Bruce Smith, Scotiabank’s Staffing and Planning Senior Manager, is considered a champion to new immigrants. In 2012 Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia presented Bruce with the Dick Smyth award recognizing his involvement and commitment. It’s a contribution that continues through his dedication to hiring new immigrants, accommodating the English … Read more
It’s not every day you meet a clown. Yulia Sultan-Shakh performs for birthday parties and special events with dances, games, face-painting and balloon art. Yulia came to Canada in July 2012 from Israel, having moved there at six from her homeland in the former Soviet Union. While she considered Israel … Read more
It’s a long way from being personal chef to a Prince, to operating a Halifax restaurant. But that’s the path Abdul Kadar Sadieh has taken. After working almost three years for Prince Moshal Bin Abdul Al-Azez of Saudi Arabia, his life took a sharp turn in 2003 when he returned … Read more
Being a new arrival without English skills is enough of a challenge for most, but Gokul Baniya is also visually impaired. The Bhutanese native anxiously tells his story through an interpreter. Gokul worked as a cardamom farmer in Bhutan, but because of political unrest left for Nepal over 20 years … Read more
Gulrukhsor Sangova is a teacher from Tajikistan who arrived in Canada in 2005 as a refugee. She enrolled in the Community Language Program at ISANS, which has helped her communicate her needs within her new community. Gulrukhsor also took English for Work and Living and learned how to find a … Read more
After finishing his Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Noel Cesar needed a steady income. He got a job in a restaurant kitchen and liked it so much that he became a cook. Cooking took him from the Philippines to Dubai, and eventually to work on cruise ships, where he spent … Read more
Padma Maya Adhikari came to Canada with her husband, daughter, and two sons from a refugee camp in Bhutan. Since their arrival three years ago, Padma has worked her way through three levels of Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia literacy programs. She enjoys learning English and Canadian culture, and … Read more