Desi Dialogues: Toronto is a great city for new Canadians to come to

Without family or friends it seemed kind of strange to come to another land, but we had hopes that it would be alright.

Today, as I see many newcomers, trying to understand Canada Day, I seem to be wanting to tell them that it’s OK to take their time in a new country and to get to know its customs, beliefs, and value systems and that they needn’t be afraid if they choose to get their bearings before they truly understand the intricacies of the day.

I also believe that today’s newcomer has it better then the times that we came years ago. A lot has changed and the city of Toronto has changed as well.

Now there are more support groups, more private and government agencies working to get newcomers jobs and more resources from institutions such as banks out to help newcomers into the country. That alone should make ones life easier.

As a Canadian I believe that Toronto is the best city for people who come from other countries because it’s a diverse and multicultural city and the amount of avenues one has to express ones own identity and cultural heritage are phenomenal.

Just take a look at the festivals in the summer that celebrate South Asian or Chinese culture – and for that matter any culture.

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• Dec 31, 1969
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• Dec 31, 1969
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My niece from the United States, had joined us on an outing to the Harbourfront Centre and she had remarked on the fact that it was a delight to see so many different cultures around the city - a fact I began to understand only when I went to her city in Denver, Colorado.

Another important issue that my husband pointed out and which he noticed while we were travelling was the respect a Canadian passport holds internationally. This may not be a big deal to others but for people like us who travel extensively, it means not needing visas for several countries around the world.

I remember how many visas I had to make when I travelled to Europe some years back and I now remember how I did not need to enter the premise of a single European country when I had a Canadian passport. That in itself tells one the importance of the passport and the fact that Canada is internationally respected as a kind and giving nation.

And so as my younger son goes for a camping trip this weekend, and I go on a weekend trip, to Northern Ontario, I wonder how the years have passed since we came with my eldest son 15 years ago and who this year, graduates from university as a political science major.