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Meet Canoo member Olabode Samuel Adegbayike.

Originally from Nigeria, Olabode moved to Canada by himself to attend university. Olabode officially joined the Canadian family last summer, like so many others, in a virtual citizenship ceremony and now lives in Calgary with his wife and two children. Olabode decided to become a Canadian citizen after completing his studies, as he felt that Canada was home thanks to “the opportunities offered to me and the warm embrace of my community.” Olabode met his now wife, got married, and had two kids which motivated him to get his Canadian citizenship. He wanted his kids “to see how proud they could be of where they are from”. Olabode is most proud of his children and his degree, both of which he attributes to the help and support he received from his community.

Olabode has a deep respect for the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and is dedicated to continuing to learn about and understand their culture and history, stating that “The indigenous communities made me feel wanted and part of something larger.” Olabode says we all play a part in shaping the future of this country, and active citizenship is essential to that. For him, active citizenship means “striving for the greater good of Indigenous people, and making sure everyone has equality.”

Olabode said that he began to feel truly Canadian right after he got married: “My family always said I was more Canadian than Nigerian. It felt easy but with lots of responsibility and duty to keep you grounded.” Despite being a proud Canadian, Olabode is also proud of his Nigerian culture and understands the importance of sharing it with his family. Sharing his Nigerian culture with his children adds to the cultural mosaic that is Canada. In addition to wearing traditional clothing and preparing traditional food, Olabode also performed a traditional naming ceremony for each of his children 7 days after their birth, to welcome his children to the family the way his parents and ancestors did for him.

As he continues to learn more about Canada, Olabode looks forward to visiting all the museums and art centres he can with Canoo! He believes that arts and cultural places play a role in fostering inclusion and belonging, affirming that “Art inspires ideas, critical thinking, information, growth and mostly a place to call home. It offers familiarity and new horizons. It brings you in and makes you take a step back.” Olabode heard about Canoo from a friend who used it with his family the year before, and has been excited about it ever since. He has already visited Canoo venues like the Ontario Science Centers in Toronto, and the Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg. Next up on his list is Studio Bell in Calgary, home of the National Music Centre: “I love music and what it can do to change the lives and moods of people. It is a great unifier.”

Despite getting his citizenship at the height of the pandemic, Olabode plans to make up for lost time! He and his family look forward to planning more excursions and discovering all there is to know about Canada and its Indigenous cultures using the Canoo app.

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Canoo gives new Canadian citizens and their families access to more than 1400 arts and culture spaces and parks across Canada. While Canoo is free to use, it’s not free to operate. As a charity, we rely on donations to help keep Canoo available and free for new citizens. With your generous support, we can help thousands of new Canadians and their families feel like they belong. Give the gift of Canoo! Become a monthly donor today.

Meet Canoo member Lubna Hussain.

Originally from Pakistan, Lubna became a citizen in February 2020 and now lives in Edmonton with her family, including her four children. Lubna has been in Canada for over four years now, and until this past summer, had yet to experience a quintessential Canadian summer activity – camping – which quickly became a family favourite. Now she can proudly say, “Been there, done that!”

While Lubna’s favourite places in Canada are the Canadian Rockies, last summer, on a trip to British Columbia, Lubna and her family camped at Kicking Horse Campground in Yoho National Park. Her description of the park says it all – breathtaking and a piece of paradise. Lubna painted for us a stunning picture of her family’s first camping experience at the park: “Nestled at the foothills of the Rockies, with a dazzling waterfall in the background, and the Kicking Horse River flowing behind the campsite – this was probably the most serene place I have ever been to! Thank you Canoo for this opportunity.” Lubna adds that she will definitely be returning to this place as soon as she can!

Being a Canoo member has made Lubna feel more connected to Canada. She believes that cultural places play a role in building social inclusion by allowing us to learn about each other’s history which in turn makes us more empathetic. As an active citizen herself, Lubna says that helping newcomers to Canada is part of this role, to help them make a better future for themselves. Lubna chose Canada because of better opportunities for her and her family, and she loves the non-discriminatory attitude of Canadians she has experienced during her time here. She affirms that the key to inclusion is that everyone is treated fairly, an outlook she strives to share with those around her every day.

As the long-awaited summer weather approaches, Lubna and her family look forward to planning more camping trips in Canada’s scenic National Parks and discovering new places in Edmonton using the Canoo app.

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Originally from Pakistan, Sajeela became a citizen in December 2019 and now lives in Ontario’s capital city of Toronto. Sajeela has been in Canada for over 5 years now, making time to explore, admire nature and connect with Canada’s diverse people. Although she lives in a big city, after travelling around the province, Sajeela has decided that her favourite place so far is the town of Tobermory, a quiet harbour village on the Bruce Peninsula.

