beyond taking a knee at an anti-racism demonstration. Indeed, this is a systemic issue – yes, even in a big, vibrant city like Toronto and a country like Canada.

We need to acknowledge that it exists, talk about it and then, do something about it. The team at Canadian Immigrant is thrilled to see so many voices raised in our community. Now is the time to take some urgent action.

Because vibrant, diverse and inclusive communities do not happen in silence. Nor do they do not happen by accident. They take work, they require conversations, they need ideas to be challenged and it could also mean dealing with conflict. And sometimes, unfortunately, it is only when situations escalate that these conversations come to the forefront. Let’s keep these conversations going, be willing to believe that as a country, we are capable of having these difficult conversations and making change.

Real change takes work.

(Thoughts or comments? Send an email to editor@canadianimmigrant.ca)

Empower yourself through education and achieve your career goals. ashton admission awards 2020/2021 At Ashton College we work hard every day to address the post-secondary education challenges faced by newcomers to Canada. Without acceptable credentials, career options are very limited even with years of previous experience abroad.

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COVER STORY

EMERGING FROM COVID-19

Canadian immigrants share their experiences during these pandemic times

By Baisakhi Roy

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s the world continues to learn to deal with the COVID-19 Kandiller acknowledges that she is luckier than most in finding pandemic, the newcomer and immigrant communities in employment in the field of her choice and that both she and her Canada are facing unique challenges of their own and finding husband, Yigit, have had the benefit of government support. ways to cope.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on employment in While more recent arrivals to Canada are learning to deal with new Canada, with over one million jobs lost in March alone. In response, jobs, paying rent, income insecurity and building a social network in this in April, the federal government created the Canada Emergency environment of social distancing, some more established immigrants Response Benefit (CERB), providing $2,000 every four weeks to are working hard to keep their businesses going. The challenges created those have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19. If the by the pandemic have led to new government assistance programs, situation continues, those who are eligible can re-apply for CERB a focus on mental health and innovative offerings from settlement every four weeks, for up to a total of 24 weeks till October 2020. agencies serving immigrants.

Yigit is also able to access the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB), also launched in April, which provides financial support to Working through a lockdown post-secondary students and recent post-secondary and high school Like many parents, Ukranian-born Oksana Kandiller has found it hard to respond to her three-year-old asking when she’d be able to meet her friends at daycare again. Kandiller, her husband and daughter moved to Canada in October 2019 and were just about settling down into their new lives when the lockdown happened.

“The hardest part of this entire experience so far has been that my husband and I haven’t been able to give our child the attention she craves and deserves at this age,” says Kandiller. With daycares shut, the couple is struggling to keep up with office work, studies and household chores, not to mention keeping their child in good spirits. “She’s a very sociable kid and fits in very well at her daycare.

She misses her friends and when she asks us tearfully when all this will end, we have no answers for her. It’s hard,” she says.

Kandiller recently found a job as a finance manager with a Toronto non-profit, Aangen, while her husband started an online course in logistics and supply chain management at Seneca College. Finding the job through the Chance for Change Program at Aangen, a program which supports marginalized members of the community by providing them with job opportunities, was a godsend for her.

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

Oksana Kandiller with her husband Yigit

graduates who are unable to find work due to COVID-19.

“The CESB support that my husband secured was especially useful.

He got it at the end of May and it was the first month when we were able to pay our bills without dipping into our savings,” says Kandiller.

The family is hoping that schools will reopen safely for the sake of their daughter who is excited for junior kindergarten in September and that Yigit will land a stable, well-paying job when his course ends in August.

Pivoting in a pandemic Stunning photos of aesthetically-plated cuisine make Sri Lankanborn chef Muralitharan Thamba’s Instagram account a delight. Based in Ajax, Ontario, Thamba has been running a successful catering business, Brindleberry, for the last few years. However, the pandemic has forced him to cancel more than 20 events including weddings and receptions, resulting in losses that amounted to hundreds of dollars.

“For the past four years we had made a mark when it came to major events…. This pandemic has been tricky and problematic for Muralitharan Thamba not just me but for everyone who is trying to operate a small business, regardless of the industry. But, despite all the obstacles the pandemic brought on, this crisis gave my team and me an opportunity to explore not familiar with English and now with this pandemic, this sense of isolation and loneliness is heightened,” says Hui Geng, manager of avenues that we hadn’t considered in the past.” the Canada Connects program at North York Community House Thamba and his team had to pivot quickly to save the business that (NYCH), an agency supporting newcomers with their settlement in many ways and helping them feel at home in Canada. he’s set up with so much love and passion.

The catering service started providing their customers with delivery and pick-up options for pre-orders. It also benefited from the timely relief provided by the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program (CECRA) – a benefit for small businesses in Ontario that will help those impacted by the pandemic keep afloat until the economy reopens fully. Under this program, Thamba has to pay only 25 per cent of the rent for April to July.

The organization’s social mentorship program has been connecting established volunteers with newcomers so that they may practise their English-speaking skills through Zoom meetings. The fact that these seasoned volunteers are immigrants themselves makes it easier for newcomers to connect beyond just learning; they are able to open up about their feelings.

A recent Statistics Canada report revealed that immigrants were more likely than Canadian-born individuals to have higher levels of concern about preserving social ties (44 per cent vs. 30 per cent) and about the ability to support one another during and after the pandemic.

His team has not only started on the road to recovery but is also giving back to the community. “We at Brindleberry, have partnered up with various local organizations in the community and have been assisting with preparing over 1,000 meals for frontline workers to date. This gives me and my team the satisfaction of being able to help It’s not surprising then that a popular program at NYCH is the out in a time of need for those that risk everything to help the country virtual conversation circle. get back to where it once was,” he says.

Staying social virtually

In April, COVID, and the fears and concerns surrounding it, was a hot topic.

