While millions of Canadians remained indoors during COVID-19 shutdowns, our public spaces and how we use them began to subtly shift. In order to meet new physical distancing rules, we’ve also altered nearly everything about how we move through the city, how we work, and how we spend our leisure time. But this moment of restructuring could also be an opportunity, and by pushing these changes just a little bit further we could use COVID-19 as the catalyst to make our public spaces healthier and more inclusive long into the future.
Public transportation was one of the first public spaces to see a sharp decline in use during the pandemic as millions of Canadians stayed home and forwent their typical daily commute to instead work from home. Ridership on Toronto’s TTC was down a staggering 80 per cent in April, although it’s expected to rise to 50 per cent of normal numbers by October. To combat the risks of crowding, city governments will need to invest in their transit systems by adding more terminals, altering seating arrangements, and making other adjustments. To push these changes even further cities could begin providing free fare to all riders — something that an estimated 100 cities in the world have already done — to ensure that transportation is accessible to lower-income riders and to incentivize transit use over car ownership, curbing greenhouse gas emissions and making our cities healthier and safer.
At the same time that some spaces have been seeing declines in use, others have been seeing significant boosts. A Park People survey of over 1,600 Canadians found that 55 per cent of respondents said that their park use had increased during COVID-19 and 82 per cent said that parks had become important to their mental health. Bike lanes have been expanded in cities across Canada in an effort to reduce crowding on public transit and reduce potential congestion on roads as well. Increased usage of greenspaces and more cyclists on the road are both examples of positive shifts in lifestyle that improve the physical and mental health of residents; and with the right policies, these changes could stick.
The 2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities, written by urban planner Jennifer Keesmaat, argues that COVID-19 and it’s recovery period represents “a window to act” and implement changes in Canada that could “kickstart our journey toward more accessible, equitable, sustainable, and resilient cities.” The plan takes a holistic view at how cities function, looking to ensure that the most vulnerable — who have been hardest hit by the pandemic — are being well-served by city planning.
People with disabilities, those who are immunocompromised, and the elderly are too often overlooked when it comes to thoughtful city design, which means that countless Canadians are excluded from participating in society because their needs are not being accommodated. With an increasingly aging population (by 2036 seniors are projected to comprise about 25 per cent of the Canadian population) we’ll need to consider how people who have different abilities and needs can be best served by public services, infrastructure, and policies.
People with disabilities have been advocating for many of the methods that have now become much more widespread during the pandemic, including telecommuting and flexible schedules. Before COVID-19, employers were slow to make accessibility a priority, but because of the pandemic, we’re seeing just how possible these changes are.
At the same time that we’re advocating for changes like these, we also need to stay attuned to the complex ways that policies fit together and who they impact. Jay Pitter, an urbanist and placemaker, has urged us not to overlook those living in “forgotten densities” like homeless shelters, senior care homes, or public housing — all of whom are struggling during the pandemic due to inadequate and unsafe infrastructure that puts them in close proximity to other people. As calls for physical distancing increase and density is seen as a risk to disease prevention, it’s important to consider the needs of the many Canadians who, through a variety of circumstances, are not able to inhabit their living spaces or local communities safely.
“Instead of being fearful of increased anti-density bias,” writes Pitter in an April article for Azure magazine, “we need to apply what we know toward a good urban density framework. This framework should be evidence-based and overlap with social determinants of health, such as food security, race, gender and poverty, while being anchored in a strong equity-based placemaking paradigm.” Not only that, but policymakers need to consult meaningfully with both experts and community members in order to make these changes, Pitter states. “Fully undertaking this scope of work is not possible during a pandemic. But we can certainly advance the process instead of diminishing the suffering of those experiencing density-related health challenges,” she writes.
Despite the limitations we’re currently experiencing, there are still plenty of reasons for optimism. Changes that once seemed impossible before the pandemic are already beginning now, and by applying the knowledge we have and truly listening to the needs of the most marginalized, we could take advantage of the momentum created so far and transform our cities, green areas, and workplaces so they are more inclusive for all.
Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been far from perfect, but we have a few factors working in our benefit: strong public services like universal health-care coverage, a social safety net in the form of CERB payments, and comparatively less politicization of mask-wearing and physical distancing mandates than our southern neighbours. But the social services that have protected Canadians during COVID-19 are not guaranteed, and public sector funds are continually under threat, like in the case of health-care and education funding. Moving forward, Canadians will have to consider how funding priorities will need to change so that we remain prepared for unexpected crises — even after the pandemic is over.
