Santa was on-hand delivering gifts and good cheer at The Immigration Education Society (TIES) in on Friday. For many of the English language students in attendance, this will be their first Christmas on Canadian soil.
TIES president and CEO Sally Zhao says it is vital to celebrate and come together for the holiday season. It can be particularly hard for immigrants to settle in a new country, especially if they are struggling with a language barrier.
“Our clients are from more than 88 different countries, and our staff is from more than 30 countries,” Zhao said. “This is a very multicultural environment. It’s our vision for society.”
With more than 1,150 clients enrolled in the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program, the goal is to bridge gaps and build communities. Instructor Monica Mehta says she empathizes with her students and knows how critical it is to be able to communicate effectively.
“I was once an immigrant myself and I know how hard it can be to adjust,” Mehta said. “It’s very important that these students get a sense of confidence. Even a small thing like saying ‘hello’ or introducing themselves. Many of my students had never held a pencil or a notebook before.”
Calgary is the third most diverse major city in Canada. Right now, there are over 1,500 people waiting to get into the LINC program at TIES.
“We are facing some challenges,” Zhao said. “We are running 89 in-person classes and have 120 online learning students, but there are still so many waiting to get in. I do wish we had more financial resources so we could hire more people and offer more training programs.”
LINC students Hamza Ally and Misam Almsri both came to Canada in 2022. They say the classes have helped bolster their confidence and set them up with tools to communicate with Canadians.
“When I came to Canada, I knew many words, but I couldn’t speak to people,” Almsri said. “Now, I understand quite a lot. The teacher helped me and I’m very happy here.”
“I can now deal with things that I couldn’t before,” Ally added.
Calgary saw a surge in immigration in 2023, welcoming 31,000 newcomers to the city in the second quarter alone, according to the Calgary Real Estate Board. Zhao hopes TIES will be able to accommodate more LINC classes in the future.
“Every small step will help them in their settlement process here,” said Mehta. “It brings me joy to hear their success stories.”