For most immigrants and newcomers in Canada, community However, it’s not all serious conversations. Fridays are reserved centres, libraries, and recreation and cultural centres are a lifeline that connects them to the community at large. These venues serve for virtual tours to popular Canadian destinations or virtual movie as a safe space for sharing their experiences, meeting mentors, nights, giving participants a great opportunity to break the cycle of participating in social and cultural programs and getting familiar with isolation. their neighbourhood.

Kandiller, who does not have extended family in Canada, With the country going into lockdown mode in March, immigrants understands this need to seek out community during this time. experienced an acute sense of loss and disconnection. Though some “We as a family have started valuing social connections so much libraries in Toronto and the GTA have now started to offer online versions of their in-person programs, services are not back up to a right now, since we’ve not had it for almost three months!” she says. “Now we have ventured out gradually, made some friends in 100 per cent. the neighbourhood, and our kids are playing together—socially Settlement agencies have taken their services online to keep the distanced, but it’s something. social connection alive.

“On Canada Day, we went to Niagara Falls, our first trip since we “For immigrant families, there is already a sense of disconnect came to Canada,” she adds. “It was a dream come true. Once this is when they come to a new country – everything is new, some are over, I will chase every opportunity to go out!”.

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COVER STORY

Voices from the community

By Ramya Ramanathan

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s they say, every crisis brings with it a new opportunity to adapt and grow. Here are some diverse voices from the community sharing their own unique stories in these pandemic times.

Ghaidaa Arbash was originally a pediatrician in her native Syria.

That expert knowledge of both health and children is helping her to ensure the families she works with, through her job at WoodGreen Community Services, are well supported during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arbash and her husband moved to Canada in May 2012, when GHAIDAA ARBASH, family support worker, WoodGreen Community Services her first daughter was three years old and she was five months pregnant with her second daughter. “We chose Canada because we wanted to raise our daughters in a safe, developed and supportive The pandemic has changed all that – no longer able to meet her community,” she says. clients in person at the WoodGreen office or local libraries, she is doing everything she can to ensure they continue to be supported Arbash is committed to helping others who have made Canada through this challenging time. their home. She usually supports refugee families in need, from in-person workshops to providing support with their citizenship Arbash has pivoted to helping virtually – walking clients step-bytests to helping them navigate the often-confusing government and step on how to apply for government benefits, translating complex financial systems in a new country.

COVID-19 health information into Arabic, ensuring families can

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

IT’S TIME TO VOTE! We received hundreds of truly inspiring nominations for Canadian immigrants who have made a significant impact since their arrival. Now it's your turn to help choose this year's winners.

VOTE TODAY canadianimmigrant.ca/rbctop25 Voting ends August 7th

Title sponsor:

Presented by:

Media sponsors:

COVER STORY get their kids connected to online learning and organizing online Kao is working with a group of immigrant women in B.C., sewing workshops and conference calls about how to access resources and cloth facemasks to help in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. supports.

These entrepreneurial seamstresses are members of a sewing business collective called Sewmates Craft, a part of the Intercultural The situation has been challenging to her clients. “On top of the Women’s Maker Society. personal challenges that everybody has, like adapting to the online learning and quarantine, my clients lost their connections with the The Cloth Facemask Initiative came together within days after the governmental support channels and most of them were in fear and women had their first virtual team meeting on March 25, soon after stress because of the environment of uncertainty. In addition, some the start of the pandemic in Canada. Research was done, sewing of them lost their jobs.” machines came out, patterns were created and the women started sewing masks — each from their individual homes.

When she’s not connecting with clients online, she’s ensuring newcomer seniors and others get the groceries and vital supplies As of mid-July, the sewing collective has already made and delivered they need while in isolation. As an immigrant herself, Arbash can more than 2,700 cloth facemasks to vulnerable communities and relate to her clients’ struggles and is going the extra mile to ensure those in need who wouldn’t have access to medical masks. The plan they all have what they need to weather this crisis. is now to call for donations so they can get the masks to designated care home facilities and/or homeless shelters.

Arbash sees opportunities for learning as we emerge from these times of COVID both at the community and professional level.

“Sewmates Craft members are genuinely appreciative of being able to offer something in the COVID situation. By helping the “On the community level, I think we proved that Canadians are community, the group also implemented the whole business very supportive of each other, very responsible, and caring…at the operation process in this initiative, including product development, professional level, I think we need to better integrate with online promotion/marketing, production, delivery/logistics and accounting support programs. Web-based meetings may sometimes have a practices. It’s a precious experience for a new business collective. The better chance of attendance and more options of presentation.” sales from individual orders and designated donations are able to cover the cost of fabrics, supplies and some of the members’ hours.

What makes her work meaningful to her is being able to help In the busy weeks, members were making 200-300 clothmasks per vulnerable people through difficult times. week,” says Kao. “It is an amazing feeling when you can do something for people “Empowering immigrant women to become self-employed who are really confused and support them with all struggles that is a passion of mine,” says Kao. “And I couldn’t be prouder of they have as newcomers,” she says. this amazing group of women, who come from different cultural backgrounds, for using their sewing skills for the greater good in these difficult times.”

Taiwan-born Kao came to Canada in 2007 with a world of experience as a senior human resources manager. But like many internationally trained professionals, she found herself starting her career over after immigrating to Metro Vancouver with her family.

Now Kao helps newcomers with their business ventures.

While these masks are not replacements for surgical or N95 masks, which are in extremely high-demand for health care workers, such cloth masks are gaining popularity globally. According to BC Centre for Disease Control, the virus is transmitted via droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A mask can act as a barrier to help keep a person’s droplets in.

Dr. Harpreet Singh Bajaj is very invested in ensuring better health care for the community, especially in a time like this pandemic, as the medical profession braces for whatever comes next.

FLORENCE KAO, Employment Specialist, DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society

His specialization is in endocrinology – which means seeing people with diabetes and other hormonal problems. People with diabetes have a higher risk of severe infection with COVID-19 and are required to take more precautions.

