Settlement

A long time ago when my husband told me we must move to Canada, it was good news for me, but it also made me nervous. I had started to think how to pack my entire home in a small bag. I started my preparation and finally I said bye to my family members and my country. Finally, we landed in Canada. I still remember Canada's immigration process which was very long. I was waiting for 3-4 hours and the immigration officers asked us lots of questions. It was difficult for me to understand their accent because English is not my first language.

Then we moved to a rental apartment and decorated it with furniture and lights. I met friends and gathered lots of information about my neighbourhood. I enrolled my daughter in a parenting program and due to this program, I made more friends and got a lot of information. I came to know about different programs for adults and children and settlement services that helped us to settle in Canada. These settlement services helped us a lot.

Some of the services which benefited me were LINC program, settlement services and library services. LINC program helps newcomers to improve their English. I am currently enrolled in this program and am learning English. With the help of this program, I have improved my English a lot. Through settlement services I got enrolled in computer programs. This service can help us find jobs. I learned basic computer programs like Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. I got good teachers and currently these programs are helping me a lot with my daily chorus. I have also enrolled my daughter in a few activities like swimming, basketball, and music which I got from library services. Lastly, I also got MAP pass from the library through which we can visit and enjoy attractions like Ripley's Aquarium, Science Centre, Toronto Zoo etc. There are many such programs that help us in different ways.

On the other hand, we cannot find all this information easily. To get this information we must do lots of networking and research. Overall, all these newcomer services help newcomers a lot. With the help of all the newcomer services I was able to settle in Canada. My experience was awesome.