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Saskatoon Open Door Society and Saskatchewan Intercultural Association have teamed up to help newcomers make a successful transition to living in Canada.
The Welcome to Canada project aims to make newcomers feel more informed, confident and connected. It works by giving newcomers access to an online course and guide exploring practical information about settling in Canada.
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The information covers essential documents, housing, health care, money and finances, transport, education, language learning, employment, community connections, laws, rights and responsibilities, and Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
The online orientation features 12 practical modules designed to support newcomers in their first days, weeks, months and years.
Ali Abukar, CEO of the Saskatoon Open Door Society, said the program will be a great asset.
“There is a national project called Welcome to Canada Orientation that is created by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for all settlement organizations throughout Canada, and we adapted that tool to create an online accessible resource for newcomers to our community,” he said.
Abukar said that as an immigrant himself, having such a tool would have been a game changer when he came to Canada.
“When I came, a lot of the welcome to Canada or information was done through organizations. There are some tools online but mostly in a written format and you’d have to look for it. But it would have been great if there was something that is module-based that you can access easily, and you’ll get that information as soon as you arrive, and it tells you what you need to know and what you need to do in the first few weeks of your new new life in Canada,” he said.
“We break it down into phases.
“The first phase is that welcome phase when people arrive. What do they need to do? Like finding their new home, getting their kids registered in school, opening a bank account. Also, applying for jobs, getting to know their new community.
“(The project) doesn’t go into detail about what people need to do, but they will know what kind of services that are available, where they can go for things and all that. So just a general introduction to their new community,” said Abukar.
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