Newcomer Bulletin Fall 2012

IMMIGRANT SUCCESS STORY: Find out how McCloskey International Ltd began

FALL 2012 | VOL. 2 | NO. 1

BULLETINnewcomer

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SERVING THE NEWCOMER COMMUNITIES IN DURHAM, NORTHUMBERLAND AND PETERBOROUGH

THEMAKINGOF ACANADIANWhat does it take to be aCanadian? For newcomers,it starts with being ableto call Canada home.

Northumberland looksto immigrants to spureconomic development

PLUS

Business, Trades and TechnologyOur programs are built on experiential learning, from industry-sponsored applied projects, work placements and co-op, to international exchange programs. This means our students graduate with the practical, real-world experience employers are looking for.

Come visit us at the Open House event: Saturday, November 3rd.Meet our faculty, students, take in the many program demonstrations and tour the campus. Check out programs starting in January:

n Full-time Business, Hospitality, Culinary and Skilled Trades programs

n New, post-graduate certificates in International Business Management, Project Management and Wireless Information Networking

CoNtiNuiNg EduCatioN traiNiNg – oNliNE CErtifiCatES

Our many online certificates and courses allow you to study at your own pace, on your own time.

n Small Business accounting

n Human resources Management

n office administration

n Writing Courses for Professionals

Fleming also offers a number of fun, recreational courses where newcomers can meet new friends and practice their spoken English. You can receive the Continuing Education course calendar by emailing flemingcollege.ca/con_ed

class.work.Bringing the real world to the classroom

Visit our website for detailed information on all our programs:

Flemingcollege.ca

Business, Trades and TechnologyOur programs are built on experiential learning, from industry-sponsored applied projects, work placements and co-op, to international exchange programs. This means our students graduate with the practical, real-world experience employers are looking for.

Come visit us at the Open House event: Saturday, November 3rd.Meet our faculty, students, take in the many program demonstrations and tour the campus. Check out programs starting in January:

n Full-time Business, Hospitality, Culinary and Skilled Trades programs

n New, post-graduate certificates in International Business Management, Project Management and Wireless Information Networking

CoNtiNuiNg EduCatioN traiNiNg – oNliNE CErtifiCatES

Our many online certificates and courses allow you to study at your own pace, on your own time.

n Small Business accounting

n Human resources Management

n office administration

n Writing Courses for Professionals

Fleming also offers a number of fun, recreational courses where newcomers can meet new friends and practice their spoken English. You can receive the Continuing Education course calendar by emailing flemingcollege.ca/con_ed

class.work.Bringing the real world to the classroom

Visit our website for detailed information on all our programs:

Flemingcollege.ca

4 NEWCOMER BULLETIN | FALL 2012 www.newcomerbulletin.com

Carmela Valles Immigration Consulting 33City of Peterborough 3Fleming College 2Informed Financial Growth 10Jamaican Self-Help 29Manulife Securities 10McCloskey International Ltd 13McConkey Real Estate Corp. 9Mortgage Alliance 30New Canadians Centre 35Nexicom 5NMT Foot Reflexology 29nofrills 13Northern Lights 21Northern Property Maintenance 29Northumberland County 34Package Plus Inc. 33Prevail Design+Media 29Realty Executives 11Reg Ward Insurance Services Ltd 7Royal Bank of Canada 24State Farm 8Sullivan’s Pharmacy 24The Community Training andDevelopment Centre 21Trent University Back CoverWensten Accounting Inc. 9

CONTENTS

OUR ADVERTISERS

22 PROFILE Erica Cherney

SIDEBAR: Interviews15 PHASING INImmigrants surveyed the circum-stances of their early years in Canada and the sometimes long and painful process of phasing themselves in the Canadian society.

NEWS DIGEST8 Web portalNorthumberland County is build-ing an online portal that it hopes will showcase the county as a welcoming destination for newcomers.

11 New language rulesMost citizenship applicants will soon be required to provide up-front objec-tive evidence of their language ability at the time they apply.

COLUMN

24 Tax CornerA business that otherwise would have been very successful ran into trouble due to a lack of proper bookkeeping.

PROFILEPATRICIA REBOLLEDO-KLOQUES25 Talk about migrant workers and one name leaps to the fore: Patricia-Rebolledo Kloques, the executive director of Horizons of Friendship in Cobourg.

ADVERTORIALS 26 Workplace Integration CentreWhen an immigrant seeks to re-enter the labour market in Peterborough, he turns to the Workplace Integration Centre, the employment-services pro-gram of the New Canadians Centre, for help. 27 IBM post-grad programInterested in gaining an understand-ing of international business? Fleming College has developed a one-year post-graduate certificate in International Business Management.

28 NexiPHONEWith NexiPHONE, Nexicom’s telephone service, there is a host of features subscribers can enjoy.

14 COVER STORY Immigrant- and refugee-serving organizations receive high approval ratings for the quality and speed of their service in a survey of 2,500 immigrants carried out over a period of two years.

20 CAREER Personal Support WorkerDarcy MacCallum, general manager of the Ajax Welcome Centre

Hajni Hos, executive director of the New Canadians Centre

Canada isseeking, to

the best of itsability, to

respond to what it understands as the needs of

newcomers

We exist tosupport and improve the

social and economic

integration of newcomers

705-775-NEXI (6394) | www.nexicom.net

Internet | Telephone | Security


We are growing – both in size and reach. We close at 36 pages

for the first time with our Fall 2012 issue. Hush, fingers crossed, we are planning for an even bigger maga-zine in our next immediate releases. Our coverage, editorially as well as circulation-wise, has been expanded too. Being in Peterborough, we are too close to our neighbour Northum-berland County to not take notice when word leaked out about its plan to build a web portal whose aim is to attract newcomers – the investors and the labour force alike – to power its economic engine forward.

The portal initiative is the brainchild of Dan Borowec, Northumber-land County’s director of economic development and tourism. Read our interview with him on Page 8.

Henceforth, we will be adding Northumberland as well as Durham into the mix of our editorial content. Notice how our expansion is re-flected in our masthead: “Serving the newcomer communities in Durham, Northumberland and Peterborough.” Some of the faces you see as part of our cover story, Pages 14-19, are from the Durham region and the Greater Toronto Area.

Speaking of the GTA, a key piece in our expansion strategy is the agreement we have forged with Torstar Direct Ser-vices to distribute copies of Newcomer Bulletin through Gateway’s newsstands at strategic stops within the Toronto subway system and the GO Transit bus stations. Connie Fancy, TDS director, and I signed the distribution agreement on September 28, 2012.

Our first attempt to penetrate the Dur-ham region was through the welcome centres in Pickering and Ajax, where copies of the magazine were distribut-ed – thanks to Darcy MacCallum, the general manager of the Ajax Welcome Centre, and Sophia Bittar, the commu-nity liaison of the two centres. The feedback we received from our readers in Durham, mainly seeking subscription copies, has been very encouraging, which strengthens our resolve to move beyond our base in Peterborough.

PRICE TAGNewcomer Bulletin now has a price tag. Having said that, the bulk of our magazine production will always – always – be for free circulation. Selling paid subscriptions is our way of raising funds and getting financially involved with organizations that provide sup-port services for newcomers, includ-ing public libraries, universities and colleges and non-profit organizations. Net subscription proceeds, the amount left after deducting mailing costs, will be donated 100% to them. Subscrip-tion costs $10 a year (4 issues). Paid subscribers receive their copies of the magazine in the mail.

You invested in us. We wish to give back. n

FROM THE EDITORBEVERLY LOMOSAD

GROWING DEEP, GROWING WIDE

City ofToronto Lake Ontario

Durham Region NorthumberlandCounty

PeterboroughCounty

Port Hope

Cobourg

Brighton

Peterborough

Whitby

Pickering

ClaringtonAjax

Oshawa

NEWCOMER BULLETIN DISTRIBUTION POINTS

MEDIAPLUS VILLAGEChamber Business Centre175 George Street North

Peterborough, ON K9J 3G6Phone: (705) 772-7172

Fax: (705) [email protected]

www.mediaplusvillage.com

EDITORIAL

EDITORBeverly Lomosad

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSChen Rao

Naser MiftariOlga Doktorova

PHOTOGRAPHERBob Laing

MARKETING AND CIRCULATION

MARKETING MANAGERRamon Valles

ART

DESIGN AND LAYOUTJun G. Dayao

ADVISER

CONSULTANTCarmela Valles

ENQUIRIES

EDITORIAL [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

ISSN 1929-8846

Publications Mail Agreement No. 42456027

MEMBER

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the in-formation contained in this publication. However, Mediaplus Village regrets that it cannot accept liability for error or omis-sions contained in this publication, however caused. The opin-ions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publica-tio n, which is provided for general use and may not be appro-priate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The concept, content, style and design of this publication remain the exclu-sive property of Mediaplus Village. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

UPFRONT

BULLETINnewcomer


7www.newcomerbulletin.com FALL 2012 | NEWCOMER BULLETIN

Anniversary Issue I picked up the Newcomer Bulletin and really was amazed at all that had gone on in Peterborough

over the years. But what interested me the most was your article on Page 10. I recognized Sue Lawrence. She was at Queen’s Univer-sity when I was and, in fact, lived on the same floor in residence.

