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| Sandy's story |
It was the winter of 1962 when Sandy came to Canada; he had little more than light weight Naval clothing, unprepared for the winter ahead. Before this, Sandy was a member of the Indian Navy studying electrical aviation in England. It was here he met his wife, Pat, only to be discharged from the Navy as marrying a foreign national was not allowed. |
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| Paula Ceballos |
| Thursday, 13 May 2010 11:08 |
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After leaving her native Colombia, Paola Ceballos lived in the United States for some time. After experiencing some difficulties resolving issues related to her immigration status, she started to look for other options. Canada was a natural choice due to its proximity to the United States. Paola was also impressed with the high standard of living. The hot question - why Peterborough? Some of Paola’s friends arrived here a few months before, and suggested that Peterborough was a great place for raising a family. They convinced her that that it was a safe and quiet community, not as busy as Toronto.Paola and her family arrived in Canada on December 8, 2002. The weather was a big adjustment for her – “I wish I prepared myself more for winter, I really wasn’t prepared for that!” Another difficult transition was the lack of familiar Colombian food. Despite these initial obstacles, she is immensely grateful for the support provided by Casa Maria Refugee Homes. In addition to providing shelter for the first five months, Casa Maria provided Paola and her family with an orientation to services and supports available in the community. These included free ESL classes and legal advice about becoming landed immigrants. Five months after landing, Paola and her family found alternate rental accommodation. They met a single mother who also had a one year-old daughter and alternated the childcare – Paola taking the morning shift and their new friend the afternoon shift. After a few months, Paola was able to secure a spot in daycare for her daughter. Over time, Paola and her family consulted with staff at the New Canadians Centre regarding their immigration status. Paola also found that the support from her ESL classmates was invaluable. “It’s not just an opportunity to learn English; you also meet wonderful people and learn from all their experiences”, she adds. Her biggest challenge was related to employment. It took Paola three years to find her first job in Peterborough. “It can be difficult for an immigrant to find a job in their field of training”, she says. Since arriving in 2002, Paola and her family have achieved many accomplishments. They have bought a house in Peterborough, while she has been working at a call centre for the past three years. She was also very happy to be able to sponsor for her parents and little brother for permanent residency in Canada. Paola’s tips for successful integration
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