Leaving a difficult marriage brought Fatme el Majzoub to Canada from Lebanon as a refugee in 2008. “I had no plan B,” says Fatme about her decision. “I’m really grateful I could stay in Canada.” She had been to Canada before, visiting family in Edmonton and Ontario, but decided on … Read more
Fang Liu loves Halifax, but her struggle to find employment just might lead her elsewhere. Fang is an analytical chemist with specialized skills in demand in the pharmaceutical industry, and often in medicine and academia. Fang and her husband, Fan Wu, also a chemist, had been working in separate cities … Read more
Positive energy and spirit exudes from Palestinian Ahmed Almashharawi. The medical radiation technologist proudly announces he’s had eight jobs since landing in Canada in 2010, while studying for his papers allowing him to work in his specialty. Ahmed had studied and worked in Iraq and then returned to his home … Read more
Ali Yousef is working successfully in Nova Scotia as a project engineer in the oil and gas industry, but he hit nothing but roadblocks until he went to Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia for help with his job search. After graduating in mechanical engineering at the University of Jordan, … Read more
The impressions of Inae Kim’s life in Nova Scotia can be seen in the vivid colours and contours of her paintings. Images of historic Halifax houses, street scenes and flowers are among a growing collection of beautiful and memorable works of art. The South Korean-born artist moved with her husband … Read more
Carolina Estefa Aviles’ first days in Nova Scotia were tough. Living in the small community of Ingramport without a job or a driver’s license, days were long and lonely for the native of Ecuador. But once she contacted Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, at the urging of her Canadian-born … Read more
Joy Marylin Balan traveled far before settling in Halifax and declaring it home. The teacher from India and her family moved to the United States in 2006 and lived in Dallas and Philadelphia. They then came to Fredericton and lived there a year. In 2011 they settled in Halifax and … Read more
Pam Tower is the kind of businessperson the immigrant community admires, as she considers it vital to welcome and support immigrants and help them learn how to work here. An interior designer and proprietor of Tower Interiors, Pam met an ISANS staff member about 15 years ago at a networking … Read more
“This is a peaceful place where people are friendly and they have time to chat,” declares Elham Jalali who left her homeland of Iran for Canada in 2012 because of political instability. She arrived with her husband, Saber, and two sons, Bardia, six, and Mazda, four. Her parents and sister … Read more
Father Jan Grotkowski greets visitors with a ready smile and a quick laugh. The personable priest moved to Canada in 2007 after 18 years as a priest in Poland. “I was 44 at the time, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to work in a different country, different … Read more
Sergey Sanders decided not to look for work in Canada; he created his own. He started a company called Sesa Design Inc. in Bedford, where he has researched and developed unique controllers and sensors for farming operations, greenhouses and hydroponics. His cutting-edge technology – that he started in Israel – … Read more
Mohammad Hossein Iranmanesh starts his day with a run twice around the Halifax Common. It’s a pleasant way for the soft-spoken engineer to clear his mind and to stay fit. Mohammad and his wife Farzaneh arrived in Canada from Iran five years ago to follow their son, a Dalhousie University … Read more