By Sheila Coles, CBC News | Link to Article
I have a deep and strong connection to Thursday’s Citizenship Ceremony and the stories these newcomers shared with us at our open mic event later that evening.
By Sheila Coles, CBC News | Link to Article
I have a deep and strong connection to Thursday’s Citizenship Ceremony and the stories these newcomers shared with us at our open mic event later that evening.
That’s because the immigrant story is also MY family’s story.
My mother and father came to Canada on a boat from England when I was two and my brother was a six-month-old baby. I know what it cost my parents in terms of what they left behind, specifically all their family and friends.
I also know why they did it. It was the hope for a new, brighter future for themselves, and more importantly, for us their children. I was honoured to share that experience with the newcomers I met this week and I also thank them for sharing their stories.
So much of what we heard was funny, strangers in an even stranger land. Like Kin Pwong lay who arrived in Canada after living in a refugee camp for 18 years. Suddenly, she found herself in a big city, holding a key to a hotel room and wondering “What do I do with this?”
And Muna DeCiman, originally from Liberia, found herself in hot water after complimenting a colleague for putting on so much weight over Christmas. In Africa, that would be a good thing.
So thank you for participating and for those who couldn’t make it, you can hear all these stories starting Monday, Oct. 20 at 7:20 a.m. CST on 102.5 FM in Regina, 540 AM across the province. And below are some of our best pictures from the night.