Sajeela is very fond of museums, a love that she shares with her sister. They often visit Canoo venues together, and enjoy being able to share these experiences with one another. One of their favourite outings was a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum in downtown Toronto. Sajeela believes that cultural places like museums play an essential role in building social inclusion, as they “propagate an understanding of different cultures and provide safe spaces to ask questions.” Sajeela says that in a multicultural country like Canada, this is especially important in building social inclusion because it helps make Canada’s population more tolerant and understanding of differences: “It reduces the fear of the unknown and builds common understanding among people from different cultural backgrounds.”

Being a Canoo member has made Sajeela feel more connected to her surroundings. Knowing that she is part of a greater community has cultivated in her a strong feeling of inclusion where she feels encouraged to be herself and to let her distinct identity shine through. Apart from Sajeela’s attraction to Canada’s natural beauty and tolerant people, for her, immigrating was a decision motivated by her admiration for Canada’s multiculturalism as well as its inclusive society. She considers Canada to be a country that “appreciates talent and hard work” where, she says, she feels “part of a bigger whole”.

As the city of Toronto begins to open up in time for the long-awaited summer weather, Sajeela and her sister look forward to discovering new places using the Canoo app.

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Umut is a small business owner living in Vancouver, BC. Umut left his home in Istanbul, Turkey to come to Canada in 2009. He chose Canada because he felt that it was “a place I could be free to be myself, to feel safe, and to not be discriminated against.” Like many people, he was faced with challenges such as learning English and having to make new friendships and connections, yet he loved being surrounded by beautiful nature and friendly people. He admired the diversity in Canada, and enriched it by bringing his own cultural practices and traditions such as the gift of food. Umut says that “In my home, it’s common to give food, as a gift to others for all kinds of reasons. For example, if someone I know has lost a family member, or if they are celebrating opening a new business, I make sure to bring that person food (usually, I send them a pizza). Whether you are celebrating or giving support, food is a wonderful way to send a message.”

Despite a busy schedule running Ignite Pizzerias in Vancouver, in his free time Umut enjoys connecting with nature at local parks and beaches, and visiting art venues and cultural spaces in BC. He says that “art is a universal language, and not only does it touch our emotions and connect us to others, it helps us to understand the world around us and where we fit into that.” When travelling outside of Vancouver, Umut loves going to The Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, a popular destination among Canoo members. He says that “it shares so much about the history in this area of Canada,” and highly recommends it to others when in Victoria.

As an active citizen, Umut believes that active citizenship means caring about the country and the people around you, and it also means giving back, no matter how small those efforts might seem. Umut shares Canoo’s belief that art and culture bring people together, which is why, as a small business owner, he tries “to sponsor events and charities that resonate with [him], such as the Turkish Film Festival, and the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. It’s a way to say thanks.”

Deciding to become a Canadian citizen is a big decision, but Umut felt that becoming a Canadian citizen would allow him “to truly experience the feeling of freedom, and as an aspiring entrepreneur I saw Canada as an opportunity to grow a business.” Umut followed his dream, and these days he is his own boss working with a very supportive team. He has not looked back since, saying with pride that “It’s a huge accomplishment when I look back at where I was when I started, and something I enjoy waking up to everyday.”

After 12 years in Canada, Umut still remembers the first time he truly felt Canadian, arriving back to Canada after visiting his family in Turkey. He says, “I lined up with the other Canadians, and the border services agent said “welcome home.” Perhaps it was a small experience, but it was a meaningful acknowledgement for me.” Umut truly values being able to travel with a Canadian passport, but he also says that to him the passport is mostly symbolic. It means not only a commitment to making Canada his home, but also that Canada has accepted him as part of the country, which means a lot.

To anyone who is still on the path of pursuing their dreams in Canada, Umut says to keep at it! You’ve chosen Canada where “there is a wonderful opportunity to become part of the diversity that is here. Don’t forget that nowhere is perfect, everywhere will have its challenges, but Canada is one of the best places in the world to live. Become part of that diversity, and you will find that by giving and contributing, you will also receive.”

Use the Canoo app to check out more places in your area, like the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, recommended by Umut. And next time you’re in Vancouver, don’t forget to head over to Ignite Pizzeria to enjoy a slice of pizza in Gastown or Mount Pleasant, and to meet Umut, his wife Jennifer, and his friend and business partner Cihan Yanar (pictured with Umut above).

Meet Canoo member Rahul Bagga.

