Settlement

I am very excited to live in Canada. I landed at the Regina, Saskatchewan airport on April 4, 2019 one and a half years ago. I truly enjoy living here. I really like the people in Canada because they are very welcoming, jolly, and helpful.

I also enjoy the changing seasons. I particularly enjoy the spring because everything comes alive. The trees start to grow little green buds and the flowers start to bloom. In addition, people start spending more time outdoors walking, barbecuing, and bicycling.

At first, I had some trouble speaking English because India's national language is Hindi and my native language is Gujarati. However, I studied English in college, so it didn’t take me long to catch on. When I arrived here, my husband suggested that I take English classes at the newcomer center in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. I told the administrator there that I was working on call in a hospital and would not be able to attend classes on a regular basis. She told me that I should sign up for LHS Canada online classes as an alternative because they are very flexible. I took her advice as I was very anxious to improve my English skills. I must say that the LINC Home Study program has helped me a lot. In addition, my LHS instructor has also helped me with resume writing, job search, telephone English, cultural orientation, etc.

I heard that if you want to survive in Canada, you must know how to drive a car. I live in Yorkton, which is a very small town, in Saskatchewan with my husband. I was having difficulties driving a car because it's totally different driving here than in India. My husband taught me the rules of the road, and I also took a two-hour class. Finally, I got a driving license in September, 2020. I was extremely happy when I passed the test as I no longer had to be dependent on my husband to go places and do things.

Everyone knows that it is really difficult to survive in the winter in Canada, especially in Saskatchewan, one of the coldest provinces in Canada. The first time I saw snow I was really excited, but when January came, I found it super difficult to walk around wearing all the winter gear: jacket, winter boots, gloves, a hat, and scarf. I felt like a giant awkward bear. Of course, I slipped and fell on the ice walking to work on my first day. Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt badly. In fact, I started laughing out loud at myself. I checked that no one was looking at me. I must say it was really funny.

When summer finally arrived, I discovered that there are lots of beautiful places to see in Canada. So far, I have been to Waskesiu Provincial Park and Kenosee Waterpark in Saskatchewan. I’ve also toured Banff and Jasper in Alberta, and many more places in western Canada with my husband and friends. In future, I hope to attend some of the outdoor summer festivals my teacher and co-workers have taught me about.

The main things which impress me about Canada are the pollution-free atmosphere, the boundless nature, the driving rules and regulations (driving here is so much safer than in India) and the peaceful living conditions. I really feel lucky that I was given the chance to settle here in Canada.