Florence Kao says she’s someone who never gives up. “I always look for solutions, instead of problems,” says Florence, who Dr. Bajaj has adapted his clinic to the new environment and works with B.C.-based immigrant-serving agency, DIVERSEcity consults with patients over the phone and video and sees patients Community Resources Society. who need to be seen. He believes it is important to provide patients with a continuity of care, educate them and also, help them adopt Kao has found a way to use both her professional experience technology. and her sewing skills to find solutions to the problems caused by COVID-19.

“I encourage patients to use new apps. For instance, with an app, 12

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

DR. HARPREET SINGH BAJAJ, Endocrinologist and Director of LMC Healthcare, Canada

their glucose readings can be shared with me, and I can look at their readings and adjust medication if I need to,” he says.

Born in India, trained in India and the US, Dr. Bajaj started his endocrinology practice with LMC Brampton in 2009 after he immigrated to Canada with his family. Today, he is also the Founder of the “STOP Diabetes” Foundation, volunteers as Vice Chair at Diabetes Canada and a Principal Investigator, Canadian Diabetes Prevention Program, among other things.

He urges members of the community to visit the Diabetes Canada website for information about COVID-19.

“At Diabetes Canada, we have worked to provide information related to COVID-19, including a FAQs document available on the website, in addition to developing ‘ask the expert’ videos about COVID-19 and diabetes,” he says.

Recently, Dr. Bajaj collaborated with the University of Toronto to produce information to help family doctors manage patients with diabetes during COVID-19. What lab tests or exams should they focus on, what should they defer to a different timeline, what are risks associated with COVID-19, what counselling services are available?

MEANS ALL omnitv.ca

Dr. Bajaj also hosts a weekly Monday night show on Channel Y (which can also be accessed via YouTube) on behalf of the Stop Diabetes Foundation, in Hindi and Punjabi, to educate the community about COVID-19 in general and the link between diabetes and COVD-19.

Dr. Bajaj’s advice to the community is to pay attention to advice from reliable sources.

“Most immigrants are taking the right precautions and know the risks. Continue to do so. Read, know and follow advice that comes from public health agencies from the different provinces. There are a lot of different channels where people get advice – social media has a lot of misinformation.” On the other hand, he believes health care professionals should adapt to the situation.

“Education is key. Providing information at the level that patients need it at is necessary.” he says.

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CAREERS & EDUCATION P O S T-S E C O N DA R Y E D U C AT I O N

Dealing with the unknowns

Advice for students on managing the impact of the virus

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anticipated. While it is not yet clear what post-secondary school will look like in 2020-2021, it will likely be different from what you imagined and planned for. There may be disappointment caused by curtailed socializing and cancelled events, isolation and loneliness, and confusion on where to get good information on school services, facilities and academic regulations.

Contact with faculty will be different and the customary ways of doing things modified.

For first-year students, the challenges are compounded as they are not familiar with the lay of the land at their school and may not know how to ask for help. Familiarizing Find ways to help yourself As a post-secondary student, themselves with the school’s website, you are bound to go through many attending online orientations, and different feelings. The coronavirus asking questions will be crucial to has brought significant changes learning how to navigate school.

Maintaining academic standing to school life and many of them are clearly ones you may not have as well as physical and mental health here is no doubt the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has upended plans for postsecondary students. The impact can be felt academically, socially and financially. While plans and delivery modes of academics may vary, the result is bound to increase the number of unknowns for students.

While some stress can be expected at the post-secondary level due to exams and new challenges, the current environment makes the usual worries pale in comparison. As a student, there are some things you can do to manage your worries and get support from your school.

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Participate in free online communication training for newcomers working in technology.

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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

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Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

will be more important than ever.

You will need to take control of your academic work, find time for regular exercise, keep a good sleep schedule and eat healthy without giving yourself too much grief for slip-ups.

Staying connected with family and friends and making the most of new connections where you find them will be very important. Although you will be busy with academic work, you will not want to eliminate sports, interests and activities that give you pleasure and add meaning to your life.

Finding some volunteer work may help you get perspective and increase your sense of connection during this time. Staying hopeful, energized and positive will fall fully on your shoulders. But you can also look to your school for some help.

Most colleges and universities will continue to offer counselling through phone or video, so you don’t have to do it all alone.

Look to your school for help Most schools and student associations have well developed student support services including counselling, academic advising, career centres, tutoring, writing centres, health providers and other supports commonly used by students.

Although the coronavirus may change the way these services are now delivered, help will still be available even if it means being referred to other services outside the school. When you find yourself in need, let the school do what they can.

The staff at school are professionals who are experienced in dealing with post-secondary students. While there is a lot of information on the internet, you want to be careful who you listen to. Misinformation can be detrimental to your wellbeing whether it be academic, health, financial or otherwise.

Even if you’re not physically at

school, you may still be able to find ways to connect with other students.

Although opportunities to interact with others is more limited, the school’s student association, student life department, peer centre and the counselling office may continue to offer online events and activities to help keep you connected to others.

Examples of online events may be trivia games, scavenger hunts, mindfulness and yoga sessions, wellness groups, workshops and more. There may also be drop-in times where you can chat with staff and/or students about any questions you might have or anything you have on your mind. While it is more challenging to feel connected, there are ways to reduce isolation while you study remotely.

The pandemic has created less than ideal situations for post-secondary students and no one can say when they will improve, much less when they might go back to what we knew as normal. With your own efforts and the resources of post-secondary schools, you can move forward in your academic and career goals.

You may still be able to learn, earn credits, get help with your career and job search, grow through personal counselling and meet new people, even online. School without the full experience may be a disappointment but given the current health, economic and financial crisis, it may have to be enough.

For some students, there may be even some silver linings to be found such as no more long commutes, reduced travel costs, the preference for online learning and the possibility of surprises as professors tackle teaching in new ways.

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

5 Job roles to explore in 2020 In-demand skills that can be mastered online raw materials, production and distribution of consumer products.

With the emergence of e-commerce players like Amazon and Zappos, logistics have never been more important, thus those with knowledge of logistics will be in high demand.

4

Online marketing

Every major business area has embraced online marketing and it is definitely the future.

