When does a new country start to feel like home? Is it when you become a citizen, you learn a new language, you vote in your first elections or something more personal? The Globe asked readers who were not born in Canada but now live here to share their “welcome to Canada” story – the moment they felt they belonged. Uwe Walter votes as Canadian for the first time in the 2015 federal election. Courtesy of Uwe Walter
Uwe Walter, 51, Calgary
Arrived from Germany in 2009 “A few months after my husband and I became Canadians in 2015, federal elections took place. I went early in the morning to the community center in Jasper, in Alta., Where we were staying then, and I stood in front of the pretty lady and she was checking my ballot. I cried because I was so happy. She came and asked me what was going on and when I explained to her that this was my first election as a Canadian, she hugged me a lot. I later posted a photo on social media and in the small local community newspaper Fitzhugh pick it up. “ The course of Akshay Aurora pride in 2019. Courtesy of Akshay Aurora
Akshay Aurora, 27, Toronto
Arrived from India in 2018 “In 2019, I had the opportunity to parade at the Toronto Pride parade with the queer affinity group at my law school at York University. I was closed until 2018 and as a queer person from a country where it was not an option to live an outside and proud lifestyle, this seemed like a redemptive step. The reception from the crowd was touching. When I walked to the parade, I saw a lot of happy faces and everyone was cheering. I had suffered from homophobia in the past and that was quite the change. “My ‘welcome to Canada’ was to be able to truly experience what Canada stands for: diversity and tolerance.” Mirriam Mweemba married her husband in Zambia during the pandemic and received a warm but physically isolated welcome in Nova Scotia a few months later. Courtesy of Mirriam Mweemba The couple’s first child was born in Halifax. Courtesy of Mirriam Mweemba
Mirriam Mweemba, 35, Dartmouth, NS
Arrived from Zambia in 2021 “My husband and I were married in my home country of Zambia in November 2020, during the pandemic, so it was possible for me to travel to Canada for the first time in May 2021. We were quarantined on arrival and Friends of my husband appeared outside the balcony of our apartment with a big “Welcome to Nova Scotia Mirriam!” mark. They also brought freshly cooked lobster and sparkling wine from the Annapolis Valley to enjoy while we waited for the end of our 14-day lockdown. “My application for permanent residence was approved in September and in May I gave birth to our first child in Halifax, one year and three days after the first arrival.” Tunde Omotoye remembers the return of a lost wallet.Tijana Martin / The Globe and Mail
Tunde Omotoye, 36, Ajax, Ont.
Arrived from Nigeria in 2015 “In 2015, I had just arrived from Nigeria and was studying at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont. I was facing a lot of culture shocks, from the winter to the transportation system and the education system. One night, I unknowingly lost my wallet, which had all the IDs, cash, debit card and credit card. I was getting ready for dinner when a roommate reported that someone was looking for me. I was surprised when an elderly man said he saw my wallet at Fairview Mall in Kitchener and decided to look for me. He drove all the way to get it to me. “This unique moment convinced me that I was in the right place.” Angelina Murashka from Toronto says she appreciates how in Canada “people from all over the world live in one place and peacefully”. Tijana Martin / The Globe and Mail
Angelina Murashka, 26, Toronto
Arrived from Ukraine in 2016 “Although English no longer seems like my second language, I like to change my native languages, Russian and Ukrainian, every now and then. As my boyfriend and I walked through downtown Toronto and had a “talk” on Runglish, an elderly woman walking toward us stopped and smiled in the most charming way. What he said next made me realize how lucky and grateful I was to have moved to Canada. He said: “When you hear people around you say a few words in English and a few words in their mother tongue, you know you are in Canada. That is the beauty of this country. ” And that is exactly what makes it so special. People from all over the world live in a place of peace, they are tolerant of each other and are really interested in your past when you say “I’m a young Canadian”. Manuela Steffan on a camping trip to Rocky Mountain in 1991 and a ferry ride from Vancouver Island’s Horseshoe Bay to Swartz Bay in 2004. Courtesy of Manuela Steffan
Manuela Steffan, 62, North Vancouver
It arrived from Germany in 1993 “On my first trip to Canada in 1990, visiting relatives in Vancouver, I was walking from the airport to the customs when I heard this voice in my head whispering, ‘You have arrived. You belong here. ” I find it overly exciting and I continued my vacation. But what I experienced at that time was an environment that made me feel at home: ethnic diversity, natural beauty and lots of friendly people. Growing up in Germany was fantastic, but for me it came with a heavy emotional burden of its history: My life took place inside a glass dome and I felt like I was looking outside. When I returned to Germany after my first trip, I told my family, friends and colleagues that I was leaving for Canada. In 1993, I immigrated, living first in Ottawa and then in Toronto. But my heart was in Vancouver and when I finally got to BC in 1995, I kept thinking how amazing it was to never have to leave. In Vancouver I felt I had arrived, I was watched, I belonged. I was in this glass dome. “ Margarida Roncon moved to Canada from Portugal when she was 8 years old. Courtesy of Margarida Roncon
Margarida Roncon, 54, Burlington, Ont.
