My Arrival

When I started selling dog toys from my basement, I had to remortgage my house and take out a loan to make it work.

I left Ukraine behind, then Israel. In Calgary, I started over cleaning construction sites.

I left Brazil to be with the man I love. When the province cut its French classes, I couldn’t access the program I need to thrive.

In Dubai, I enforced rigid rules on my children. In Canada, I realized that would just push them away.

I left Toronto for Hollywood. California’s wildfires sent me home.

I repaired war-torn homes in Lebanon. Now I work on a construction site, overseeing a 19-acre housing development in Brampton, Ontario

AI isn’t perfect, but it helps me write complex emails and understand Canadian culture

My family and I escaped with only a plastic bag full of possessions. In Toronto, we live in a tiny refugee shelter and can’t find work.

A settlement agency got me my first job in Canada as a meat clerk. Since then, I’ve helped other newcomers in Kelowna get on their feet.

Bombs destroyed my neighbourhood and killed my loved ones. I hope my family and I can find refuge in Quebec.