Jihad captions this photo “Happy family”. The Boutalebs posing in front of the billboard declaring Winnipeg as the Centre of Canada. Centre of Canada Park in Tache, Manitoba.
“My first advice to newcomers is to stop overthinking,” Jihad said. “I worried a lot (when we arrived in Canada). I always thought about the future, especially about my children. When we arrived, we didn’t speak English. So I thought, how would my children integrate? How would they accept this culture that is so different from back home?”
“After a while, my children shocked me. I was pleasantly shocked, of course. They learned English so fast! They quickly made friends. They also liked going to school because their teachers gave them support,” Jihad said.
Canada, the land of opportunity
As a mom to two young boys, it was only natural for Jihad to worry about them. In fact, securing their future was the couple’s main purpose for moving to Canada.
Jihad shares: “I believe that everyone deserves the best life. Algeria was getting worse so we moved for my children. Canada is a land of opportunity. I would like for us, and then later on my children, to have good careers.” So despite a few misgivings, the Boutaleb family (Boutaleb is her husband’s last name) moved in September of 2022 from Algeria.
“We had a lot of challenges when we moved to Manitoba. It was a hard decision because you would decide to restart your life. Canada is completely different from Algeria. It’s a different culture, weather… but the hardest challenge was to be separated from your family, your parents, when you leave your home. It was a very hard decision,” she said.
Facing newcomer challenges
Among the first challenges Jihad faced head on was learning English. Despite learning a bit of English in college, she spoke mainly Arabic and a little French. Seeing her kids thrive in school, Jihad knew that she would benefit from learning English herself.
She immediately looked for language training opportunities which led her to WELARC. There, she took a language test and enrolled at MOSAIC. She was waitlisted, but while at WELARC, she also learned about English Online (EO). Jihad decided to enroll in LINC Home Study with EO in July last year. Aside from attending LINC, she also attends drop-in sessions in her free time. To practice what she learns from the classes, she actively joins EO’s online contests. In fact, she has been a consistent winner in our Language Contest and Winter Wordsmith Challenge, two contests that test EO learners’ skills in writing sentences and their knowledge of Canadian idioms. This is amazing considering she had almost zero English when she started learning with EO in July!
“I’m very proud to be a part of the English Online Community!” Jihad shares. “I have several reasons why I like learning here. The first reason is that I don’t spend money, EO is free. I also saves time, and I can take care of my family and study because it’s online. Also, I meet lovely teachers like Blaine, Pam, Lori, Nastashya, and Alexis.”
“The EO Community makes me more confident. The teachers always encourage us. They always say to me ‘don’t be shy’. When I had just arrived in Canada, I couldn’t speak English at all!” Jihad said.
Manitoba is my second home
Jihad goes on to say that despite the challenges of being a newcomer, she is happy to be in Manitoba. She points to our wonderful lakes and parks, the lower rent compared to other Canadian provinces, and supports like Rent-Assist and the Canada Child Benefit, as the reasons why she is happy to be here. But most of all, she likes that Manitobans are kind, polite, and have a ready smile. Jihad shares that when she underwent surgery in August, she was so thankful that health care workers treated her well during a vulnerable time. “The nurses and the doctors treated me with kindness. They respected me, my religion, and my thoughts. I am so grateful for that!” Jihad said.
Having plenty of opportunity to build her skills is another thing that she appreciates about Canada. She looks to a time when her kids are old enough for her to be able to go back to school and work on a career. “Right now I’m developing my skills, firstly my English language. After that I would like a suitable job. Honestly, I like education. I like children,” Jihad said, her eyes lighting up when I mentioned that she could become a teacher.
She added, “I consider MB as my second home. I think we’ll stay here for a long time. Canada is a land of opportunities. You can develop and build your skills. You can also be a good citizen here. And when you develop your skills, especially the English language, you can succeed.”
Newcomer Story: Elvira Rubio
A new year, a new life.
Elvira arrived in Winnipeg literally on New Year’s Day last year to join her husband here. A few months back, they got married in Peru and decided to live here since this is where her husband had established his career. He had been an international student and was living in Winnipeg for four years. So, although it was hard for Elvira to leave her comfortable life in Peru, it was overshadowed by the excitement of facing new adventures together with her husband.
From her first day in Winnipeg, Elvira realized that this move was going to be eye-opening for her. At the airport going through immigration, she was shocked when she couldn’t communicate.
“I thought, what is happening to me? Where is my English? The immigration person was asking a lot of questions and I didn’t know how to respond,” Elvira said.
Elvira worked for an international company in Peru where English is used in business correspondences, so she considered her English to be at an intermediate level. She quickly realized that the English used back in Peru is vastly different from the English spoken by a native speaker. Because of this, she became cautious of interactions with others.
“Taking a taxi, going to the grocery, and to the bank; these are simple activities that in my country were easy for me, but now in Canada, they are totally different. Not only for the language, because now in Canada, it’s a different environment, different set of rules, and a different culture,” Elvira said.