Rahul moved to Alberta in 2019. “I simply love Canada,” he answered proudly when asked why he chose Canada. Rahul believes that Canada’s diversity is the key to its unity. To him, inclusion is very important, and goes hand in hand with being a compassionate citizen, and respecting fellow community members no matter the differences. He is proud to be an active citizen and playing his part in “developing our beautiful country in every way.”

Rahul says Canoo has encouraged him to learn more about Canada by giving him access to hands-on experiences to enjoy with friends and family, such as visiting Quebec City and learning about its French-Canadian history. Above all, he enjoys visiting National Parks from coast to coast. He has admired the incredible landscapes from Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia, to Banff National Park in his home province of Alberta, which has allowed him to connect with “the eternal serenity of our Mother Nature.”

Rahul says that cultural places like the ones he visited in Banff play an important role in building social inclusion by giving everyone the opportunity to experience and understand their new country, and to bring people together.

Rahul believes that Canoo is “a great way to start your new journey and to get to know Canada better.” Rahul plans to continue exploring Canada’s historic cities and admiring nature’s beautiful landscapes in its National Parks, and he encourages everyone “to make the best use of this amazing opportunity at the inception of your citizenship.”

We echo the outpouring of grief, anger, and pain that is being shared about the Atlanta attacks and anti-Asian racism. And we add our voices to the many stating what is obvious but bears repeating: Canada is not immune from this hate.

Anti-Asian hate crimes have been on the rise since the first outbreak of COVID-19. But this is not a new problem. Anti-Asian racism in Canada is written into our legislations, and our history books.

All Canadians have the power to name this past, so that we don’t keep repeating it — in the present or in the future. We can all speak up, online, with our friends and families, or even as bystanders in public, when we hear Anti-Asian racism. We can all support Asian-Canadians and amplify their voices and stories. We can all act.

At the Institute for Canadian Citizenship we believe that together we can create a country that actively reflects Canadian values: diversity, multiculturalism and equality. We believe Canada is a country for all Canadians and we believe that together we can create a more inclusive Canada.

Read, watch, listen, learn, speak out, donate, and vote.

Meet Canoo member Fazela Yasin.

Fazela chose to move to Canada because for her, it meant living in a country where, as a woman, she was valued, given equal opportunities, and able to give back to her community in a meaningful way. Inclusion to Fazela is to be, as she puts it, “sewn into the cloth,” which is having the opportunity to experience a variety of cultures while being accepted for hers. Fazela is very inspired by the active and continued efforts of Canadians to make each other feel welcome and reassured, and she wants to give back as an active citizen by “fulfilling all the duties sworn to and checking in with herself constantly to make sure she is living up to the qualities of being a Canadian.”

Fazela shares that cultural places like the ones she visited in Vancouver play an important role in building social inclusion by giving everyone the opportunity to grasp different cultures, customs, and backgrounds: “This builds our appreciation and relationships for and with fellow Canadians, despite our differences, and helps to establish trust, be insightful, and also respectful of each other.” Fazela’s closest friends, Nathalie and Stacy, both live outside of Canada, but going to Canoo venues with them when they visit gives Fazela the opportunity to show them what makes Canada so special to her.

Fazela says Canoo has motivated her to discover so many interesting places. She loves how she can pick almost any city in Canada and there are always Canoo venues available to explore. On a trip to Vancouver in April 2019 with her best friend, Nathalie, Fazela visited Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. From the moment the pair stepped in from the bustling streets, they transitioned into “the most peaceful and serene setting. It is difficult to believe you’re still in the city!” Fazela says that Canoo has given her countless invaluable experiences and has left an “unforgettable impression” on her.

Canada’s next census will be held in May 2021. Statistics Canada is hiring approximately 32,000 people to count everyone in Canada. Everyone working for the 2021 Census will make a lasting contribution to Canada.

As a member of the collection team, you will help ensure that the 2021 Census is a success. These jobs involve communicating with residents in urban, rural and remote communities across Canada to ensure the completion of census questionnaires. In the current context of COVID-19, we are committed to ensuring the safety of our employees at all times.

Positions available for the 2021 Census

Supervisory and non-supervisory positions are available. Census jobs are short-term positions collecting census questionnaires from residents in your community. Job start and end dates vary by position and location, but are between March and July 2021.

Crew Leaders (supervisors): As a crew leader, you will train, supervise and motivate a team of enumerators.

The rate of pay for Crew Leaders is $21.77 per hour, plus authorized expenses.

Enumerators: As an enumerator, your primary responsibility will be to complete census questionnaires with residents.