More than ever, businesses need people who understand the landscape of online marketing, which covers social media, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), content marketing, blogging, email marketing and more.

If you pick one area and become an expert in it, you will definitely be a valuable asset. Once again, there are excellent online resources to get you started in digital marketing.

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Apps and programming languages

L

et’s face it. The pandemic is continuing to reshape society and the way we live and do things. The world of work, especially, has been altered in ways we could never have imagined. To emerge stronger from the crisis, it is imperative for each one of us to start reskilling and to adapt to the post-pandemic ways of working.

growing exponentially, and it’s sweeping into most sectors and businesses.

Remember, remote working was gaining currency even before the crisis, but the pandemic is actually accelerating the need to enhance skills. So you can make a choice right now. You can simply resist or accept this new normal and wholeheartedly embrace technology. As Indiana Jones Senior tells Junior, “Choose wisely”.

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The truth is that there are thousands of job vacancies available right now if you possess the right skill sets. What’s more, many of these skills can be acquired through online courses – so you can learn from the confines of your own home. Here are five career choices to help you emerge stronger and add more durability to your career.

1

Big data, statistics and data analysis

Big data is now the next frontier for business innovation. With advances in technology, the amount of data available is

Thus, companies and individuals that are able to harness, organize and analyze these mega-sets of data stand to benefit greatly.

Consequently, a strong foundation in statistics and data analysis is extremely valuable.

Local to cloud computing

One of the major changes in technology is the move from local hosting to cloud-hosted services. You may be familiar with some of the major buzzwords like virtualization, software as a service and so on. What all this means is that the demand for cloud computing across industry verticals is fast rising and you can capitalize on it.

3

Supply chain management on digital platforms

The science of supply chain management or logistics is a crucial tool for product-based companies. The supply chain manager is tasked with minimizing the cost of sourcing

Desktops and laptops are getting faster and smaller, and more and more applications are coming out that make our lives easier.

People are choosing new apps for their personal computers and smartphones, so it’s no surprise that the demand for programmers is sky-high.

You can choose from a variety of programming languages. Even specializing in any one is enough to get you in the door for an entry-level job. You can even learn to code interactively with many of the online resources, some free and some offered by reputed universities.

Your future career may be right on your desktop.

Prepare yourself for the new job world by acquiring skills that are in demand now. The skills mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. With a little research, you can probably uncover some other in-demand skill sets that suit you.

So, what are you waiting for? Pick your passion, upgrade yourself and go get that dream job!

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 how he can help unlock your magic at unleashyourwow.com.

CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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

Preparing for the start of the school year What does the academic future hold for international students?

they must remain in their place of residence, and arrange for items, like groceries, to be delivered to them.

Online Courses IRCC has modified its Post-Graduate Work Permit Program so that those who are taking online-only courses remain eligible for a work permit upon graduation.

As well, those who have study permits, or who have been approved for study permits, but who cannot travel to Canada, will be eligible for a postgraduate work permit.

In the above situations, students may begin their classes while outside of Canada and complete up to 50 per cent of their program while outside of Canada due to an inability to travel, and still be eligible for a work permit.

Students who complete the fall 2020 semester from outside of Canada will not have this time deducted from the duration of their post-graduate work permit.

Working while in school

A

s the summer nears to an end, students will be preparing for the start of the school year. They will be double checking that they have the most recent version of Zoom on their computers, and possibly upgrading their home internet. COVID-19 has impacted everyone, and international students have especially been left wondering what their academic future in Canada holds.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has, in response to COVID-19, implemented several public policies that international students should know about. Most of them can be found on the IRCC website under the ‘Visitors, foreign workers and students’ and ‘Study permit: COVID-19 program delivery’ sections.

Prospective and current international students should check the above webpages daily. The date that the webpage was last modified can be found at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, IRCC updates its COVID-19 policies through stealth editing (i.e. reworking articles without notice that the content has been changed), so it may be advisable to save the webpage to PDF to track changes.

Here are some of the key measures.

Restrictions on travelling to Canada As of July 15, 2020, international students who have a valid study permit, or were approved for a study permit on or before March 18, 2020, can travel to Canada for a non-discretionary purpose.

In determining whether a student’s travel to Canada is non-discretionary, the Canada Border Services Agency will consider whether they are established as residing and studying in Canada, whether they are expected to begin studying upon arrival, whether their presence in Canada is necessary for their continued participation in their program, whether pursuing online studies is not an option for their school or from their home country, and whether the semester has been cancelled or delayed.

Those who are travelling by air need to pass a health check conducted by an airline before they will be allowed to board their flight. Anyone showing signs of COVID-19 will not be allowed to board their flight. After arriving they will need to quarantine for 14 days. During this period,

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

IRCC has implemented a public policy to allow full-time students to work off-campus if COVID-19 has resulted in them becoming part-time students. Such students can work up to 20 hours per week during the academic session, and full-time during scheduled breaks in the academic year.

Students are allowed to work more than 20 hours if they are a study permit holder, are eligible to work off campus, and are providing an essential service. Public Safety Canada has provided guidance on what constitutes essential services, and it pertains to specific services in 10 areas of critical infrastructure, including Energy and Utilities, Information and Communication Technologies, Finance, Health, Food, Water, Transportation, Safety, Government and Manufacturing.

Processing Perhaps the biggest question that most study permit applicants have is when will their applications be processed. This, unfortunately, remains uncertain. However, on July 14, 2020, Marco Mendicino, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, announced that IRCC would be providing priority study-permit processing for those who have applied online. Meanwhile, on July 20, 2020, IRCC announced that there are no measures in place to provide for expedited processing of study permit applications.

The department is also looking in to turning the study permit application process into a two-stage approval process that will provide pre-approvals to students so that they can start their programs abroad with the confidence that their study permit applications will ultimately be approved.

However, as per IRCC, it is important for prospective students to note that commencing their studies online from abroad following approvalin-principle of a study permit application is not a guarantee that they will receive a full approval of their study permit application, or be authorized to pursue their studies in Canada.

