Editorial

Written by Dale Sproule

When Samuel de Champlain first came to Canada in 1603, Canadian experience was not an issue. In fact, those with Canadian experience (almost entirely First Nations peoples) were at a distinct disadvantage. Oh sure, they could find work as necklace beaders, pemican traders and canoe paddlers – but all the good jobs were going to new immigrants. And it stayed that way into the 19th century, until the first generation of new immigrants grew influential enough to effectively protect the wealth and privilege they had amassed.

To this day, Canada's first peoples face barriers to employment – a situation that troubled relatively recent immigrant, Aditya Jha, so much that he dedicated himself to helping Canada’s “original inhabitants”. Jha’s story is one of many we are pleased to present in this issue about new immigrants who have helped change Canada for the better.

Given that Canada – as Aruna Papp points out in “Unsung Heroes” – is a country built by immigrants, it’s not surprising that newcomers continue to shape and contribute to every aspect of Canada’s growth, development and maturity. Individuals like Ceta Ramkhalawansingh have campaigned tirelessly and effectively for the multiculturalism and the rights of women. Uzma Shakir has fought for social justice – especially for other new Canadians. One time newcomers like Hilde Rose have worked with newcomers, giving them a glimpse into Canada’s exciting and rustic past as a gateway to their future in this most modern of countries. And others like Gail Vaz-Oxlade and Jose Bautista have distinguished themselves as celebrities.

We hope that you enjoy this “Movers and Shakers” issue – the first all-digital issue of Canadian Newcomer, and sign up to receive our new bi-weekly newsletter. Check out our other new resources too – including the exciting "Settlement Roadmap" website. Over the next while, watch for special publications, contests, original videos and much more as we expand our services to serve you better. We’ll be working with adult learning centres and teachers to make our websites into unparalleled teaching tools – and we’ll be issuing regular articles on how to use Canadian Newcomer resources in the classroom and in such places as employment workshops, counseling sessions and public forums. We will soon be hosting online presentations, seminars and chat rooms.

In January – we will be publishing the first digital Settlement Guide to Canada – to help you find all the resources you need to make your settlement process as fast and easy as possible.

Dale Sproule,
Publisher