The rate of pay for Enumerators is $17.83 per hour, plus authorized expenses.

Applicants must be

18 years of age or older
a Canadian citizen or otherwise eligible to work in Canada
available to work flexible hours, mainly evenings, and weekends.

The hiring process

initial review of application
interview (applies to Crew Leader positions only)
security clearance which requires a reference check, a criminal record check and a credit check.

Only those candidates who are successful at each step will be contacted, and will proceed to the next step in the hiring process.

Apply online

For more information about working for the 2021 Census, visit the Census jobs page of the census website.

In February, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship celebrated the impact and accomplishments of Black Canadians in a series of enhanced citizenship ceremonies held virtually in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and the Atlantic Provinces. Arts leader Karen Carter joined us for our virtual ceremony on February 19.

Carter is the executive director of MacLaren Arts Centre in Barrie, Ont. She is the former executive director of Heritage Toronto, a City of Toronto agency responsible for the education and promotion of Toronto’s heritage. She is the founding executive director of Myseum of Toronto and co-founder and director of Black Artists’ Network and Dialogue (BAND), the organization dedicated to the promotion of Black arts and culture in Canada and abroad. She is also the founder and creative director of C-Art a Caribbean Art Fair launched in January 2020 in Mandeville, Jamaica.

Following the ceremony, we spoke with her about arts and culture, community, and what Black History Month means to her.

Why do you think arts and culture is so important to you, personally, and to society in general?
I firmly believe that arts and culture is one of the most effective ways to help make the world a better place through informal education. And I think from a very early age, I knew I wanted to work in some capacity in the arts. For me, it’s all about essentially the soft power impact of arts and culture in helping to create spaces for difficult conversations, helping to create moments of enlightenment and joy, and helping to create opportunities for people to gather.

I think one of the things I said that I love about this country [during the citizenship ceremony] is that it is this experiment on how to become better, and do better. I think the more diverse the moments that allow people to come to those difficult conversations in ways that are accessible, the better. And I think that our societies need that in order to be really sophisticated and whole. If you don’t have the arts, you are missing a part of the human condition. So, for me, the choice to be able to do this kind of work is a privilege because it is a way that you influence people’s lives both in the short term and long term if you do what you do well.

[icc_block_quote quote=”You gain a sense of belonging when you understand what you are belonging to.” author=”” border_colour=”#000000″]

What role do you think arts and culture can have in fostering belonging?
I think within the Canadian landscape, the belonging — and I think we have started to do this post-Canada 150 — is really making it a core part of arts and culture spaces to connect more with our Indigenous roots. I think you gain a sense of belonging when you understand what you are belonging to. I think more work has started been done, and obviously more work has to be done, to really understand who we are as a country and creating opportunities for Canadian artists to be a part of that. That understanding is partly about understanding the complex relationships we have with our Indigenous communities and then through that, we start to understand the complexities of the broader narrative around Canadian culture and identity. Even things like the land acknowledgment, you get up in the morning and this land that you stand on in this country that is still trying to find its way is stolen Indigenous land. You deal with that reality and it’s then how do we start to move forward in a way we pay homage and respect, but also pull in those communities in their authentic voices. That is almost a roadmap for how to then go further in that broader understanding of all of these people from all over the world that came here be it 400 years ago, 200 years ago, or last week and have made this country home and contributed to it in so many different ways. I think understanding the history helps us to understand the present and helps us to gain a true sense of what belonging to this country means.

Can you talk a bit about the work that you have done with Heritage Toronto and now at MacLaren to make arts and culture more inclusive?
For me, the lessons learned and the work that I did at Heritage Toronto around heritage education and supporting advocacy in the community reinforced for me the importance of understanding history in how you then develop whatever you are doing with arts and culture. For instance, right now at the MacLaren, the first project I am working on is a public art projection project. Some of that is announcing my tenure in the institution as the new ED and also to take the preciousness out of art.

For me there is a juxtaposition between understanding the history, which gives you a sense of the community that you are in, and then starting to make choices around how you present, collaborate, and partner to do your work as an arts organization that is a balance of those communities. Not every community is going to come into their interest in culture in the same way, but your responsibility as a culture leader is to try and do as much as you can to serve all the audiences.

I am really excited at the opportunity to make it feel accessible, not precious or intimidating.

