Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live outside Halifax Regional Municipality? Would there be as much diversity as in a city? Would you find work? Would your business succeed? Would you be part of a community? These are all challenges that newcomers face when moving to … Read more
Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia joins the whole community in expressing its deep sadness in the loss of Rocky Jones, tireless advocate for social justice in Nova Scotia. Rocky will be remembered as an outspoken champion of human and civil rights, an activist, as well as a role model, … Read more
Last week we were part of a happy family reunion through private refugee sponsorship. Omela and her family were awaiting the arrival of her parents and brother whom she had not seen in 11 years. They are Palestinian refugees privately sponsored by the Anglican diocese of Nova Scotia and PEI.
Check out the photos below of their long awaited reunion at Halifax airport…
The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Centre at ISANS provides care for newcomer children from different countries and backgrounds. Here, children aged 6 months to 5 years are exposed to their first group experience, while their parents attend language and skills classes.
Children from across the world with different languages, culture and experiences arrive at the ECE Centre to share the same language and culture. This is a first for them – everything is new and they have little to no information on what to expect…
From CBC Maritime Magazine
In 2007 the federal government started bringing over thousands of refugees from U.N-led camps in Nepal.
The refugees are from Bhutan, and they were forced out of that country in the early 1990s, meaning some of them spent their entire lives in the camps until they came to Canada.
In Halifax, about 350 or so Nepali-speaking Bhutanese are quietly settling into the community, but they’re carrying a huge burden, and it’s falling partly on the shoulders of the young people…
A big congratulations to Jan Sheppard Kutcher who has been recognized for her work at ISANS! Jan is one of 30 recipients chosen to receive the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Each Member of Parliament was given 30 medals to present to constituents who have made significant contributions to their communities. Megan Leslie will be awarding the medals to the recipients in a ceremony at Government House with the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia J. J. Grant on Tuesday, November 13th…
We were thrilled to sign our first application for private refugee sponsorship under its new Sponsorship Agreement with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. This Agreement allows Immigrant Settlement & Integration Services, in partnership with ethno-cultural groups, community associations, and faith-based organizations, to sponsor refugees to Nova Scotia. This has been a … Read more
Michael Maslowski knows an effective online service when he sees one. The Polish information technology expert—he earned his Master’s and his PhD in IT—is impressed that he could prepare for work in Canada before leaving home by taking the ISANS online pre-employment program. “ISANS came up at the top of … Read more
Every child is taught how to face this competitive world by their parents. It gives them a sense of security that if they fall or need any kind of guidance, they have someone to look up to. That’s exactly how I felt when I first got registered with Immigrant Services … Read more
Claudette Legault, Director of Programs and Services, has been a friend and coworker of Anna’s for 20 years, and shared these words:
“Anna joined MISA in December of 1992, and with her presence the settlement team doubled in size. I have always said that the settlement work is the heart of what ISANS is all about, the rose or the core of the onion or whatever example you want to use. It is hard to imagine those first few weeks in a new country, when you arrive in a foreign and strange environment…
Gerry Mills, ISANS Director of Operations, who has known and worked with Thuy for almost 20 years, thanked Thuy and spoke fondly of their time together:
“Thuy joined the organization in 1992. I remember her interview. It was her first interview in Canada. She blew us away in the interview and a little while later when I came out she was still there, waiting to be picked up. I told her she had the job and she gave me the biggest hug and then asked if she should have done that…
We are proud to announce that recently Claudette Legault, Wenche Gausal, and Anna Gregus attended the STARS awards ceremony at the IWK Health Centre to accept an IWK Community Award! “The IWK Community Award recognizes excellent members of the broader IWK Community who regularly demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the … Read more