Marge ThomasParry Sound

I have just read some of your latest issue. I can’t wait to finish it. It is amaz-ing. Congratulations on your one-year anniversary.

Dawn FranklinSWIS CoordinatorNew Canadians CentrePeterborough

I got a copy of your magazine, and it was very impressive. Thank you for covering our story and the other local stories.

David CainPresident Friends of Honduran ChildrenPeterborough

Kudos I picked up a copy of Newcomer Bulletin for the first time at the Welcome Centre in Ajax. The maga-zine is professionally done and has a lot of interesting and useful content. The newcomer community

is being served well with your publication. I am immensely impressed. Congratulations to your editors for a great work. Thank you.

Olga DoktorovaPickering

CorrectionThe picture on Page 22 of your previous issue captioned as Curry Village is, in fact, Village of Thai – a different business.

Ali ImranOwner Village of Thai Peterborough

LETTERS

SUMMER 2012 | VOL. 1 | NO. 4

BULLETINnewcomer

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SERVING THE NEWCOMER COMMUNITY OF PETERBOROUGH

A look at Peterborough’simpact abroad throughthe work of some of its

grassroots organizations

CROSSING BORDERS

We welcome your comments. Write to us at [email protected]. All submissions must include name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and style.Submission constitutes permission to use.


NEWS DIGEST

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Against that backdrop, Northumberland

County is taking steps toward creating an environ-ment for good investment and positioning itself as an investment-ready and a welcoming destination for newcomers in an attempt at tapping into that hoard of cash capital and revving up its economic engine.

“We will try to use web technology to our advan-tage,” said Dan Borowec, the county’s director of economic development and tourism. “We will create an online platform where

people can get the tools and analytics they need to help them make informed deci-sions.” He was referring to the online information gateway that the county is working to set up and aiming to launch in March 2013. The gateway initiative is supported by a $115,500 funding from Ontario Ministry of Citizen-ship and Immigration and a $15,000 in-kind counterpart contribution from Northum-berland County.

“The portal plays an impor-tant role in supporting the

county’s thrust of creating economic opportunities by attracting investors and developing a sustainable and diverse workforce,” said Dindin Villarino, coordi-nator for the project. “As an information gateway, the web portal responds to inquiries and interest in Northumberland County, highlighting existing op-portunities and showcasing the county as an attractive destination for newcomers.” PROXIMITY TO GTAOne of the key advantages of Northumberland, ac-cording to Mr. Borowec, has been its proximity to the Greater Toronto Area – something that impressed a group of businesspeople from mainland China who came to scout for invest-ment opportunities around

Ontario and spent two days in the county.

Newcomers to Northumber-land will effectively be within a short distance away from their cultural peers in the GTA, Mr. Borowec said, not-ing that new Canadians tend to live in clusters and gravitate to where they find cultural affinity and familiarity.

The portal project is not only geared toward attract-ing investment dollars; it is also aimed at attracting the workforce required to sup-port economic-development strategies. As the county moves the framework of the immigration portal forward, Mr. Borowec said, a work-force-gap analysis also gets under way to identify where opportunities exist for people with particular skill sets.

NORTHUMBERLAND

County looks to newcomers to spur growth

Dan Borowec, director of economic development and tourism in Northumberland County, seeks newcomers using web technology

Make no mistake about it: multinational compa-nies, both in Canada and the United States, are awash with cash, and they are looking for smart ways to invest their cash holdings, which esti-mates put in the trillions of dollars.


NEWS DIGEST

Wensten Accounting Inc.

Forest Li, M. Sc.CITC / CBPhone: (705) 749-9288E-mail: [email protected] George St N, Suite 200Peterborough, ON K9J 3H3

Get all the benefits available to you in the form of income-tax credits and refunds. The benefits include, but are not limited to:

■ Property (rental) tax credits■ GST credits■ Child tax benefits (CCTB, UCCB, Fitness and Activity credits)■ Working tax credits■■ Donation / medical / moving credits■ Education (tuition and textbook) credits To get these benefits, you need to file an income-taxreturn each year. The tax returns will also help you inyour Canadian-citizenship application in the future.

Wensten Accounting Inc. specializes in filing income-tax returns for immigrants, international students, business owners andcorporations. Also, it can help you register a business and handle GST and payroll issues. Please call for more information.

McConkey Real EstateWelcomes you to Peterborough

(Ontario’s Jewel in the Crown)

106 Hunter St. E. N.E. corner of Hunter St. and Mark St.

East City'sNo. 1 Real

Estate Company

East City'sNo. 1 Real

Estate Company

McCONKEY REAL ESTATEis a family owned and operated Real Estate Company. Sheila and her children, John and Charlotte, run a strong, independent family business built on referrals and repeat business. Sheila McCon-key, Broker, has been actively selling real estate for over 40years, John Mc Conkey, Asso-ciate Broker, has over 25 years experience, and Charlotte McConkey has over 10 years selling real estate. Charlotte is an award-winning sales representative for all Canada in advertising. Sheila, John and Charlotte believe in personal service and going the extra mile. Stop into McConkey Real Estate to see just how they can help you. McConkey Real Estate . . . a 40-year family tradition.

(705) 745-43211-888-858-2088

www.mcconkeyrealestate.com

Gigantic projects in Nor-thumberland and surround-ing areas – for instance, the billion-dollar radioac-tive waste cleanup in Port Hope and the overhaul of four reactors at the Dar-lington nuclear plant – are anticipated to spur labour demand as well as trigger an employment vacuum that, if left unaddressed, could potentially put off investors. “One question site selectors often ask about is whether we have a workforce-diversification strategy – meaning that if they come and create 100 jobs, what will the work-force look like in, say, five years? And do we have the support services in place that allow them to train workers and develop a succession-planning strat-egy for their workforce?” Mr. Borrowec said. “With our aging demographics, succession planning is very important.” A group of 12 volunteers has been formed to pro-vide a collective input as development of the portal progresses. Volunteers are drawn from such organiza-tions as the New Canadians Centre-Cobourg, Northum-berland United Way, The Community Training and Development Centre, and

the Business Advisory Cen-tre Northumberland.

INTEGRATED SERVICESA news release also quoted Mr. Borowec as saying that the portal will not only serve as an information gateway; it will also foster integrated services among different agencies and promote part-nerships with community service providers.

“As we extend ourselves to the big world, and people start to come our way, we need to be very, very much enlightened and prepared for them. We must be able to meet expectations on all sides. That’s a key piece for me,” he said.

The portal will provide in-formation on, among other topics, housing, education, healthcare, language instruc-tion, investment opportuni-ties and employment.

Ms. Villarino also noted “the importance of the portal as a tool in breaking down prejudiced notions against small cities and rural communities as sup-posedly having fewer op-portunities or amenities for newcomers.”

“There is life beyond the big city,” she said. n

Source: Northumberland County Economic Development and Tourism

TOP PRIVATE COMPANIES IN NORTHUMBERLAND

EMPLOYER EMPLOYEESCpK Interior Products 1,000 - 4,999Cameco Corp. 500 - 999Belden (Canada) Inc. 250 - 499Horizon Plastics Co. Ltd 250 - 499Cam Tran Co. Ltd 100 - 249Coveright Surfaces Inc. 100 - 249Esco Ltd 100 - 249Ste. Anne's Country Inn & Spa 100 - 249Weetabix of Canada Ltd 100 - 249Viceroy Homes Ltd 100 - 249Weston Bakeries Ltd 100 - 249SABIC 100- 249Bakkavor Foods Canada Inc. 1-50


175 George Street NorthPeterborough, ON

(705) [email protected]

Eileen Madder, CFP, EPCFinancial Advisor

For faster family reunification, Citizenship and Immi-gration Canada has introduced Super Visas for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada.

Super Visa applicants must have Canadian medical cover-age for at least one year and a minimum of $100,000 in a minimum of $100,000 in coverage.

Ask me about travel insurance for Super Visa applicants and get a free quote.