Given your focus on highlighting diverse voices throughout your career, what advice do you have for institutions who may be looking at doing this work for the first time?
I remember when we started Myseum of Toronto, the idea was that the museum belongs to you and the museum belongs to community, and if the community has a sense of ownership to it, it de facto pulls the organization back to the ground. I think what has been the Achilles heel for most institutions is this idea of ‘if you build it they will come’. So, we build this big edifice and do all this stuff in the building and we are seeing no one is coming and they weren’t coming before COVID, let’s be truthful. So, I think the core lesson for me both in things that I have done at BAND or the work at Myseum, even the playbook for how I am approaching life at the MacLaren, is to leave your institution, go out into your community, be open to what that meeting may lead you to because if you go out, they will come in.

I think we need to spend more time out in the community and it isn’t even about having a program that you have developed, it is just go meet with people and say ‘hey, here is what we are doing, I am curious about what you are doing.’ Listen more and talk less. Don’t go feeling like you have to have something to ask or some idea in mind, just be open to the initial introduction and then see where the relationship goes. It is kind of like dating, you meet people, you don’t start planning the wedding the minute you meet them.

[icc_block_quote quote=”Leave your institution, go out into your community…because if you go out, they will come in.” author=”” border_colour=”#000000″]

You created BAND (Black Artists’ Network and Dialogue) to promote Black arts and culture in Canada and overseas. Has the way the work of the organization is received changed over the years?
The goal with BAND was how do we create space for artists to be artists. It was how do you create something to support Black Canadian artists so that they can develop and then hopefully get more of a space on the international landscape. For a lot of us who live and work in the diaspora across the globe as Black folks and as people of African descent, and as even people on the continent, there is always this balancing, this pushing back against Americanness that Black identity is so inextricably linked to. Living adjacent to that machine and the way it presents culture, there is always a balance that you got to find to make space for your little voice.

I do think right now, with everything that has happened, what has occurred for BAND is it’s kind of heightened our ability to be a place to push and share information. I think after 10 years, the gallery as a space and the things that we do there and the partnerships locally and internationally are in a good rhythm and now it’s like how do we take that creative capital we’ve built and that credibility and see how we can help move the needle forward. Like how do we help others develop other spaces across Canada because we don’t want to be the only ones. It would be nice to have a bit of a circuit, so can we get a gallery space out west, can we make sure there is something in Montreal? How do we use that knowledge and that credibility that we have to help cultivate opportunities for a national Black cultural landscape to be developed?

What does Black History Month mean to you?
I am actually less interested in the month on its own and more how the month promotes a curiosity for citizens about other citizens. For me any history month is really about using that month to punctuate a particular moment and it hopefully influences a seed that might be planted. Something that you were introduced to may then lead you to say ‘what can I do as a co-conspirator or advocate to dismantle racism’. Or ‘what little thing am I going to do to make sure that my kids are not going to end up hearing about this for the first time as adults.’

For me, the month itself has become really important and powerful because it influences what someone might learn that impacts how they then walk through life throughout the whole year. The understanding around the Black cultural community issues just helps you be more empathetic around any racialized community’s issues. It helps you think “oh, this is how I am approaching Black issues, I might be more comfortable and curious about Indigenous issues or issues to do with the Jewish community’.

I also think Black History Month in Canada is important to just root it here. The good thing about what Jean Augustine did in making it a Canadian thing is it started to push the conversation around not just American references, but about Canadian references. Like who is the Canadian Rosa Parks, and then you have the conversation about Viola Desmond.

Meet Canoo member Ife Thomas!

Ife and her husband chose to move to Canada because for them, it meant a chance for more opportunities. What she loves most about Canada is the freedom and the diversity, which she specifies includes not only the people and cultures but also the geography of the country.

Since Ife and her family received their citizenship, they have used Canoo as a tool to help them discover what’s around them, and even have a new favourite place – Banff! After exploring the town, enjoying a picnic at Lake Minnewanka, and cooling down by the lake while taking in the beauty of the mountains, Ife was pleased to see how much her sons enjoyed their time together. Her eldest son especially, who declares that Banff is his favorite place to go and asks everyday, “Are we going to Banff today?”

Ife says that Canoo has helped her and her family explore all things Canadian, and she really appreciates the suggestions about the places close by and far to visit, especially for parks for the kids. “Canoo has been like a map to tell me all the places that I need to visit without a whole lot of research.”

For Ife, raising her family in Canada, inclusion is very important. It means “feeling accepted, and accepting everyone no matter their race, religion, gender, or background.” Ife explains that “you feel a sense of pride about how so many different people live here and belong here and those differences unify the country and make Canada such a great place to live.”

Ife strives to be an active citizen, by not only voting in local and national elections, but also by “learning and experiencing as much Canadian culture as possible whether by travelling around the country or visiting all the local parks, museums and historical sites.” Ife hopes to continue using Canoo to explore and find more places that her and her family can enjoy together.