As with almost everything during COVID-19, the result is uncertainty.

Hopefully IRCC’s efforts to present welcoming and facilitative messaging and policies will translate into flexibility at the individual officer level.

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 WELLNESS

Keep calm and carry on

T

Virus or no virus, make the best of your summer

he year 2020 is fast becoming one we will always remember. A year that will be recorded in the history books as that of the global COVID-19 pandemic. A time of crisis, challenge, change, uncertainty, cancellations, loss, trauma, sickness, death, grief, chaos, stress – all in epic proportions.

As we celebrated the start of a new year, and considered our dreams, goals and intentions, who knew that in just a couple of months, a deadly virus would have such a devastating and immediate impact on our lives and our economy. While we hoped it would be gone after a few weeks, we are now facing the grim reality that the coronavirus will be with us for much longer than any of us anticipated.

The future is not going to be what we thought it would be a few months ago.

Focus on what we can do, rather than what we cannot do Summer rituals and traditions have been postponed this year. There are no big events, large gatherings or celebrations. Travel restrictions and physical distancing remain in place. Masks and hand sanitizers are this year’s ‘musthave’ accessories. Does all this mean that our summer is cancelled? Or that fun is off the menu?

For small businesses in tourist hotspots or those working in the hospitality industry, it may feel like summer is cancelled. For the rest of us, it is important to focus on what we can do, rather than what we cannot do. What we have, rather than what is lost.

We have seen a tremendous amount of creativity during this pandemic as people shift, pivot and adjust. If we adjust our expectations and use our imagination to find ways to enjoy what is available to us, then it is possible to get a summer break. Life can be short – it is important we make the best of what we have. Time moves on, virus or no virus, and we will not get this time back.

So, we can choose to sleepwalk through the summer, wishing it were different, complaining about it, or we can accept the ‘new normal’ and navigate around it.

The latter will give our mental health the summer vacation it needs and ensure we do not end up burnt out by the time September comes around.

you engage with your various devices and apps (especially those that distract and hijack your time and focus). Less is more.

I once heard someone say, “Each morning, the moment you take your head off the pillow, you have all you need”. A sobering thought that offers us some perspective.

Our summer may not be the one we had hoped for, but it is certainly not cancelled and neither does it have to be lost.

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.

Find ways to support yourself Staying healthy – physically and emotionally, remains a priority, even through the summer. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security with warmer weather, fewer COVID cases and easing of restrictions. A strong immune system remains our best defence again infection. Here are six basic ways to support yourself: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Exercise or movement – ideally outside, and close to nature. Choose something that brings you joy and does not require a lot of effort or resources to get started or maintain. Move throughout the day – little and often can be more beneficial than intense, infrequent exercise.

Connection – to people who lift your spirits, inspire, energize, encourage, love, help and support you. In turn, you can do the same for them.

Nutrition – eat more vegetables and fruits, whatever is in season. Eat the colours of the rainbow. Include anti-viral foods/herbs such as garlic, ginger, oregano, sage, basil. Minimize processed, refined, sugar-laden food and drinks. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Sleep – reduce screen time an hour before bedtime. Limit stimulants like caffeine and alcohol. Avoid intense exercise within four hours of bedtime.

Keep your room dark and well ventilated.

Meditation/mindfulness – breathe deeply and slowly, from your belly not your chest. Stay calm, find peace of mind. Be present. Be compassionate with yourself and others. Practice gratitude.

Digital detox – periodically, disconnect from technology. Learn to be selective and intentional with your online time and pay attention to how CANADIANIMMIGRANT.CA |

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SETTLEMENT

Recognize and question gender stereotypes Protect young women’s mental health

G

ender stereotypes create barriers that can prevent people from reaching their true potential. It can lead to a lot of harm and cause mental health problems. The stereotypes are simplistic over-generalizations or preconceived ideas about gender attributes, differences and roles of individuals or groups in society.

Stereotypes such as boys are strong and girls are weak, boys play with trucks and girls with dolls, start very early. Every day our girls could be encountering these messages from parents, peers, media and institutions.

In Canada, various surveys conducted nationally and provincially, indicate that more girls aged 10-17 are hospitalized for mental disorders than boys the same age. According to data released by Statistics Canada in 2017, suicide among teen girls and young women is on the rise, while male suicide in the same age group declined. Prevalence of higher rates of depression and self-harm in girls among racialized communities, Aboriginal population and immigrants also suggest the vulnerabilities and multiple layers of oppression experienced by them.

Stereotypical expectations not only reflect existing differences, but also impact the way men and women define themselves and are

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treated by others. Globally, the negative and oppressive impact of gender stereotypes on girls can make them victims of gender-based violence, early marriages, teen pregnancies, among other things, and lead to poor physical health and mental health problems.

Here are three stereotypes that are particularly damaging to emotional well-being and suggestions on how to deal with them.

1. Girls as emotional

There are differences in how girls and boys express their emotions; however, the stereotype that girls are emotional can lead parents to dismiss the emotional outbursts and mood swings experienced as attention seeking.

It is important that parents and professionals listen carefully, and adequate, early attention and proper treatment is prescribed without maintaining the implicit bias that feelings and emotions are not to be taken seriously. Teach them to express themselves in healthy ways.

2. Girls as vulnerable and weak

When girls are perceived as vulnerable, families can end up restricting their freedom, mobility and access to various activities and

CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

skills. As they attain puberty, the notion becomes more deep-rooted and sex segregation is promoted with the aim of preserving a girl’s sexuality and protection from violence.

Communities should realize that empowering girls and providing them with the tools to support themselves, take risks and communicate their feelings effectively is important for them to be able to engage fully in society. Encourage girls to be physically active, participate in sports and groups such as Girl Guides of Canada to connect and develop self-esteem and strength to stand up for themselves. What they learn is what they will pass on to future generations.