NEWS DIGEST

PETERBOROUGH

Casa Maria holds annual fund-raiserCasa Maria Refugee Homes, a non-profit organization in Pe-terborough that supports and offers shelter to refugees, will hold its annual fund-raiser on November 3, 2012 at Knights of Columbus Hall (opposite St. Peter’s Cathedral on Reid Street) from 9am to 2pm. More than 100 donated items are up for sale. The Tea & Bazaar raises more than $10,000 annually, accord-ing to Sister Ruth Hennessey, who runs Casa Maria, along with a board of advisors. “This is such a generous and giving community,” she said. The event is also designed to heighten public awareness of the issues faced by refugees and their families, creating bridges of acceptance and support.

Raffle prizes will also be drawn. The prizes are $1,000 for first; one-night stay at Mar-riott Hotel plus breakfast and $200, second; and handmade quilt donated by St. Anne’s women’s group, third. Tickets cost $2 each or $5 for three. For more information, call (705) 743-5164. n

Children’s choir to performThe internationally acclaimed African Children’s Choir is coming to Peterborough and will perform at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church on Mur-ray Street on October 26, 2012 at 7pm.

The choir will sing well-loved children’s songs as well as gos-pel favourites.

The African Children’s Choir is made up of some of the neediest and most-vulnerable

children in Africa. Many have lost one or both parents to poverty or disease.

Admission is free. For more information, call (705) 745-1411. n

WinterCelebration PotluckThe New Canadians Centre is “making plans for a wonder-ful evening” for the Winter Celebration Potluck, which is scheduled to take place on De-cember 4, 2012 at the Market Hall on George Street. The event features traditional winter music as well as food from around the world. Every-one is invited.

For more information, call (705)-743-0882. n

DURHAM

EVENT: Public speaking WHEN: Tuesdays 7-8:30pmAjax Outspoken Speakers, a Toastmasters public-speaking club, provides people with an opportunity to develop their communication and leader-ship skills.

EVENT: Legal adviceWHEN: Mondays and Tuesdays, 8:30am-4:30pm, starting Oct. 22Provided by paralegal interns through the Durham Com-munity Legal Clinic, Legal Advice addresses questions about Canadian law and rights. Sessions are done in person (Mondays) or via video confer-ence (Tuesdays).

EVENT: Youth job-search workshopsWHEN: October-DecemberProvided by Northern Lights, the youth job-search work-shops are designed for new-comer youths to assist them in career-planning and job-search.

For more information, call the Ajax Welcome Centre on 1-877-761-1155. n


Canada has welcomed its 20,000th per-manent resident through the Canadian

Experience Class (CEC) immigration stream.

Gaurav Gore, originally from India, has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Toronto. He is ap-plying his education as well as his experi-ence as a business consultant with a major bank in Toronto.

“We are working hard to attract and retain the best and brightest students from around the world. Gaurav is an excellent example of the benefits of welcoming highly educated and skilled people to stay as well as work in Canada. He is now building a successful career, contribut-ing to our economy and helping create jobs for Canadians. Guarav is exactly the sort of skilled worker that Canada hopes to attract and retain through the CEC program,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said.

“As a student, I saw the wealth of op-portunities available in Canada,” said Mr. Gore, a personal and commercial digital

NEWS DIGEST

NATIONAL

20,000 andcounting forCEC stream

channels advisor with BMO Financial Group. “I felt welcome. I wanted to stay, pursue a career here, and contribute to the economy as well as to the country. I was happy to discover that it was possible through the CEC and that I could use my skills immediately upon graduating.”

Paul Davidson, president of the Asso-ciation of Universities and Colleges of Canada, said Canada’s universities are pleased to see the success of the CEC in helping international student graduates be-come permanent residents. “These gradu-ates contribute to economic growth and innovation in Canada and help Canadian businesses connect with new international markets,” he said.

The CEC, Canada’s fastest growing economic immigration program, offers a pathway to permanent residency for international student graduates as well as others with skilled work experience in Canada. Those who are eligible may apply from within Canada and expect a quick decision. n

Immigration Minister Kenney congratulates Gaurav Gore, Canada’s 20,000th permanent resident through the Canadian Experience Class.

New language rules for citizenship applicantsMost citizenship applicants will

soon be required to provide up-front objective evidence of their language ability at the time they apply, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced.

The new rule applies to applications

received from November 1, 2012.

At present, Citizenship and Immigra-tion Canada assesses the language ability of applicants, aged 18-54, solely through interactions with CIC staff and by using the results of the citizen-ship-knowledge test.

“Extensive research has consistently shown that the ability to communicate effectively in either French or English is a key factor in the success of new citizens in Canada,” Kenney said.

The regulatory change will not in-crease the language level required. n

Temporary Students in Canada

2011

2010

2009

239,121

218,100

195,851

0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada


FEATURE IMMIGRANT SUCCESS STORY

MISTER FIX-ITMcCloskey International Ltd sets its sights on a lofty goal: the bil-lion mark. Ask Paschal McClos-key, the man at the helm of the multi-million business, and he would say – quite matter-of-factly – that in his lifetime, it could be a billion-dollar company.

McCloskey International Ltd is an industry leader in providing complete solutions for crushing, screening and recycling. The company’s manu-facturing facilities in Pe-terborough and North-ern Ireland produce innovative and world-class jaw, cone and im-pact crushers; vibrating screeners; trommels; and stacking conveyors. The company’s prod-ucts are used by topsoil producers, landscape contractors and quarry owners to screen and separate materials like rock. McCloskey sells its products through more than 60 dealers in North America, Europe, Japan, South America and Australia.

Headquarters: Peterborough2012 Turnover: $200 million*No. of Employees: 300 (Peterborough); 150 (Northern Ireland)International Office: County Tyrone, North-ern Ireland

*as of September 2012

AT A GLANCE

Paschal McCloskey, founder and president of McCloskey International Ltd

Not a small matter con-sidering that 27 years

ago, it was a five-person conveyor-manufacturing op-eration. Today, it is arguably one of the fastest-growing and most-successful makers of heavy-duty mobile equip-ment in the world.

Paschal, 58, an Irish-born immigrant, is the driving force behind the company. Who is Paschal and how did he manage to build a highly successful global-manufac-turing business?

Like many enterprising individuals who have suc-cessfully carved their niche, Paschal had very humble beginnings, making where he stands today a truly remarkable success story. At 15, he dropped out of school and made a living doing handyman jobs – he fixed neighbours’ cars, farm tools and equipment. In 1980, as a 26-year-old, he left Derry County in North-ern Ireland, where he grew up, and moved to Canada, equipped with little else but hope and determination to start a business based on his mechanical skills.

He lived in Montreal early on in Canada. The Montreal of the 1980s was a destina-tion for many from around the world; it was an attrac-tive spot for many entrepre-neurs and would-be entre-preneurs. The young Paschal was one of them.

He eventually moved to Toronto. Pursuing his dream of establishing a manufacturing business, Paschal took over a failing conveyor manufacturer in Ajax in 1985. A year later, he snagged a major con-tract to design and build a 13-metre conveyor, which has since become his com-pany’s flagship product. One good product quickly led to another. McCloskey then rolled out the Trom-mel Screener, which indus-try watchers hailed as one of the most-efficient tools to separate soil, compost and gravel. So began McCloskey’s inroad into the heavy-duty machinery market.

With a combined workforce


FEATURE IMMIGRANT SUCCESS STORY

of nearly 450 people in Peterborough and North-ern Ireland, McCloskey has sales of $200 million in fiscal 2012. The company has its headquarters at a 300,000-square-foot prop-erty in Peterborough.

EXPANSIONMcCloskey has come a long way from its humble start in that small Ajax shop. To expand, the company acquired small and fail-ing businesses and turned them around. For instance, McCloskey bought out a bankrupt manufacturer of vibrating screens in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and turned it into one of its key strategic purchases: to take a bigger foothold and provide maintenance service to its clients in Europe.

The company continually rolls out new products. In Ontario, it is gearing up to double production of crushers and screeners from 14 machines a week to 30.

To keep up with labour demand, McCloskey has partnered with Fleming Col-lege to set up The McClo-skey International School of Skilled Trades, which administers 12-week training courses for would-be trades-people. The company has also found a good source of skilled labour through a welding school in the Philip-pines and will bring nine welders from there in 2012. Asked what his greatest achievement has been, Paschal said, “I bought little businesses that were flat and fixed them.” n

www.shopnofrills.ca

Dieter & Darcy’s nofrills. 230 George St. N.

Peterborough

Ken’s nofrills. 1866 Lansdowne St. W.