Cuts to health care have loomed large in some provinces in recent years, including in Ontario and Alberta. In 2019, the Ontario government released a plan that included cuts to health-care spending and privatization efforts that advocates said would increase crowding in hospitals and reduce the ability to adequately care for patients. The cuts came after several decades of stagnation in the province’s health-care sector; Ontario had 30,000 hospital beds in 2019 — the same number it has had since 1999, despite the fact the population has since grown by 27 per cent.
Cuts to public education have also been seen. With widespread misinformation circulating about the virus over the past six months, the critical thinking skills, media literacy, and science education that children learn in school is more important than ever and should not be overlooked. Despite this, education budgets were recently slashed in Alberta, part of a larger attack on the public sector in the province. The cuts will result in an estimated 1,400 fewer full-time teaching positions, while schools in the province are being told to dip into their savings to pay for any COVID-19-related costs.
Investing in the resources of most value to us — like health-care services that are agile enough to respond to major public health crises, education campaigns that can help fight against misinformation, and universal basic income to ensure that Canadians are not living in poverty regardless of their employment status — are just a few of the steps Canada can take to prepare for the post-pandemic future.
Conversely, funding for other services that do not serve the goals of health, safety, and equality should be reconsidered. Calls from supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement to re-allocate police department funding to other public services, such as social workers, mental-health response teams, and drug counselling services, are one such example. In many cities in Canada, police departments are often the most expensive line item on city budgets despite a long history of police violence against racialized Canadians, especially Black and Indigenous people. Moving these funds to other services that are more beneficial to the community as a whole is one move in the right direction.
If some scientific predictions are right, the COVID-19 pandemic could be just the first example of similar crises in coming years. Anthony Fauci and David Morens, two leading voices on COVID-19 at the the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the U.S., recently published an article in the journal Cell describing how the novel coronavirus could be the start of a new age of pandemics caused by environmental degradation and globalization. “We remain at risk for the foreseeable future. COVID-19 is among the most vivid wake-up calls in over a century,” they write. “It should force us to begin to think in earnest and collectively about living in more thoughtful and creative harmony with nature, even as we plan for nature’s inevitable, and always unexpected, surprises.”
Many Canadians have gained new perspectives over the course of the pandemic, having come together at protests and witnessing the interconnectedness of a variety of socially damaging policies and practices like police violence, discrimination, misinformation, and health-care inequality. Canada’s post-pandemic reality should reflect these new insights, starting with our funding priorities.
COVID-19 has brought to light some of the glaring inequalities present in Canada when it comes to accessing health care. Disparities in social determinants of health like housing, food, education, and income levels stand in the way of achieving a truly equal health-care system, and racialized Canadians — especially those who are Black or Indigenous — are among the most affected by these inequities.
But even when BIPOC Canadians are able to access the care they need, they face yet another hurdle: ingrained racism within the health-care system linked to a history of colonization that significantly impacts the diagnosis, treatment, and quality of care that they receive.
For example, there was a series of incidents in British Columbia — first reported in June — in which doctors and nurses played a “game” to guess the blood alcohol level of Indigenous patients who visited the emergency room, prompting an investigation and condemnation from Indigenous groups. The game was referred to as “The Price is Right” among staff, with participants trying to guess the exact blood alcohol level of patients.
Another example is the 2008 death of Brian Sinclair, an Indigenous man who arrived in a Winnipeg emergency room and was ignored by staff for 34 hours until he eventually died of a bladder infection. Staff at the hospital stated that they had assumed Sinclair was intoxicated and “sleeping it off” in the waiting room. In 2017, a group of doctors and academics released a report which concluded that the cause of Sinclair’s death was the racism he experienced as an Indigenous man.
These are just two of the many instances of anti-Indigenous racism baked into our health system that prevent Indigenous people from accessing equitable health care. And because of this, some Indigenous patients may hesitate to enter medical spaces at all; a 2015 Wellesley Institute report found that racism in the health-care system “is so pervasive that people strategize around anticipated racism before visiting the emergency department or, in some cases, avoid care altogether.”
One way of addressing the issue of ingrained racism in health care is to increase the diversity of the medical profession itself, especially for Black and Indigenous doctors. Medical schools have been slow to prioritize diversity, but in 2019 Canada’s 17 medical schools implemented a plan to boost recruitment of Indigenous students in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.
Black Canadians also report experiencing racism in the health-care system, and have historically not seen themselves reflected among the doctors who provide them with care. But there are signs of change: the University of Toronto reported that the highest number of Black students ever were admitted to the school’s Faculty of Medicine MD program for the school’s upcoming Fall 2020 semester.