3. Girls as objects valued for their looks

Extensive stereotyping as perpetuated by media and community about the desirable feminine look puts intense pressure on girls to look pretty. Hyper sexualization and objectification of women in TV shows, music videos, social media and advertisements encourages a passive culture of tolerance for exploitation and

violence against women. When victims experience feelings of shame, self-loathing and reduced self-esteem it may result in eating disorders, anxiety, depression and self-harm.

Introduce the girls in your community to powerful female role models. Help them to explore other healthy ways of coping and encourage them to speak up when they are not comfortable. Strengthen their identities and create safe space.

In my work with immigrant girls who were referred for emotional issues, relationship problems and school-related concerns, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand, the role of gender stereotypes in shaping their beliefs, attitudes and self-concept. Pressures to conform, bullying and shaming for nonconforming can push many girls to withdraw, get frustrated and resort to poor decision-making.

There are number of complex factors that interact, and contribute to mental health problems in girls and gender stereotypes put them at specific mental health risks.

We need to recognize and question these stereotypes as early as possible to help our girls achieve their true potential. Studies have shown that these generalizations are internalized by children as early as age 10. We have to teach them to value themselves and develop authentic personalities early in life. This will help them develop their personal abilities and pursue career paths in line with their interests, even if it doesn’t align with traditional expectations.

In addition to empowering girls through workshops and education on various topics, ongoing parent education workshops on gender norms and gender-based violence can be facilitated to support and promote wellness and change.

Change needs to happen at all levels and systems. But, parents, it starts from us.

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.

SETTLEMENT PARENTING

Maintaining family connections during the pandemic

Find meaningful ways to keep children connected with extended family members

D

ue to the global pandemic, connecting your children with extended family members such as grandparents can be challenging. While it might not be possible to visit or even make plans to visit those near and far, there are many ways that we can maintain meaningful connections.

Ways to connect

Explore virtual connections: There are many digital apps that families can use to connect virtually and spend quality time with loved ones.

Some apps include features such as video calls, text messages and sharing images which can be very useful in staying connected. Even if it’s not real time, recorded video messages can brighten someone’s day.

Consider snail mail: There is something special about sending and receiving something tangible from our loved ones. While there might be an additional cost to mailing letters and packages, the

cost is well worth it.

Plan an in-person visit: Are you fortunate enough to have your grandparents live nearby? If so, do follow public health agency recommendations to connect with grandparents in safe ways, such as meeting outdoors or sitting out in the backyard, when you go to visit.

Whatever you do, practice social distancing.

Activity ideas

• Include extended families in celebrating milestones online, such as birthdays, anniversaries, class graduations – the many firsts in a child’s life.

• Document and share a day in your life or special moments, or your memories of family members, in the form of photographs, video recordings or scrapbooks with the children.

• Teach each other something new, such as teaching grandparents to use technology or grandparents teaching children their family

language.

• Share family stories, culture and history in the form of oral storytelling or written stories.

• Write and/or sing songs to each other. Have an online singing concert with extended family members or sing a lullaby online to young toddlers before bedtime.

• Share experiences by doing something together, such as playing an online chess game.

• Find new ways to interact and connect with each other, such as telling jokes; send and decode secret messages; or play treasure hunt, trivia, memory games or other educational games.

• Read to each other virtually.

Alternatively, ask extended family members to record themselves telling or reading stories and play it to your children, so they can watch

it over and over again.

• Find creative ways other than language to communicate, to develop special bonds between grandchildren and grandparents, such as using photos, drawings, dance and music, and special secret greetings.

• Find ways to do some volunteer work as a family, to give back and help others in the community. It can be as simple as brightening up the lives of isolated seniors with pen pal projects or helping out at local food bank.

During the pandemic, it is more important than ever to find meaningful ways to connect with extended families. Remember to make connecting with grandparents or extended family members a priority and incorporate it into your life.

Cheryl Song, an immigrant from Malaysia, has more than 20 years’ experience of working in early learning and family programs. Contact her at cheryl@learnwithsong.com or visit her website at learnwithsong.com.

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MONEY & BUSINESS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

How to become an independent consultant Seven questions to ask yourself before you jump into your entrepreneurial adventure

B

ecoming an independent consultant is a big decision that will influence your lifestyle in many ways. Depending on your personal situation and your industry, there are aspects that you need to think about before deciding to jump into an entrepreneurial adventure.

After close to a decade as a SAP consultant, I took a leap of faith and created ERP Happy to change the way CRM and ERP solutions are implemented. Based on my personal experience, here are some questions to ask yourself if you want to become an independent consultant:

1. What type of consultant do you want to be?

Some consultants are solopreneurs, while others are small business owners. You have to decide whether or not you want to fly solo or want a partner with whom you will create a small boutique firm. What a lot of people do is start solo and find a partner with complementary skills along the way. I am personally a solopreneur who works with external partners.

spouse, children and/or parents.

time and expertise for money. Put a price to it and when I say “put a price”, it doesn’t have to be a single amount. It can be a base price with 3. Which problem you want to solve or options. Why not value your services the same what solution do you want to provide?

As an independent consultant, you have to way a restaurant offers options on the menu? A be very clear about the value that you provide base price with options for higher-end services is to your clients. For that, you need to determine a great way to price your services. which problem(s) you solve or which solution(s) you provide. In my case, a lot of manufacturing 6. Are there legal and compliance aspects and service companies waste time and money to take into account? because their processes are not documented, Do you need a permit, a license or a properly applied and systems don’t fit what those certification to sell your services? Some organizations need. I solve it by putting in place industries may require you to have that. If you appropriate processes and systems so that they want to do business with the federal government become more profitable. for example, you need to have a certain level of security clearance. Do some research.

4. Is your market a blue or a red ocean?

Is your market crowded by competitors trying to eat up each other’s market share (i.e. what is called a red ocean)? Or is it a market in which the supply of your services is much lower than the demand (i.e. a blue ocean)? Do your analysis accordingly. Think about the effect on the industry of your entry into the market.

Will you be in a position to serve one or several 2. Have you talked about it with your clients? Will your prices be undercut by your relatives?