Peterborough

in our store simply show us an advertisement or receipt andwe will sell you that item at the same price. We will match

competitor’s advertisement or within 7 days of the date of

size and attributes) and for produce, meat and bakery items,we reserve the right to determine a comparable item. ‘Our major competitors’ and ‘geographical trade areas’ aredetermined solely by us and are based on a number of factors which can change from time to time. Excludes ‘multi-buys’(eg. 2 for $4); ‘spend x get x’; ‘Free’; and discounts obtained through loyalty programs.

If you find a cheaper price,simply show us and we will match.


COVER STORY

Scenario 1: If the immigration of-ficer starts a conversation, I will

simply pull out my handwritten note, slip it across the counter, and allow it to do the talking for me: “Hi! Sorry, I don’t speak English. Please call my husband, who is meeting me, if you have any questions.”

Scenario 2: I clear the immigration process without a word spoken be-tween me and the officer.

As luck would have it, the second sce-nario unfolded, and it really saved me a little inconvenience. You see, I did not speak a word of English when I came to Canada from Kazakhstan in 2008. That I needed to learn English to navigate through life in Canada was more than obvious to me. A persistent thought at the back of my mind was: “If you want to be a true Canadian you must start learning English.”

So, I signed up for the LINC (Lan-guage Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) program at the Pickering Welcome Centre. LINC is offered for free to newcomer permanent residents. Within the next six months, I had de-veloped a capacity to speak English at a level that makes me able to apply and compete for a full-time job. The members in my LINC class come from a wide mix of professional back-

THE MAKING OF A CANADIAN

Source: New Canadians Centre Newcomer Bulletin Graphics

YEAR CR FC ND ITL LCP RC CC S W TR O UN TOTAL2000 to 2001 0 32 55 1 2 16 1 0 0 0 3 0 1102001 to 2002 7 44 47 6 4 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 1152002 to 2003 20 37 62 1 0 16 0 0 0 0 1 0 1372003 to 2004 18 45 76 10 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 4 1622004 to 2005 44 25 43 2 3 28 4 5 8 30 2 0 1942005 to 2006 23 35 35 1 6 9 9 8 7 24 4 3 1642006 to 2007 17 38 21 1 2 15 8 10 3 9 3 1 1282007 to 2008 14 42 24 2 5 1 23 16 14 24 3 5 1732008 to 2009 18 60 50 5 7 25 52 17 21 34 9 0 2982009 to 2010 11 87 56 2 3 21 36 22 17 30 12 0 2972010 to 2011 25 88 84 7 7 5 44 20 37 35 5 0 3572011 to 2012 13 71 44 7 13 17 48 44 26 39 1 0 323

TOTAL 85 315 235 17 24 67 163 85 92 132 32 14 1253

NCC NEW CLIENTS PER FISCAL YEAR

CR Convention Refugee FC Family Class ND Independent ITL Intent to Land LCP Live in CaregiverRC Refugee Claimant CC Canadian Citizen S Student W Worker TR Visitor O Other UN Unknown

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 to to to to to to to to to to to to 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

110 115137

162

194164

128173

298

297

357

323

Olga Doktorova: Canada’s “welcome” is warmer

What does it take to be a Canadian? For newcomers, it starts with being able to call Canada home. By OLGA DOKTOROVA

The thoughts running through my head as I stand at the immigration queue at Toronto’s international air-port can probably make a scene in a movie. I rehearsed the potential scenarios mentally many times.


DANIELA RAMOSOriginally from: BrazilMoved to Canada: Spring 2006

My initial plan to come to Canada was to study English for a couple of months, make new friends and have a great time. Things began

to change, however, when I met the man who is now my husband. He comes from Brazil but, when I first met him, has lived in Canada for 14 years. I decided to start a family in Canada. Not that I love Brazil less: it is a fantastic place, and the people are amazing. But the stress of big-city life and the unabated crime wave have taken their toll on me.

The transition to a life in Canada was daunting. I had to overcome a language barrier. And I did not quite know how I could possibly restart my career in psychology. I ended up working as a human-resources as-sistant in a large produce store, a job I held until my husband was relo-cated to Peterborough for work in 2010. Thanks to the New Canadians Centre, I felt so welcomed. I now work as a health and safety specialist. I used to have two places I call home – until my daughter Isabela was born. She is our little Brazilian-Canadian. We never thought of leaving and moving to Brazil anymore. n

SUREKHA PATELOriginally from: IndiaMoved to Canada: March 11, 1999

I came to Canada as a sponsored spouse. I did not have grand expec-tations of what my life in Canada might be like before I came, al-

though I imagined that it is a beautiful country, and that its people are friendly. Food was a big adjustment for me early on. So was language. But with a fair amount of time, I got used to non-Indian food and also improved on my English-language skills. The New Canadians Centre has helped me a lot to get settled in Peterborough. NCC provided me a host, who showed me around and assisted me in every way pos-sible. NCC also helped me to write a long-distance course with the Toronto-based The Michener Institute. I now work as a laboratory technologist at SGS Canada in Lakefield. Back in India, I was a medical laboratory technologist.

I am quite established in the community now. I live in a nice neigh-bourhood, where the people are friendly. There is a small Indian community too. I do feel a sense of belonging to the Canadian society – perhaps owing to my economic integration, I believe. Canada is defi-nitely home to me. n

COVER STORY

I do feel a sense of belonging . . . perhapsowing to my economic

integration

I used to have twoplaces I call home – until

my daughter Isabelawas born

grounds – back where we originally come from, I must quickly add, since our professions are, for the most part, not recognized in the Canadian con-text. I was a journalist in Kazakhstan. Another was a university math profes-sor in Iran. Others were lawyers. And still others were teachers.

To some of my fellow students that I have talked to, the LINC class marked their first step on the road to success in Canada. And to one of my teach-

ers, the class represents “an intersec-tion where in one place you can see the variety of remarkable different cultures.”

The LINC class was one of the best experiences of my life.

MAKING ONTARIO HOMELimited English-language skills were identified as the second-greatest settlement challenge among immi-grants and refugees, according to a

study titled, “Making Ontario Home” released in July 2012. Finding em-ployment is the No. 1 challenge. The Ontario-wide study is based on a sur-vey of more than 2,500 immigrants, representing 158 countries, over a period of two years.

Commissioned by the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, or OCASI, the study looks at newcomers’ experience with the use of settlement and integration services in Ontario.


I know that this isthe place I will invest the

rest of my life in

I never had so muchsupport before as I have

now in Canada

COVER STORY

LIANA ORLOVSKAYA Originally from: BelarusMoved to Canada: 2009

I came to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker program. I have applied for work in a university, and Trent University was the first

to respond. I worry about my kids at the outset. My son was 13, and my daughter, 16, when we came. They never spoke a word of English. I, too, am constantly working on my English-language skills. I now realize how lucky we were to have PCVS (Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School). The school was absolutely phenomenal in helping my kids to integrate, making them involved in the commu-nity. Through PCVS they also became scholars at All Saints Anglican Church. I think the PCVS closure is a huge loss to the immigrant com-munity in Peterborough. Many thanks also to Steve Ross at the New Canadians Centre. He connected my son with the Outward Bound Canada scholarship program. Now, it seems as though my kids have been around longer than me. I work as an analytical chemist, the same work I had back in Belarus. My daughter is a biochemistry student at the University Ottawa, while my son is in high school. I never had so much support before as I have now in Canada. n

MONYROTH NETHOriginally from: CambodiaMoved to Canada: October 2006

I came to Canada as a sponsored spouse. Language was quite an issue with me in the beginning, so I took ESL classes at Fleming College.

While at the college, someone introduced me to a man – who also originally comes from Cambodia – who owns an ethnic restaurant in downtown Peterborough. I soon received a job offer and joined the restaurant’s kitchen staff. I was lucky to have the opportunity to land a job within a fairly short period of time – barely one month of arriving. I had just completed a hotel and tourism management program in Cam-bodia when my sponsorship papers came through. So, although I had volunteer experience, I never really had a chance to gain some paid work experience. To brush up on my English, I always try to engage our restaurant customers in a conversation. Enunciation is still a bit of a problem for me, but I am definitely improving. I became a Canadian citizen in 2011. I know that this is the place that I will invest the rest of my life in. Within three or four years, my goal is to start my own food business. I am saving up money right now to make it happen. n

More than 83% of the respondents had used one or more settlement-sup-port services.

Newcomers, according to the study, gave high approval ratings to the services they received, including employment, language training and general-settlement services. Services provided by immigrant- and refugee-serving organizations were rated highly, particularly on areas such as

having a welcoming environment and the quality and speed of service.

