I was really excited as I was going to experience snow for the first time in my life. Very first day of the school, it was storming. I probably fall couple of time on the way to school in that day. The cold was unbearable for me. Still I found it was fun to cope up with the weather. The most beautiful thing I enjoyed after coming here was the environment of the school. Everybody is so welcoming and helpful. I was involved with different cultural club in the school. That gave me the opportunity to meet lots of friends from different part of the world. I am so blessed to have my two best friends whom I met at the University of New Brunswick Saint John. One is from Canada another one is from UAE.

After I completed my graduation, I was involved with the Saint John Multicultural and Newcomers Resource Center. Here again I meet lot of people from different region through different activities. So after I have moved to Saint John, I had the opportunity to learn about different culture, food and I am enjoying it every bit of it.

 - Nazma in Saint John, NB

In 1964 mari m ', 4-year-old son and I emigrated from Scotland to small town Ontario – Orillia, Stephen Leacock’s Mariposa. We were readily assimilated into the mainly white Caucasian population, many being second and third generation descendants of early settlers. It was an easy transition for us moving from one country to another. We were accepted and made welcome as there were several immigrant families from England and Scotland living there already along with a small, well established Italian community.

It was not the norm for aIl newcomers.

InNan967 I saw a young Asian couple with a little boy carrying their laundry to a nearby laundromat and commented to my husband on how strange and lonely it must be for them as they were the only Asian family in our small town. It turned out that the young man was a chemist who worked for the same company as my husband. He and his wife and son had just arrived from Seoul, South Korea so we decided to find out where they were living, and invite them to join us for a drive to show them the area. Their names were Yong and Jong Jin Song and their two-year-old son was named Sonny. Yong spoke English quite well but Jong, who was a teacher, spoke no English. They were living in a trailer park, having had difficulty renting suitable accommodation, due in part to their ethnicity.

After spending a delightful day driving them through the Muskoka area, a relationship developed that has lasted to this day. We laugh about that outing now. Jong and me sitting in the back of the car with our two small children, smiling and nodding to each other and not understanding a word either of us was saying, our seven year old son sitting between the men acting as translator for Yong as my husband had a very strong Scottish accent and Yong could not understand some words.  From that day we became their Canadian family.

We have shared their sorrow when Sonny was killed playing street hockey, kontantman yo lè yo pitit fi twa yo te fèt ak jou a, yo te vin fyè sitwayen kanadyen. Over the years our lives and those of our children have been enriched through this friendship and learning of another culture.

Li te fòtin bon nou an jou a, Jong ak Yong di repons lan se wi ak sa yo ki kondwi. Little did we know it was the beginning of a long and mutually enriching journey together.

- Audrey nan Vancouver

Dam lan nan jounou ajans lan mete moso yo ansanm. Li te jis te resevwa yon aplikasyon ki sòti nan yon dam te rele Grace ki te gen kat timoun nan l poukont li. Grace te vle yon travay ki te tou pre lakay li yo ak ki ta akomode pwòp swen fanmi li bezwen. Li te pran sèlman yon sèl reyinyon pou Grace epi mwen deside nou ta ka travay ansanm. Menm jou sa a te tou nan konmansman an nan yon amitye dire tout lavi. Kit rekonèsans boutik yo jaden ansanm nan sekrè prentan an oswa komès vle bay lis nan Nwèl, we have enjoyed each other’s company and supported each other when we were needed.

Pitit fi li gadri pitit mwen; timoun mwen yo te prepoze nan maryaj pitit fi l 'la; ak tant Grace se te youn nan premye envite nan echlon lekòl la ak nan nòs pitit gason m 'lan nan ete dènye an. Plis pase trant ane pita nou te manje vyann Trinite manje, anime zanmi epi ak fanmi ki soti nan "tounen lakay", e kounye a, yo finalman ale nan Trinidad fè eksperyans "tounen lakay" ansanm. Avantur nou an kontinye! Mwen mande sa ki ta lavi mwen yo te gen tankou san Grace ...

- Margaret nan Delta, BC