Arrived from Portugal in 1975 “When I was eight years old when I came to Toronto, I did not speak English at all. I felt completely lost. My teacher talked to the principal and they decided to help me further. Every day at lunchtime, a teacher volunteered to do extra reading and vocabulary with me so I could catch up. After a few months, I was able to communicate quite well and in six months I spoke fluently. I bought her a small diary to write as a thank you gift and she said, “I like it, I always wanted that.” This made me happy because I was so grateful to her for helping me through such a turbulent time. What struck me was that in Portugal at that time, there was so much civil unrest that no one would ever think of volunteering to help anyone. “Then we came to Canada, where everyone was trying so hard to help us for nothing but to see us succeed.” Camilo Acosta with his family at the Mont-Tremblant resort in Quebec last May. Courtesy of Camilo Acosta
Camilo Acosta, 34, Montreal
Arrived from Colombia in 2021 “My wife and I arrived on December 31st. I felt special because it was our last day of our previous life in Colombia and the opportunity to start a new life with a new year ahead. We were 31 weeks pregnant at the time, so it was difficult. Imagine a person from a seasonless country carrying four 23-pound bags in the middle of the Montreal winter. The moment I realized that this was my new home was at the birth of our child, on February 21, 2022, at the Jewish General Hospital. All the staff were very nice and spoke English with us. “I dream of seeing my son speak three languages, visit my family in other provinces and buy the house of our dreams.” Michael Hung was introduced to “real baseball” at the Rogers Center, then called Skydome, when he saw the Toronto Blue Jays play there. Cole Burston / The Globe and Mail
Michael Hung, 49, Toronto
Arrived from Hong Kong in 1989 “It was my first visit to the SkyDome (also known as the Rogers Center) with my high school classmates, watching real baseball for the first time. My knowledge of baseball at the time was limited to Japanese manga Touch. Skydome had just opened. When I was younger in Hong Kong I used to listen to football matches on the radio. But only after I came to Canada did I start watching my hometown teams live and on TV. “It started with the Leafs, then the Jays, sometimes the Argos and then the Raptors in 1996 – again at SkyDome so high I could see nothing.” Jacob Masliyah was born in Iraq and immigrated to Canada from Britain. Courtesy of Jacob Masliyah
Jacob Masliyah, 79, Toronto
Arrived from England in 1964 “I was born in Baghdad and came to Canada by ship from Liverpool in 1964. I was 22 years old and a graduate student at the University of New Brunswick. I did not know anyone in New Brunswick and only one or two people across the country. It was a time of loneliness. A colleague took me for a walk in the countryside to guide me. It was autumn and we stopped in a wooden area with lots of golden yellow maple leaves falling from the trees. I walked through a foot of leaves. You could see the sun shining. I said to myself, ‘With a beauty like this, the people here must also be good. I will be fine here. I will be fine. In 2008 I was inducted into the Order of Canada. Once you leave your country of birth, it may be difficult to accept, but Canada is a very welcoming place. I feel very lucky. “ The interviews have been edited for the sake of clarity and style. Illustration by Mariah Barnaby-Norris Our Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