About 17% of the respondents had never used settlement and integra-tion services largely because they were unaware of their existence. Transpor-tation and distance to services were most often reported as a problem in accessing services.

“This study shows that investment in

settlement and integration services is making a real difference in the lives of immigrants,” said Debbie Douglas, the OCASI executive director.

“The work done by OCASI member agencies, the organizations in the im-migrant- and refugee-serving sector, is solid. It is a wise investment of our resources. Investing in services at the front-end as soon as immigrants arrive, will have significant long-term


I remember theday I received my Canadian

citizenship. I felt secureand happy.

I believe thatonly the next generation

of immigrants – ourchildren – would become

real Canadians

COVER STORY

ANDREW MOUZAKMATOVOriginally from: RussiaMoved to Canada: 1996

I decided to move to Canada to escape the economic and political crisis in Russia. I had very modest expectations of life in Canada: be

in a stable society and have a job, a house and a car. I had worked in a Russian-Canadian joint-venture company in Moscow, so I had some Canadian work experience and easily found a job in my field in Canada. I graduated from the Moscow University of Aerospace Tech-nology where I studied radio electronics. In 2001, the global IT market collapsed, and I lost my job. I bought an IT company and started my own business, but after three years I went bankrupt. My advice to newcomers: be careful when buying a business; a profitable business is never sold. My second advice: never surrender to odds. I applied to the Canadian employment office, and I was sent to retrain. I studied computer programs, and in 2005 I found a good job. As a manager, I now conduct recruiting interviews. Present yourself in the right way: be confident, professional and positive.

Do I feel a belonging to Canada now? I believe that only the next gen-eration of immigrants – our children – would become real Canadians, and they would inherit the best from both cultures. n

ANGELO ARGIROOriginally from: MacedoniaMoved to Canada: 1949

I was 15 when I came to Canada. At the time Europe was ravaged by civil war, and life was difficult. My father had died in the war. In

1919, many Macedonians immigrated to Canada, and my grandfa-ther was one of them. He processed my documents and managed to bring me to Canada as a migrant worker. As a teenager who survived a war, my expectations of life in Canada were to have a peaceful life, a job and a shelter. I had 15 cents in my pocket when I arrived. I did not speak English at all. As my first job, I worked as a dishwasher and waiter in a restaurant. I worked nine to 10 hours a day, making 17 dollars a week. Even at that time, that was not much. I saved and kept a frugal lifestyle. In 1965, or 16 years later, I started my own restau-rant business in Pickering, called Massey’s, which still exists today and managed by my family.

Looking back, I remember the day I received my Canadian citizenship. I felt secure and happy. From that time on, I felt that I truly belonged to Canada. I then brought all my family to Canada – my mother, two sisters and a brother. Canada became my home. n

benefits for immigrants and their fami-lies as well as Canadian society and the economy.”

A significant number of immigrants and refugees accessed settlement and integration services within their first year of arrival, the study finds.

Claudia Madeira, a newcomer from Brazil who had used the services of the Ajax Welcome Centre, said:

“The centre is in a new building, well organized, extremely clean, and offers a variety of good services delivered by well-trained staff. I felt welcomed when I went there for the first time. The Ajax Welcome Centre is a great government initiative.” ECONOMIC INTEGRATIONHajni Hos, the executive director of the New Canadians Centre (NCC) in Peterborough, said, “we exist to

support and improve the social and economic integration of newcomers.” Employment assistance is one of the key services provided by NCC through the Workplace Integration Centre, which offers mentorship program for internationally trained professionals as well as provides one-on-one business consulting with employers to help inte-grate newcomers into the workplace.

Through the Peterborough Partner-


COVER STORY

Reality soon sets in,and life in Canada became

my second university.

I think I am moreCanadian than anything

else. This is the only place where I belong.

HENSEY KHANOriginally from: PakistanMoved to Canada: 1999

I came to Canada when I was young and had only my youth and smile as capital. I am an optimist even in the worst of conditions. In the

beginning, I was doing the lowest-paid jobs. However, I knew that I am in the land of opportunity and that if I work hard, I will succeed. I kept on believing that my best day would eventually come. I was blessed to have great friends who helped me keep my dreams alive and always encouraged me to do better. I am now a real-estate developer, and I think success is still far ahead of me. But I believe it will come.

My early years in Canada were not easy; they were filled with hardships and rough days. I have worked in a factory, coffee shop, convenience stores and on night shifts. I know that many newcomers faced the same hardships I encountered when they arrived. Making friends from different cultures helped me to overcome my difficulties. So, I suggest that newcomers go out there and make new friends with people from other cultures to broaden their horizon.

Since I spent all my young life in Canada, I think I am more Canadian than anything else. I think this is the only place where I belong. n

CLAUDIA CECILIA O’HARE Originally from: MexicoMoved to Canada: 2003

I came to Canada to study English. I had just graduated from a univer-sity in Mexico and had great expectations of life in Canada. Reality

soon sets in, and life in Canada became my second university. I learned to be a survivor. I took up all sorts of jobs to help pay for my English classes at a private school and support myself. I became an ice-cream factory worker, a dishwasher and a cleaner. Despite the odds I like Canada. Canada taught me to be optimistic and gave me a lot of op-portunities to build a new life. I returned to Mexico in 2006. However, a short time later a work opportunity arises, which opened the way for me to come back to Canada in March 2007. A month later I met a man who is now my husband. We got married four months later. I then went into busi-ness and started a cleaning company in Ajax. Much later, after I had two kids of my own, I opened Sunshine Valley Home Daycare, which made me very busy. I’m looking after six children in my daycare. My children have Canadian and Mexican citizenships. Although I love Canada, I also miss Mexico. n

ship Council on Immigrant Integra-tion, NCC works with more than 50 organizations on implementing an integration strategy aimed at making Peterborough a welcoming community to immigrants.

For Ms. Madeira, a corporate communi-cations specialist in Brazil, the sense of belonging comes at the point of a new-comer’s economic integration – “that’s

when you become part of something bigger than yourself, sharing goals and working in synergy with other people.” It is a process, she adds. “During this journey some people go fast, while oth-ers move slowly; but the only option is to keep walking.”

At present, newcomers make up 30% of Ontario’s work force. In Septem-ber 2012, in an attempt at developing

Ontario’s first formal immigration strategy, the Expert Roundtable on Immigration, which consists of leaders from the business, academic, economic and immigration sectors, outlines 32 recommendations, including increasing Ontario’s level of immigration to at least one per cent of its population or 135,000 people per year.

“We brought with us years of work


COVER STORY

Canada is home to me.My house is where my

children sleep.

I am so grateful toCanada for accepting and providing opportunities

to immigrants like me.

LUCY WANGOriginally from: ChinaMoved to Canada: 2002

I was a movie producer and worked in the movie industry in Hong Kong for 18 years. I moved to Toronto in 2002 to join my Canadian hus-

band. Unfortunately, we divorced after a year. I left home with nothing and opened a photo-studio business in downtown Toronto to start life all over again. English was particularly a problem for me. So, I attended ESL classes. In 2003, the dreaded SARS disease, which was believed to be brought from Hong Kong by Chinese people, swept through the area around my business in Toronto. My business slowed, so I had to seek part-time employment. My early years in Canada were very difficult.

In 2008 I met Allen, a photographer who became my husband. My sec-ond marriage was the turning point in my life in Canada. Together, Allen and I launched a business – a driving range and an automated golf tee. Running a business is a big responsibility, so I always try to do things in a professional manner. My motto is: never give up and do your best.

I am so grateful to Canada for accepting and providing opportunities to immigrants like me. I belong to Canada. n

MARIELA KRUSTEVOriginally from: BulgariaMoved to Canada: 1991

I moved to Canada seeking greener pastures after the communist regime fell in Bulgaria. I used to work as a nanny and a babysitter. I

attended English classes while, at the same time, upgrading myself pro-fessionally. Life was difficult, and the stress has ripped my first marriage apart. I remarried to Chav and started a family. In 2002, after finishing my studies at DeVry University, I started working as an IT solutions developer in a bank. My stint with the bank lasted until 2008, when I decided to become a full-time mother to my over-achieving children: My youngest son, Victor, is a Canadian tennis champion in the Under-12 and Under-14 category as well as part of the national tennis squad. My middle son, Christian, is a top student, finishing his interna-tional baccalaureate program in France and planning on entering medical school. My oldest son, Stephan, will finish Centennial College in 2013 and is set to start working in the international transportation field. I never once felt like I was an “outsider.” I still keep in touch with friends and relatives in Bulgaria, but Canada is home to me. My house is where my children sleep. n

experience, and a high level of education. We came to win, to find a secure and stable life. We have the best of intentions,” Ms. Madeira said.

