We spoke with someone who has experienced these struggles first hand, and this is what they had to say:
"I was around 11 when my family moved to Canada, young enough to not be too affected by having my life picked up and brought across the world. Yet at the same time, I was also old enough to understand the struggles and challenges that my family faced coming into this country. This included my parents not finding good jobs in the beginning, and us trying to find a decent place to live for our first few years here.
We were just lucky enough because we had some family already living in Canada to help guide us through the earlier steps of settling. However, I also remind myself that not everyone has that luxury.
Years later, after many encounters with different people who have all experienced their own versions of what it was like to move to Canada, I find myself wondering how people navigate their way through the process. Many of these newcomers are coming into Canada without a single idea on how to settle into their new lives in their new home."
People are not blind to these issues. They know that the
struggles are alive and well. That is why new projects are here to help guide
newcomers through their journey. I am lucky enough to be a part of a team
dedicated to helping newcomers navigate their way into their new Canadian
lives. Our project? It is called Compass to Connect.
So, What Exactly is Compass to Connect?
Compass to Connect was made to help those that are coming
into Canada find different programs and services that will help them with their
settlement. The basis behind this project is to make sure newcomers have a tool
that will inform them about who can and will help them with their different
needs.
The best part is it is all done online – meaning if you have
a computer or smart phone at home, you can get this all done without having to
leave your house. It may seem like a simple task to do on your own, but this
tool has made it even simpler. All you need to do is provide some basic
information about yourself, and tell us what you need help with, and let us do
the work of finding you someone who can assist you.
This online platform would be a one-stop shop for you to
browse through the different service providers, and pick what services you
would like them to help you with. No more endless Google searches or browsing
from different website to website to try and find a good match. We have done
most of the work for you, to make a difficult situation easier.
I think it is important to note that behind this project is
a team of individuals who have had their own experiences of what newcomers are
going through, myself included. This means we have all lived through the
challenges, we understand how difficult it can be, and we are working to try
and make it easier for those coming into Canada now.
So, regardless of what you are looking for – a new job, a new home, information about schools, Compass to Connect is aiming to make the search easier on you. And if you are a newcomer and are curious about how people feel about this project, we also asked about that during our earlier conversation and this is what they said:
"I can honestly say that this tool is something I wish would have existed for my parents when we first came to Canada, but at the same time, I am still glad it can now exist and help those coming in to Canada now."
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