This is a crucial step. You need to discuss with competitors? Can you put yourself in a position your family the fact that your revenue, even in which you can set your own prices? Always though it may increase, may become unstable. look for a blue ocean. I highly recommend In addition, you might be without income while reading the book “Blue Ocean Strategy” on this setting up your business and will have to plan subject. for that. Your working hours might be longer, your vacation may disappear or be shorter. It’s 5. How do you price your services? a hard but much-needed conversation with your A lot of independent consultants trade their

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7. Will you put yourself out there through marketing and sales efforts?

No client or prospect will knock at your door to enquire about your services. You will have to get your ideal client to find out about you.

Put yourself out there in ways that suit your personality, your skills and your clients. For example in my case, I like to do audio therefore I have a podcast called “Consulting Lifestyle.” I also publish some videos on LinkedIn. Eventually, marketing will drive sales, which is the fuel of your company.

Diogène Ntirandekura is a B2B consultant and founder of ERP Happy, and hosts the podcast “Consulting Lifestyle”.

MONEY & BUSINESS T IP S F OR SE T T L ING IN FA S T E R

Saving up for your financial goals Tips to keep you on track 2. Stay the course

If you had plans to make a bigger investment for things like a home or a wedding but have had to hit the pause button, don’t lose sight of those plans, just adjust your timing.

Take the delay as an opportunity to re-evaluate what you want and pivot as needed. The extra time may allow for a chance to save a bit more or cut back if you decide to adjust your plans.

you will get there. Buying a home may seem like an out-of-reach goal right now, but having a plan in place to achieve that over the next little while will give you direction and something to work towards.

4. Check your finances

While spending may be up in some areas like groceries and online orders, you may be spending way less in other categories like entertainment and travel. Take 3. Have a plan It may sound like a cliché but some time to check your finances having a concrete savings plan on a regular basis to see how you are written down may actually help you doing. Setting up a virtual call with stick to it. Map out what you want to a financial advisor is a great way of save for in the short and long term assessing and taking care of your and set incremental goals on how financial health.

Amit Brahme is senior director, newcomer client strategy with Royal Bank of Canada. Visit rbc.com/newcomers or visit a branch near you for help and advice to help you save more and settle in faster.

F

or many, the fallout of COVID-19 has stalled plans for the foreseeable future. If you have recently moved to Canada, you may be feeling the impact even more as you get settled and plan ahead for your life here. Everything from buying a home to planning a vacation has taken a back seat as the whole world has come to a grinding halt. But as things slowly start to reopen and we adjust to the “next normal” you may be thinking about how you can get back to saving up for your short-and long-term goals.

After participating in webinars and speaking with countless new immigrants, I have noticed a common recurring question: “How do I manage my finances in Canada?” The underlying emotions I have noticed are anxiety, security and safety – common feelings for any newcomer, something I can certainly relate to!

I remind them they are going

through a huge stage of change, especially amidst a global pandemic.

But no matter what’s going on in the world around us, one thing we should never lose sight of is our short-and long-term financial goals.

And while the world is certainly a different place right now, consider these tips to keep you on track to save up for your financial goals – whatever they are!

1. Start a rainy day fund As you may have noticed, all of our social calendars are quite empty right now. When you typically would have had regular dinner plans or even a summer getaway in your calendar, those plans have likely been cancelled. Set aside some of the money you would have put towards these summer activities and put it in a “rainy day” fund. You never know when that money will come in handy!

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Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horvath visits Steve Kidron and his team at Kitchen 24

RANDOM ACTS OF CANADIAN Celebrating acts of kindness in challenging times

By Kaitlin Jingco

W

e are months into quarantine, and it feels like we’re continuously being bombarded with negativity and bleak information about COVID-19.

Despite all of the circulating negative news, there are so many Canadians who are doing great things to help one another during this difficult time. And RBC wants those stories to be heard.

That’s why they launched Random Acts of Canadian, a space filled with positive stories that highlight the great things Canadians have been doing amidst this pandemic.

RBC describes this initiative as “a celebration of the incredible acts of kindness, generosity and ingenuity of individuals across our country.”

This is a new national call to showcase the incredible ways in which Canadians are positively impacting and supporting one another, their communities and Canada as they cope with the ongoing stress of living through – and emerging from – the global pandemic.

From musicians putting on performances for self-isolating residents in Toronto apartment buildings, to kids donating homemade cookies to homeless shelters in Vancouver, to grandmas

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

sewing countless masks to donate to frontline workers across the country, RBC says people are showing “what it means to be Canadian.”

Many Canadian immigrants have been involved in this movement. Numerous stories continue to come from this RBC initiative that spotlight the selfless work of Canadians who have moved here from different countries.

to support Arumae’s idea of getting volunteers to run errands for higher-risk individuals. But soon, she realized that infrastructure to deal with grocery bills and to collect donations would be necessary to make a bigger impact, which is why she recently incorporated the idea into an

Astrid Arumae | Supporting seniors through these challenging times This Estonian-born Quebecer, who was featured on Random Acts of Canadian in July, founded the Outremont COVID-19 Help Foundation, a non-profit that picks up and delivers groceries and medications for selfisolating seniors and other individuals who are more vulnerable to the virus.

“I was really worried about our seniors who were told to self-isolate without any immediate solutions [for] how to get simple things like groceries,” says Arumae. “I felt the need and urgency to act to help out those in need.”

Friends and community members were quick

above Astrid Arumae

official non-profit.

Today, the foundation has a governing body, with over 60 volunteers, and has completed about 600 deliveries and help requests, and they are not planning on stopping any time soon.

The Foundation has big plans for the future. Looking ahead, Arumae says that in addition to grocery operations, they are planning to expand into creating social engagement programs to help break social isolation for those who are in confinement.

Speaking of the impact she and her team have had on the Outremont community so far, the non-profit founder says, “It feels great! … Helping others has helped me just as much. It has changed my life, actually.”