SOCIAL INTEGRATIONBut, apart from economic integration, what else would make newcomers feel welcomed? Darcy MacCallum, the general manager of the Ajax

Welcome Centre, said: “Welcome is about providing a space where people can be as free as they are and free to discover themselves without judgment or prejudice.”

“And I genuinely believe that the government of Canada is seeking, to the best of its ability, to respond to what it understands as the needs of newcomers,” he added.

I concede that many immigrants do go through a difficult time of adapta-tion to a new life. But I have a general impression that Canada’s “welcome” is warmer. It’s not only about the integration programs. Other countries have them too. I think it is the people – the Canadian people – that matter the most: their ability to accept and embrace newcomers. n – with addi-tional reporting by Beverly Lomosad


CAREER FOCUS PERSONAL SUPPORT WORKER

PSW AS A CAREER

For Evangeline Dizon, no job is as re-warding as to care for other people. She had cared for the most vulnerable ones: she had looked after young children as a former live-in caregiver; and for more than two years now, she has been a per-sonal support worker (PSW) at a nurs-ing home for seniors.

“A PSW career is very rewarding,” Ms.

Dizon said. “I like to help older people in their daily routine. To be a PSW, one must be committed to providing quality care, organized and able to work independently as well as in a team environment.”

PSW is a career forecast to see a strong demand in the coming years. A trend emerging as a key demand driver is the population aging unfolding in Canada coupled by the imminent retirement of long-serving PSWs. Estimates also show that while 7,000 people train each year in Ontario

to become PSWs, about 9,000 also leave the PSW workforce for various reasons, according to the Personal Support Network of Ontario, a support group for personal support service professionals.

Asked to give a sense of the current demand for PSWs, Madelaine Currelly, CEO of the not-for-profit The Community Training and Development Centre, or CTDC, told Newcomer Bul-letin: “Some of our students received job offers even before they complete their training. And many of our graduates get picked up by employers soon after finish-

Evangeline Dizon

PSW VISIBLE MINORITY STATUS

Mixed

White

West Asian

South Asian

Latin American

Korean

Filipino

Chinese

Black

Arab

YEARS WORKING AS PSW

2.1% 58.0% 0.6% 0.9% 2.8% 0.6% 13.2% 4.0% 17.5%0.3%

More than 10 years

5 to 10 years

2 to 5 years

1 to 2 years

Less than 1 year

44%

28%

14%

8%

5%

Source: Canadian Research Network for Care in the Community

Nightingale human-resources assistant Laura Ayotte, left, and Sally Harding

ing the program. Health care is a growth industry.”

At Nightingale Nursing Reg-istry Ltd, a health-care ser-vice provider based in Peter-borough, it seems as though the shortage of PSWs has already begun to rear its ugly head. “We’re turning down one client a day,” said Sally Harding, president and CEO of Nightingale.

TRAININGPSW programs – mandated by the revised Ontario’s Long-Term Care Act since

July 1, 2011 – are offered at community colleges, private vocational schools and non-profit organizations. PSW programs combine classroom instruction with real-life clinical training.

Ms. Dizon went to CTDC in Cobourg to get her PSW certificate. CTDC operates training centres for PSWs in Peterborough and Cobourg. Fleming College also offers a PSW program as well as a bridge program that allows its PSW graduates to meet admission requirements for

By NASER MIFTARI


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its practical nursing program.To try to meet demand for support workers, Night-ingale has partnered with Fleming to provide a free 10-week training program for those who want to become personal attendants who, according to Ms. Harding, function, in many respects, like a PSW.

AON, on its part, provides financial assistance to its employees who want to go to Fleming and enrol in the PSW program. AON employees, who have passed probation and showed good work ethic, could apply for bursaries or an interest-free loan, said Kerri Davies, executive director of Canterbury Gardens in Peterborough whose parent company is AON.

AON operates four retire-ment homes in Peterbor-ough and one long-term care home each in Mill-brook and Tweed. PSWs work in a wide range of settings, including long-term care facilities, private homes, community support services and hospitals.

Health Canada estimates

that approximately 100,000 people work as PSWs or perform similar roles in Ontario.

Employment rates for PSWs are quite high. For CTDC and Fleming, the rates hover above 90%. At Nightingale, Ms. Harding said, 30% of PA graduates can expect to immediately have jobs. The rest gain employment within one to three months.

MINORITYA survey conducted by the Canadian Research Network for Care in the Community of PSWs across Ontario showed that visible minori-ties make up 42% of the PSW workforce.

“We currently have staff in various departments from Russia, the Philippines and Eastern Asia,” Ms. Davies said.

Nearly half of survey respondents also said they have been support work-ers for more than 10 years, suggesting that they are committed to their work as a career path as opposed to a short-term job. n – with additional reporting by Beverly Lomosad

Madelaine Currelly


PROFILE ERICA CHERNEY

But perhaps only a few know her personal story.

Erica’s father, Max Cohen, was 13 when in 1907 he, along with his parents and five siblings, arrived in Ottawa, driven by the turmoil arising from the Russian Revolution, which sent many to death, displaced thousands and changed the fate of millions. Mr. Cohen worked as a postmaster in a small community outside Ot-tawa before he and his brothers began a furniture business.

Growing up as a Canadian, Mr. Cohen maintained strong ties to his Jewish roots as well as his love for Russian folk songs. And he preserved the sickle as a sym-bol from the days of the Russian Revolution.

In 1920, while on vacation in Europe, Mr. Cohen, then 26, met a young Jewish girl from Czechoslovakia, Grete Gerstl, who would later become his wife. They settled in Ottawa after getting married. In the ensuing 10 years, the couple had three children – Erica and her two brothers.

ESCAPEIn the summer of 1938, Mr. Cohen asked his wife’s parents to come to Canada following the enactment of the Munich Agreement, which allowed Nazi

Germany to annex Czechoslova-kia. The Gerstls were fortunate enough to catch the last boat that would take them to the shores of Canada. Their belongings meant for the next shipment never ar-rived.

And so began a period of silence in which Jews across the Atlantic remained anxious for years, hop-ing that their loved ones scattered throughout Europe were alive and safe.

After World War II ended, Erica’s mother learned that her sister and husband, residing in Brus-sels, were killed in a death camp but that a young son had sur-vived.

Arrangements were made for him, speaking only French, to join his grandparents and family in Ottawa, where he grew up as Erica’s adopted brother.

At the Cohen home, where other immigrants were frequent-ly welcomed, it was not unusual for five languages – German, Czech, Hungarian, English and French – to be spoken around the dining table.

At an early age, Erica grappled with a sense of discomfort at her family’s distinct attributes – her grandparents spoke German and their distinct ethnic features were

ERICA UP CLOSEAND PERSONALBy SAFO MUSTA

A lot of people quite know Erica Cherney’s public life: Woman of the Decade for 2012, YWCA’s 1987 Woman of the Year, Peterborough’s 1999 Citizen of the Year, and Trent University’s first female chair of its Board of Governors (1980-1984), to mention some of her string of achievements. She also operates and manages Cherney Realty and is one of biggest landlords in Peterborough.

A 1907 photo taken of Erica’s father, Max Cohen, 13, center, with his parents, two older brothers, two older sisters and one younger sister.

A 1938 photo of the Cohen family. From left: Erica’s mother Grete, brother Ed, father Max, Erica and brother Sid.

Erica, foreground, with mother Grete, right, and grandmoth-er Fanny Gerstl in a 1945 photo.

A 1950 photo of the Gerstls. From left: Grete (Erica’s mother), her sister Idus, cousin Ben, mother Fanny and father Julius.


PROFILE ERICA CHERNEY

unmistakable – until she began to have an apprecia-tion for the richness of her family’s background and di-di-versity particularly after she began attending Carleton University, where she met international fellows, who loved visiting her home.

After obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Carleton University in 1952, Erica went on to live in California and New York for 14 years between 1955 and 1969. She returned to Ottawa in 1969 with her three young children after her first marriage ended. She then joined the family furniture business.

BETTER PLACEShe remarried and settled in Peterborough in 1971 with her husband, Harry Cher-ney, a Peterborough resident and a successful furniture businessman.

Asked where home is for her, she answers “Peterbor-ough” without hesitation. “I have been here longer than anywhere else. I feel at home,” said Erica, who recently turned 80. Acknowledging that Peterborough has gone through many transforma-tions in the past 40 years, Erica now engages in community activities that help to make newcomers in Peterborough feel more at home. “The immigrant community is now the most important asset; it really is,” she added.

