by Chinedu Jennifer Nzom
It’s been three months since Canada went on lockdown, and like most people – we are excited to be reopening the economy. However, for some people, this is an anxious moment to embrace a new chapter in life fully.
Recently, I met some women who had just relocated to Canada – I am talking about the January and February 2020, in the middle of COVID-19’s pandemic. Imagine preparing for months (or years) to start this new chapter in your life, only to be asked to stay home in a new environment to save lives – including yours.
You watch your fund deplete and have to source from your local bank account back home to meet up to the reality and standard of living in Canada.
All immigration service providers are working from home. You have an overwhelming schedule to meet up with counsellors, matched mentors and handlers — both virtually and literally — back to back, all the while catching up on the to-do-list for job search or reviewing your roadmap towards starting up a business as a new immigrant.
To avoid overstretching yourself and your resources, learn to prioritize the tasks at hand and align your schedule with your most pressing goals or objectives. Identify the low-fruit jobs you can achieve within a short time frame.
In the case of settling down as a resident, visit the website of your province or city, call the 311 number for the City of Ottawa or the number for your city, or look up information about municipal programs and services.
Check out for the community centres allocated to your area of residence, put a call through to find out how they can help you.
In what way can they help you?
- housing within the area if you are staying with a friend
- connect you with foundations like Helping with Furniture to assist you with furniture for your home
- refer walk-in clinics you can visit around your area
- suggest medical centres and family doctors you can register with
- help you access to support programs such as the Ontario Electricity Support program if your rent is not inclusive
If you can, take a moment to reflect on the silver lining in this situation, you will observe that everyone is practically on a levelled ground. Almost everyone is at a starting point that will forever change life as usual.
In deciding to leave behind the known for the unknown is itself a bold step. You are a fighter, keep fighting to achieve your goals, find a job, or build a business. Don’t let the challenges of settling in Canada steal your fire. You are in good hands, and what’s more exciting about relocating to Canada is that Canada wants you to succeed.
Fight on, Fighter.
About the Author
Chinedu Jennifer Nzom is a Copywriter from Nigeria. She lives with her family of 4 in Ottawa, Ontario. She writes copy that helps companies achieve their business goals and build relationships with their customers.