Bredin College

Steve Kidron | Feeding Toronto’s vulnerable during COVID-19 Steve Kidron, an Israeli-born Torontonian, has gone from being hungry to helping the hungry.

“I moved from Israel in 1990. My transition was not an easy one and I experienced homelessness for a time,” he says. “When you experience something like that, you automatically develop an empathy for those that go through the same thing. When you have strangers sharing a portion of their sandwich with you, you have an appreciation for human kindness and generosity.”

Our Programs: • Comunity Support Worker • Legal Assistant

“I’m proud to say I graduated from Bredin College. Some days it felt like a long road with some potholes, but I achieved what I set out to do. The team behind Bredin College made it happen, as well as my instructor Deb. I’m above Steve Kidron Three decades after he moved to Canada, Kidron is now the owner of Kitchen 24, which has 35,000 square feet of commercial kitchen space that is rented out to chefs, caterers, and food start-ups.

Knowing what it’s like to experience food insecurity, he has felt the responsibility to help, recognizing that the pandemic put Toronto’s vulnerable at an even greater risk.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the business owner has been using a portion of his kitchen space for the Kitchen 24 GiveBack Initiative, where volunteers have come together to make and donate meals to the community.

“There is no better achievement in life then knowing you were able to help so many,” he says.

So far, Kidron and his team have made 50,000 meals, and they are looking forward to continuing and growing their efforts by turning the GiveBack Initiative into an official non-profit. In addition to this expansion, Kidron also plans to help restaurant businesses that have negatively been impacted by the pandemic.

“There is always a need to do more and help more,” he says. “I am not going to stop now or even when the pandemic is over.”

To learn about the other selfless ways Canadians have been showing up to support their communities and celebrate the acts of kindness that are happening across Canada, or to submit your own story, head to randomactsofcanadian.com

I’m glad she pushed as she did! It makes me stand out as

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Urgent Interim Suspension

PROFILE

A PASSION FOR SCIENCE Italian-Canadian scientist and UBC Professor Carolina Tropini becomes the first Canadian to win prestigious 2020 Global Scholars Award in Engineering

By Vernon Lee

C

arolina Tropini was born in Alba, Italy, a small town close to the Maritime Alps. At 17, she and her parents moved to Vancouver where they still live today. Her father’s work had initially brought both her parents to Vancouver, where her mother immediately fell in love with the city and people. After the work trip, they decided to relocate their family to Canada permanently.

eventually contributed to me becoming a professor and leading a research group.”

After obtaining her undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Tropini completed a PhD in biophysics and a postdoctoral fellowship in microbiology and immunology at Stanford University. After spending over 10 years in California, she returned to Vancouver where it all began, to pursue her academic career.

“I am hopeful that this award can have an impact on my community locally, on the students I mentor and teach, and on the UBC community at a wider scale,” says Dr. Tropini. “It is impossible for me to represent the diversity and brilliance of women in engineering on a global scale, but I feel really honoured, lucky and grateful for this opportunity, and the possibilities that come with it.”

Tropini is currently an assistant professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at UBC. She has been named the winner of the 2020 Johnson & Johnson Women in STEM2D Scholars Award for her outstanding leadership and Splitting her teenage years between Italy and Canada, Tropini felt like contributions to the engineering field, becoming the first Canadian to be a citizen of the world. Moving at that age meant that she was discovering honoured with this award since its launch in 2017. and developing multiple identities — a Canadian and an Italian one. She still fondly remembers growing up in Italy and has strong ties to the Winning the award marks a significant achievement for her and also language and culture. Today, she identifies as Italian-Canadian — a nod to carves a path for other women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering her heritage and the country she has lived in for half her life. and Math). The award — $150,000 USD in funding and three years of mentorship — honours women making key discoveries, spearheading While moving meant that she had to leave family and friends behind, innovation and shaping the future in the areas of Science, Technology, Tropini is very grateful for the welcoming atmosphere and opportunity for Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design. Only six winners were multicultural connections and experiences in Canada. It presented a fresh selected from a highly competitive field of more than 541 exceptionally start for herself and her family. qualified nominees from around the globe.

“I left UBC with the goal of coming back after my graduate studies, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to do so. The amount of discovery, Finding a community that supported her research and personal pursuits support and mentorship I experienced at UBC during my undergraduate was important to Tropini. Having mentors and strong connections has was the reason I wanted to come back,” says Dr. Tropini on why she chose helped her throughout her academic career. She encourages students to UBC and Canada to pursue her career. reach out to their professors.

“I never experienced a university that was more committed to “Students don’t talk to their professors,” she says. “Professors are undergraduate research, and for me it was a life-changing experience that more available than you think. Genuine interests open doors and lead

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CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 17 Issue 3 | 2020

to new opportunities.”

finding durable solutions.”

“For immigrant students, there are cultural and language barriers to connecting but we need to overcome them,” Dr. Tropini says. As an immigrant, she understands the challenges that newcomers face but sees the value they bring. “We need different ideas. We need to hear their voices.”

Tropini sits on the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee in her department where she promotes the voices of underrepresented groups and inspires the next generation of women in STEM. Tropini believes there is still a lack of female representation in leadership positions in academia and STEM. She works with university leadership to continually push for diversity and inclusion.

As a woman in a STEM field, Tropini is passionate about empowering Research-wise, Tropini wants to educate the public on gut microbiota. and supporting underrepresented academics to fulfill their leadership potential. In order to promote equality in her professional world and “The goal is to better people’s health and lives,” she says. She enjoys the society, she strives to increase diversity as a key determinant for long-term intellectually-stimulating environment of UBC and continues to advance competitiveness, impact and success. research using multi-disciplinary techniques.

According to Tropini, “Helping underrepresented academics stay At the end of the day, Tropini is passionate about investing in the lives of her afloat is so important at a time when new and outside-the-box ideas are necessary to combat the pandemic. From the creation of vaccines, community. Whether it is fellow scientists or undergraduate students, she gets to managing the current economic challenges, diversity will be key to energized about mentoring and supporting others in achieving success.

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