She tells fondly how one day in downtown Peterbor-ough she overheard a couple speaking in a foreign lan-guage. “And I understood them. This did not happen 40 years ago. Peterborough is becoming a better place,” she said. n Erica Cherney, 2012

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Dave Carmon (name changed for privacy) registered a house-maintenance business in 2005. With good personal skills and hard work, the business took off well. After a year he needed to hire a guy. And yet an-other guy.

The business provided him a steady flow of good income, and the future looked bright. He purchased a

boat, vacationed at resorts, and dined out frequently. Life was good.

At the same time his mailbox started to jam with letters from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). First came white let-ters. Then blue. Then pink. He ignored them all.

The good life did not last long. One day in 2009 – four years after he started the business – he received frantic calls from his workers and suppliers: the cheques he wrote to them had bounced back. The bank told him that his ac-count had been garnished and frozen by the CRA and that he needed an accountant to help him sort things out. As a business owner, he needed to file his income-tax return every year. As a GST registrant, he needed to file GST return for the business at least once a year. As an employer, he needed to deduct CPP (Canada Pension Plan), EI (Employment Insurance) and income taxes from the pay cheques he made to his employees, match up the CPP and EI, and remit the monies to the CRA.

PENALTIESSince he had not made any filings, CRA had estimated the amounts owing and frozen his bank account. Not only was he made to settle his delinquencies; he was also made to pay the penalties for late filing and interest for late payment. Dave’s unfortunate fate was due to a lack of sound bookkeep-ing, which is crucial to the long-term success of a business. Liabilities ought to be dealt with timely. We regret seeing businesses that otherwise would have been very successful run into trouble due to a lack of proper bookkeeping. n

COLUMN TAX CORNER

By FOREST LI

BOOKKEEPING SENSE

FOREST LI is a certified income-tax consultant.


PROFILE PATRICIA REBOLLEDO-KLOQUES

BOOKKEEPING SENSE

Patricia Rebolledo-Kloques

Ms. Rebolledo is a cham-pion for honouring the

economic contribution of migrant farmers to Canada.

She told the story of Maria in an attempt at putting a human face to the migrant farmers’ personal struggles

and sacrifices. From Mexico, Maria has been coming to Northumberland over the past four years. She comes and works through the entire farming season, which ranges between six and eight months – the same amount of time she is also physically away from her husband and three young children.

In an intimate conversation with Ms. Rebolledo, Maria had confided how she would never have come if only, back home, she could earn anywhere close to the amount of money she would make from working in Canadian farms. Maria makes the equivalent of $40 a week in Chiapas, Mexico.

“They are making a lot of personal sacrifices in coming to Canada and doing jobs that not all Canadians would want to do,” said Ms. Rebolledo, the executive director of Horizons of Friendship. “The least that we can do for them is show ap-preciation and thank them for stepping on the gap.”

For several years now, Ho-rizons collaborates with the New Canadians Centre-Co-bourg to provide basic support services for migrant farmers in Northumberland. Horizons has had a mini library set up at its building in downtown Cobourg, offering resources in Spanish to make sure migrant workers have materials to read up about their basic rights. Translation services are also provided as well as health ser-vices through the Port Hope Community Health Centre.

Migrant workers can also look forward to a festive welcome and farewell dinners each year. PERSONALMs. Rebolledo’s advocacy at supporting the migrant work-ers is quite personal. More than 22 years ago, she was in the same predicament as the migrant workers when she became a landed immigrant to Canada from Costa Rica. “I know that feeling of isola-tion; it is real, and it can cause people to fall apart,” she said. She noted that language bar-

rier also adds to their social isolation, while acknowledging that some of the migrant farm workers “have very good sup-port from their employers.”

Ask these migrant workers if, given the opportunity, they would want to live permanently in Canada, and the majority of them would say “no,” accord-ing to Ms. Rebolledo. “You would think that they would jump at the chance to live in Canada if they are allowed to. On the contrary, practically all that I have talked to said they do not want to.”

That’s because language is a huge issue for many of them – it will then be too much stress for them and their family to start a new life in Canada, she said.

“From my experience, I know how important it is for new-comers to receive basic sup-port and to become part of the community,” she added. n

AT A GLANCE Founded in 1973, Horizons of Friendship is a Canadian non-profit international development agency committed to promoting social justice and people-centred development in Central America and Mexico with the coopera-tion of communities in the South and North. Horizons partners with local organizations to sup-port grassroots programs for people-centred devel-opment, the promotion of human rights and citizen engagement.

In Canada, Horizons fosters greater solidarity with the peoples of Cen-tral America and Mexico through people-to-people connections and raise awareness among Cana-dians about international development, human rights and Canada’s role in the world.

For more information, call (905) 372-5483.WHERE HONOUR IS DUE

Talk about migrant farm workers, and the name Patricia Rebolledo-Kloques leaps to the fore. Living in Cobourg in Northum-berland County – which receives about 250 farmers annually from countries such as Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Nicaragua and Guatemala – she understood the depth of the migrant farmers’ sacrifices.

NO. OF SEASONAL FARM WORKERS BY PROVINCE, 2009

Source: The Status of Migrant Farm Workers in Canada, 2010-2011

PEINova Scotia

New BrunswickQuebecOntanio

ManitobaSaskatchewan

AlbertaBC

145 80528 3,754 17,989 362124 1,010 3,347

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000


ADVERTORIAL

A business-administration graduate of Trent University, Mr. Kamau had a

successful career at a clothing retailer. He started at the company’s retail outlet in Pe-terborough and moved to another location each time he received a promotion – he was in Mississauga as an assistant opera-

tions supervisor and then in North York as a retail sales manager.

“Life was great, but the commute into North York from my residence in Rich-mond Hill was difficult,” he said. “In October 2010, I decided it was time to go back to Peterborough, the quiet beautiful town I had come to know as home, thanks to my now wife Stephanie Kamau.”

He had gone to the WIC before: to seek help both with his application for a post-graduate work permit after he completed his studies at Trent in 2008, and with his first attempt at breaking into the Peterbor-ough labour market.

“Employment is a key step to a healthy integration of a new Canadian in Peter-borough,” said Michael VanDerHerberg, an employment counselor at the New Canadians Centre who serves as WIC facilitator. “Finding a job can be a very difficult process for many newcomers to Canadian cities. And Peterborough is no exception.”

He notes that in the Canadian context referral plays a crucial part in job-seeking. “Sometimes it is who you know that will open doors for you. And I concede that

THE WIC CONNECTIONAlex Kamau Njuguna

Michael VanDerHerberg

The Workplace Integration Centre is an employment-services program of the New Canadians Centre.

WIC’s mandate includes:

n Increasing awareness and capaci-ty of employers to hire and retain internationally trained profes-sionals

n Providing dedicated resources and information to small and medium sized employers

n Helping internationally trained professionals achieve their career goals through meaningful em-ployment

n Assisting employers with creat-ing a culture of inclusion

WelcomePeterborough.caWIC is one of many resources that can be found at WelcomePeterbor-ough.ca, which is an online portal designed for people who are either thinking of immigrating to Canada with Peterborough as an intended destination, or who have recently arrived. The site also features suc-cess stories of newcomers as well as longer-term immigrants to Peter-borough.

ABOUT WIC

I’m stating a very general statement with exceptions,” Mr. VanDerHerberg. “But it is true that many of our clients have ob-tained employment as a result of a direct referral to an employer.” He lays out the main hurdle for newcom-ers: how to convince an employer to whom they are totally unfamiliar.

MENTORSHIPTo address the needs of newcomers, WIC has put in place a mentorship program, which pairs newcomers with working professionals in Peterborough. The expected outcome is that through the mentorship program, newcomers could gradually build a network of con-tacts that hopefully will lead to employ-ment opportunities. “We don’t have all the answers for your job search. But, we can connect you to people who are much more knowledgeable than we are when it comes to your profession and where you want to go,” Mr. VanDer-Herberg said. The WIC connection did work for Mr. Kamau. In January 2011, he received a job offer to work as a pharmacy store manager. n

When Alex Kamau Njuguna decided to return to Peter-borough after his quest for a better career took him to the Greater Toronto Area and the York region, he turned to the Workplace Integration Centre (WIC) for help to re-enter the local labour market.


ADVERTORIAL

For those interested in gain-ing an understanding of

international business as well as developing the skills necessary to grow in the global business world, Fleming College has developed a one-year post-grad-uate certificate in International Business Management (IBM).

