Trisha moved to Canada in 2010 from Miami, Florida which was her home for 10 years. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, she received her citizenship in June 2016 in Mississauga. After moving back to Canada, she decided to go back to school and learn more about sustainability, a subject she is extremely passionate about. Trisha graduated with a Master of Environment and Business from the University of Waterloo in October 2015. She also holds a Masters of Public Health and a Bachelors in Science in Chemistry and Management. Trisha is currently an Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer services. In her spare time, Trisha enjoys connecting with both nature and the built environment in all four seasons. During the winter you can find her ice skating or walking the exhibits at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Trisha’s favourite CAP attraction is The Montreal Biosphere at Parc Jean-Drapeau. She describes it as a “mystical landscape,” a term used to reflect a spiritual contentedness with the environment. You can follow Trisha’s journey’s on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
[View the May CAP Members’ Newsletter, where Trisha’s profile originally appeared]
About CAP: For nearly 10 years, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) has delivered the Cultural Access Pass (CAP), an innovative, best-in-class program that gives new citizens access to Canadian culture. It’s time to shift CAP to the digital age. Support the ICC.
Bessy moved to Canada in May 2012 from Davao City, Philippines. She received her citizenship in October 2016 in Mississauga. She currently lives in Toronto, and has a BSc in Biology from the University of Philippines, and is a full-time Health Studies undergraduate student at York University. When she first arrived in Canada her aunt handed her, her first $20 bill. She says “I spent half of it on a day-pass, hopping on random busses and streetcars exploring and getting lost in the city”. Bessy loves music – she is a regular at jazz and karaoke bars, and enjoys jamming out with her bandmates. She also enjoys watching the opera, orchestra, and musicals. Her favourite CAP attractions are the Royal Ontario Museum and the Aga Khan Museum. Bessy plans to continue travelling in Canada – her next adventure will be a trip to explore Newfoundland and Labrador. Follow Bessy’s adventures and explorations across the country on Instagram or Twitter.
View the April CAP Members’ Newsletter, where Bessy’s profile originally appeared
About CAP: For nearly 10 years, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) has delivered the Cultural Access Pass (CAP), an innovative, best-in-class program that gives new citizens access to Canadian culture. It’s time to shift CAP to the digital age. Support the ICC.
Since 2008, the ICC’s Cultural Access Pass (CAP) program has allowed new Canadian citizens to explore, discover, and travel Canada with free access to cultural destinations during their first year of citizenship. The program, which now has over 1,300 participating cultural attractions, aims to give new Canadian citizens a sense of belonging to their new home through free access to its cultural spaces and places.
As a founding partner of the Cultural Access Pass, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) was one of the first cultural organizations to support CAP’s work in accelerating inclusion for new citizens. The Museum offers free access to CAP members all year round, as well as a free guided tour on the first weekend of every month. With a mandate to make its collections accessible to all Ontarians, the ROM has worked to engage and include new citizens since 2008. The Museum’s Community Access Network initiative partners with 57 non-profit community organizations — including the ICC — to offer free Museum tickets or direct access to communities who might not otherwise be able to visit. The program works to remove the social, cultural, and financial barriers that might stand between communities and the Museum. Beyond offering free admission, the ROM also collaborates closely with community partners to provide meaningful experiences and specialized learning opportunities for over 100,000 visitors every year.
Late last year, New Canadians, a web and TV show for newcomers to Canada, accompanied a group of CAP members on a tour of the Royal Ontario Museum. The segment, now available online, explains how new citizens can register for and use the Cultural Access Pass, and offers a sneak peek of the ROM’s magnificent collections — free for CAP members.
“We partnered with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship for the Cultural Access Pass program because we live in a very diverse city, in a very diverse province,” says Cheryl Blackman, Assistant Vice-President, Audience Development at the ROM. “And we needed to make sure that everyone feels welcome to the ROM.”
Watch the full video below:
Want to learn more about the Cultural Access Pass? Click here.
Learn more about the ROM’s Community Access Network initiative here.
New Canadians airs on OMNI TV. Watch the full story here.
At the Scarborough Civic Centre east of Toronto, the ICC Scarborough Youth Volunteer Committee is preparing to welcome 30 new Canadian citizens. It’s early and the wind is howling with the malice befitting a cold day in March, but the 30-odd high school students are all present. They’re organized, attentive, courteous. I’m offered a program as soon as I walk in the door, and there are several volunteers waiting to show me to the right room.
The committee has been working with ICC staff to co-organize community citizenship ceremonies for several years. The students come from schools all over Scarborough; they meet for weekly sessions organized by the ICC and its partner Catholic Crosscultural Services in the months leading up to the ceremony. The students receive training on financial matters and budgeting, but they’re also invited to dwell on the principles underlying the program; last year, Citizenship Judge Albert Wong attended one of the sessions to speak about volunteering and active citizenship. The details of the day — from centrepieces to food — are organized by the students.
Most of the students on the committee are newcomers themselves, and eager to help others new to the country. Andy Ma came to Canada as an international student a mere six months ago, and says he joined the committee because he wants to work with other newcomers. He’s confident and personable — “I’m good at communicating with people,” he says — and likes being involved in the community. During the roundtable sessions, he gently encourages a new citizen to share his story. “It’s just a conversation,” he says, reassuringly. The committee has given him an opportunity to develop his leadership skills and improve his English.
While everyone’s happy to be getting their 40 hours of volunteering for high school, there’s a real investment in the work. Committee membership is (unofficially) limited to a term of two years to provide opportunities for as many students as possible, but many ask to stay on for a third year or more. Some of the young volunteers at the event aren’t even members of the committee, but asked to be involved in some capacity to celebrate the new citizens.
Jill Timtim — who moved to Canada from the Philippines in December 2015 — found her way to community citizenship ceremonies when a settlement worker asked her siblings to join the committee. Jill, who has a background in advertising and event management, was so inspired by the committee meetings that she decided to pursue a career in social work; she’s now working towards a degree in child and youth care. She says she has always volunteered in her community, and is drawn to working with newcomers due to her own trajectory. “Actually, my mom’s here too.” She smiles. “It’s a family thing.”
Just after noon, the new citizens and guests head to the rotunda for lunch. Some of the students are in charge of the food, and they take up their stations dutifully, pointing out the vegetarian options and handing out bottles of water. The other volunteers are breaking apart into groups, the excitement of the morning giving way to a quiet hum. Now, they seem more like teenagers at the end of a school day. They mill around in groups on the stairs. They’re excited for pizza.
On my way out, I run into Alyssa, the anthem performer from earlier in the day. She’s talking to Jill, whom she met through their work with the committee; they have now become close friends. When I compliment Alyssa on her singing, Jill can’t wait to tell me more about her friend’s accomplishments, including a performance at last year’s ceremony. “And Jill performs too!” Alyssa chimes in. They support each other at every opportunity. The warm exchange reminds me that the committee is about more than volunteering or gaining skills for newcomer youth; it’s also about making friends.
Before I leave, I ask them what they enjoy most about community citizenship ceremonies. “The roundtable discussions!” The stories — they’re always so compelling. There’s something about sharing in the new citizens’ journeys that both find incredibly moving.
As newcomers on their way to Canadian citizenship, they’re both looking forward to their own citizenship ceremonies. “I want to be there some day,” says Alyssa. Jill agrees.
Interested in volunteering with the ICC? Contact us.
Watch an ICC community citizenship ceremony at VIA Rail’s Union Station in Winnipeg.