A terrible, no-good Friday
That initial shock made her realize that she needed to learn and adapt. It’s a good thing that Elvira’s most important assets are an analytical mind and her diligence. Back in Peru, she worked as an accountant and auditor. She also holds an MBA degree.
After a few months, Elvira decided to apply for a work permit so she could start looking for a job. Unfortunately, this was denied. “It was the most terrible news for me because it said ‘You need to leave the country.’ I received it on a Friday and the next Monday, it was a holiday here. I couldn’t get an appointment for an immigration officer,” she said.
Before packing up her bags, Elvira thought of looking up information on the internet. She found her answers on YouTube and realized that the refusal was caused by one missed document. She decided to reapply and got her work visa approved. “I should not have worried. It was very easy to reapply,” Elvira said.
In February this year, the couple received another approval. This time it was for their permanent resident status. For the couple, this meant not only having the peace of mind of having a secure status in Canada, it also meant that a world of support programs was now open to them.
“Mary helped me speak fluently. We spoke a lot! She taught me a lot. I can see how different my life right now is because of her help. I can understand more topics. She did not only teach me English, but also jokes, and we play. Every class was a happy moment for me!”
From terrible to incredible
One of the first things Elvira did upon receiving her PR was to apply to the LINC HS program with English Online.
“For me, it is wonderful. I learn pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. At the same time, I have a teacher who I meet a half hour per week. The teacher reviews my progress in the platform and gives me homework. The teacher also asks me if I have problems and takes time to give feedback and answer questions,” Elvira said.
“I also take the online group classes on Skype, like Coffee Chats and Citizenship classes from Monday to Saturday. These programs are very helpful for me because they teach me a lot about the culture in Canada, how to rent an apartment, how to get an appointment, how to go to the swimming pool… a lot of different topics!”
“In these classes, I have the opportunity to meet other students like me. We share our goals and experiences here. It’s very helpful because we don’t only study English, we learn about each other’s culture, and we make friends. All the teachers in this program are very passionate about their jobs and they help us a lot. They always give us tips and advise. They are friendly and helpful,” Elvira said.
“We also have a class in writing where we learn to make an email, how to refuse, and how to make a formal letter. That’s awesome because the teacher gives us homework and takes her time to make a video about our homework. She can say you can improve this and that. And when I get this, I feel very grateful because it’s her time, it’s her dedication. In Peru, I never had this experience. I notice that the teachers love their career, their profession. They are very, very kind persons,” she added.
A few months ago, Elvira was paired up with e-Volunteer tutor, Mary Kutarna. As Elvira tells it, this program was pivotal for her rapid improvement:
“Mary helped me speak fluently. We spoke a lot! She taught me a lot. I can see how different my life right now is because of her help. I can understand more topics. She did not only teach me English, but also jokes, and we play. Every class was a happy moment for me!” Elvira said.
It’s incredible how Elvira has found her confidence in speaking English in only a few months. She remembers that it was only last year that she had to ask her husband to answer or make phone calls for her. “I would say, please answer the call, it’s the government, or I need to make an appointment,” Elvira said, laughing. But now, she actually looks forward to practicing her English anytime she has the chance, whether over the phone or in-person.
Aside from language classes, Elvira boosted her learning by making the most of newcomer supports. She has attended a volunteer program, and a food handling certificate program. She has also connected with Manitoba Start to learn more about licensing and certification towards earning her designation in Canada.
It’s just a matter of time
“Looking for a job is a challenge right now. I’ve applied for a lot of jobs – as a bookkeeper, or as an assistant… it was very challenging for me.”
“Maybe this year, I can get a job, but if not, I can take this time to take trainings, improve my English, and prepare. I was telling my husband that applying for jobs is so hard, but he encourages me by saying that last year, I couldn’t even speak or understand English, and now I’m more confident. He is telling me to take my time because he knows I can do it,” Elvira said.
Aside from continuing to polish her English, she is working on getting her life insurance license. “I’ve passed all the exams from the college, but now I’m about to take the exams from the insurance council of Manitoba to get the official license. It’s demanding because the exams are really hard! In the provincial exam, the questions are very long. The test has 25 questions and you have to analyze a real case,” she said.
Elvira has also applied for her driver’s license and she is planning on taking more trainings and setting new goals. “It’s very exciting for me because through the trainings I could meet new friends, new contacts, maybe they can teach me and help me get a job. I know that Canada has a lot of opportunities and this country is very safe, organized, and clean. I feel safe here,” Elvira said.
Talking to Elvira, one can’t help but be awed by her perseverance and optimism. You just know that it’s only a matter of time before she realizes her goals because of her hard work. This inspiring lady has this to say to other new immigrants like her:
“For all newcomers, don’t feel alone. Canada has many programs to help you. You only need to ask for help. Every person here is friendly and open to help you. You can also meet up with other immigrants like yourself to talk and ask questions. I know that English is a big barrier, but it’s only a language. You can learn it. You need to adapt, you have to learn,” Elvira said.