“I like the program; it gives us a lot of knowledge – market-ing, supply chain. And they educate you on the job market. We also do presentations, and some of us never did that before,” said Wikny Lestin, an IBM student who came to Canada from Haiti in 2009.

Lestin said he was encouraged by his wife, who works as an elementary school teacher in Bobcaygeon, to attend Flem-ing, and he is very happy with his decision to enrol. Besides the coursework, Lestin said he

also enjoys the environment of Fleming’s Sutherland Campus in Peterborough. “I can fit into the city and with the people at Fleming. I like the program, I like the diversity of the stu-dents here, I feel comfortable that way,” he said.

IBM students learn innova-tion, leadership, globalization, and social and environmental responsibility. They are taught through a variety of tradi-tional and non-traditional class methods, including case stud-ies, simulations, guest speakers and field trips. Students also complete a seven-week applied project, working with mentors and classmates on real interna-tional projects for real clients. The coursework and the ap-plied project give students the skills and experience necessary to be competitive in the busi-ness world.

“Fleming offers IBM because we need that type of knowl-edge,” said IBM program coordinator Russell Turner. “Canada is culturally diverse, we’re a huge trader, we depend on international markets – so we need a program focused on the international market for our students to be competitive in the business world.”

Turner said that newcomers to the country are welcome to

apply to the IBM program and said that attending school is a great way to become involved in the community. “I came from Scotland, and not being from here, you come feel-ing like a bit of an outsider,” Turner said. “Newcomers are welcome, and I think it is im-portant for newcomers to get a Canadian education, because it is a great way to meet new people, develop your skill set, and become more competitive in the work world.”

Mohamed Hussain, who is

an international student from India, said he feels very wel-come in Peterborough and at Fleming College. “The other students treat me equally, and it’s really easy to make friends here,” Hussain said. “Peterbor-ough is very peaceful, it has nice weather, and the people are good here.”

Hussain said the program is very focused on hands-on training. “It’s totally different

from India. Here, it’s lots of projects and presentations,” he said.

Once Hussain and his class-mates graduate from the IBM program, they can focus the skills they developed at Flem-ing on business careers within the global marketplace, such as international management, marketing, and global logistics. The skills they gain are also transferable to other fields, including the government, international aid agencies and the military. n

FLEMING COLLEGE OFFERSIBM POST-GRAD PROGRAM

FLEMING OFFERS IBM BECAUSE WE NEED THAT TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE…WE NEED A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET FOR

OUR STUDENTS TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD

The world’s economies have become increasingly interdependent, with businesses across different countries supporting and relying on each other for success. Globalization is an integral part of today’s business environment, and an understand-ing of the international marketplace is necessary for prosperity in business.

Some of the newcomers enrolled in Fleming's post-graduate International Business Management program, along with program coordinator Russell Turner (back row, second from left)


ADVERTORIAL

High-quality, reliable communication is becom-ing more and more an essential part of home

life and a major factor when purchasing a home or moving into a new property. Residents also value fair prices and responsible, locally based customer service. All of that is available in tele-phone service from Nexicom, the Millbrook-based company that also provides high-speed Internet, cable and security-alarm systems.

Nexicom’s telephone service, NexiPHONE, uses exist-ing residential phone lines so subscribers can switch to Nexicom and maintain the same telephone number. Nexicom service takes over at the switch-ing station, which allows for quick and painless connection and transfer of services. Julie Howe, marketing manager at Nexicom, notes: “Our rates are very, very competitive. For as low as $33.95 per month, residents can be up and running with NexiPHONE. Combine it with high-speed Internet and the rate is a very reasonable $63.95 per month. Compare that with your current telephone service and then consider that NexiPHONE also comes with 10 free phone features.”

The free phone features that come with every package include voicemail, call display, call display blocking, call waiting, visual call waiting, call forward, call transfer, selected call rejection, three-way calling and speed calling.

“You can maintain the same phone number, direc-tory listing, phones, as well as wiring and jacks. You need only call us and we take care of the rest.” Ms. Howe says. Nexicom has grown out of the first rural switch-board in Millbrook, installed more than 100 years ago by Dr. Turner because he knew it would ben-efit his patients. Nexicom still provides commu-nity local and long-distance telephone service from Millbrook and now offers the service in central Peterborough, Bridgenorth and Lake-field. Most recently, the telephone service has also expanded to Lindsay.

Ms. Howe added: “This isn’t a cable or an Inter-net company deciding to do telephones. We were a telephone company before we were anything else. This isn’t a stretch for us. We know telephones.” Nexicom’s origins might have been humble–a rural telephone switchboard. Today it offers a whole world of technology while remaining an independent, family-owned company based in Millbrook.

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PARLIAMENT TOUROn July 15, 2012, a group of new-

comers, long-term immigrants and international students went on an educational tour of the Parliament Building in Ottawa. The tour also serves as a fund-raiser for the Baybay-on Fund, which awards scholarships to high school and college students in Bohol, Philippines.

Some members of the touring group

Tour guide Amanda V. at the Parliament Library

Gerry Itong, Ben Valles, Nieva Tumbiga and Katrina Valles

Manny Pan, Gerry Itong, Ester Itong, Ely Valles and Geri Valles

Angel Lim, Analee Calaor-Caniban and Ester Itong

Geri Valles, Dindin Villarino, Khim Vet and Josephine Valles

Ping Hoskin, Gina Koeller, Daphne Calip and Tita Green

Roseline Evans and Karen Trizzino Jem Valles and Bebsie Lego

The group, led by Larry Tyldsley, receives instructions just before the tour began

Michael Itong, Jennifer Itong and Katrina Valles (back)

Juvy Ling, Bernice, Ping Hoskin, Nita Spohn and Dindin Villarino


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BUSINESS AFTER HOURSOn October 2, 2012, the Peterborough

Partnership Council on Immigrant Inte-gration hosted the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Business After Hours at the Junction on George Street. Hajni Hos, the executive director of the New Canadians Centre, talks about the government’s thrust of attracting immigrants as part of its economic-development strategy. The no-charge event provides networking opportunities for chamber members as well as invited guests. Photos by Shelby Parker

Miryam Buchahim of MB Graphics and Events

Yvonne Lai of the Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigration Integration speaks with Jim Coyle and Nancy Wood of Coyle Packaging Group

Rita Wilke of C.S.T. Consultants Inc. Branch 733 with Chamber of Commerce Membership Services Manager Anne Arnold

Susan Dunkley McKnight of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble

Food sponsors

Karen Joplin from GPAEDC with Sofie Andreou and Brigid Ayotte of GPAEDC.

Maryam Monsef of the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough

Buffet spreadGabriel Rabadeneira of the New Canadians Centre

Stuart Harrison, CEO and president of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Trent University’s Cammie Jaquays


WELCOME DINNER

CRICKET MATCH

On July 28, 2012, a welcome din-ner was held for the migrant

farm workers in Northumberland County. The event was jointly orga-nized by the New Canadians Centre and Horizons of Friendship with the help of volunteers. The Fellow-ship Baptist Church in Cobourg provided the venue.

On October 2, 2012, Fleming College and the

New Canadians Centre jointly organized an International Student Welcome and Cricket Match. The event was a gesture of welcome for the college’s international students as well as designed to create an opportu-nity for them to meet members of the Peterborough commu-nity. Fleming has more than 100 new and 60 returning interna-tional students. Members of the Peterborough Cricket Associa-tion also came to demonstrate how the game is played.

Pastor Marco Soto, standing, from Global King-dom Ministries in Toronto, chats with some of the migrant farmers

Mona, Rob, Olivia and Tanis Weatherbee Teresa, Lorne and Maria Lang

Patricia Rebelledo-Kloques, Luz Ofelia Maya and Pastor Jeffrey Bell

Filipino dancers

Patricia Rebelledo-Kloques and Linda Robertson

Desmond Discon and Helmut Enns

Tita Green, Dindin Villarino, Juvy Ling, and Bing and Steve Webster

Volunteers Judy Ball, Brant Wilcox and Pastor Jeffrey Bell

Pastor Marco Soto, middle, hands out gifts to migrant farmers

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Fleming College President Tony Tilly and Mayor Daryl Bennett Councillor Lesley Parnell

Amanda Gray, coordinator of Fleming College’s Inter-national Student Services

Diane Lloyd, chair of the KPR District School Board PPCII’s Jason Stabler

Workplace Integration Centre’s Michael VanDer-Herberg

Community leaders, Fleming College administration and teaching staff as well as cricket enthusiasts turn out for the match

Pradeep Naik, president of Peter-borough Cricket Association


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Documents

Newcomer Bulletin Fall 2012