“It’s important to have more Black doctors because we’ve not been at the table in the same numbers. We’re not represented in health care or leadership in the same proportions as we’re represented in society, largely due to the complex social impacts of systemic anti-Black racism,” said Onye Nnorom, a family doctor and the Black Health Theme lead for the U of T Faculty of Medicine, in a recent interview. But more progress needs to be made: the number of Black doctors in Ontario would need to double to become proportionate to the province’s Black population, Nnorom said.
According to the Black Physicians of Canada, diversity in the medical profession also has the effect of better serving Black populations since “Black patients are more likely to feel comfortable with Black doctors and more likely to adhere to certain preventive measures delivered by Black doctors.” Black doctors are also more likely to work in Black communities, where rates of certain chronic diseases tend to be higher and barriers to care are greater.
At the same time, Black and Indigenous doctors can face obstacles that other doctors do not, including bias and prejudice in the workplace, lack of mentorship opportunities, and barriers to advancement — all of which can make their path to practising medicine more difficult.
Addressing the issue of racism within the health-care system will require a multi-pronged and comprehensive approach. Other solutions could include improving race-based data collection, allowing doctors with foreign medical training to gain licensing in Canada, and educating those working in medical fields about the complex history of colonization in Canada. For a truly equitable future even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada will need to embrace these changes and commit to anti-racism practices in health care at every level.
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship and Embassy of Canada in Mexico partnered on the third of a three-part Mexico-Canada Dialogue series, discussing how both Mexico and Canada share a rich and challenging history shaped by colonization. We discussed how the legacy of colonialism is both broad-ranging and deeply entrenched: from classism and economic inequality to racism and tokenism.
It’s long been clear that these systems must be uprooted. The project is a large one, but can start with each of us as individuals, and how we relate to the people around us.
Featuring
Introductions: Ambassador Graeme C. Clark
Remarks by: The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson
Moderator: Juana Inés Dehesa
Speakers: Kamal Al-Solaylee (Canada), El Jones (Canada), Judith Bautista Pérez (Mexico)
Key Takeaways
Colonialism, and more specifically the exploitation of land and people, has created inequalities on both a global and national scale. Many accept that this is clearly apparent in the “colonial era” of North America, in the overt subjugation of Indigenous peoples of North America, the extraction of resources, and the slave trade, but this exploitation did not end in the 19th, or 20th centuries. It continues to be prevalent in our daily lives today.
Over the last 100 years, building upon inequalities of the past, exploitation of land and people continues to be apparent in differential political status, resource extraction, and labour dynamics. Indigenous Peoples, Black folks, and immigrants have all faced barriers to political participation. This includes the explicit denial of the right to vote, among a variety of means to prevent control over land and resources. Time and again, in Canada and Mexico, we see Indigenous peoples fighting to prevent resource extraction occuring on their lands, or impacting their lands, without their consent. They also all continue to be disproportionately represented in, and unfairly compensated, for menial, front-line work (as explored in Kamal Al-Solaylee’s book Brown), and have borne the risk, the pain, and the death that comes from this work in the era of COVID-19.
Racial hierarchies are a construction, and this construction is an essential component of exploitation. The fluidity of racial hierarchies demonstrates their constructed nature. This fluidity is apparent both in how a single individual’s race and associated hierarchical position is interpreted differently in different locales, and in how entire classes of people, such as the Irish in 19th century America, have seen their racial and hierarchical position shift over time. The construction of this hierarchy, the dehumanization, and de-valuation of certain groups of people, which continues to be drilled into us from a young age, has always been an essential component to exploitation, implicitly justifying unfair and unequal outcomes including slavery, indentured labour, political exclusion, land appropriation, and the exportation of the most severe environmental consequences of rampant capitalism: pollution and global warming.
In both Canada and Mexico, too many subscribe to myths that racism and racially based exploitation are things of the past, thus causing ignorance of, and inaction on these issues. In Canada, many look at our official multiculturalism policy, compare us to the United States, and conclude that racism is not a big issue here. In Mexico, there is the notion that because of the prevalence of the Mestizo population (people of mixed ancestry; usually a mix of European and Indigenous), that racism is non-existent. In both countries, a supposed capitalist meritocracy (ignoring historical oppression), and tokenistic political appointments of Black, brown, and Indigenous peoples also serve to assuage, while failing to realize racial justice in a genuine sense.
What we seek is justice. To realize this, we have to confront how colonialism and racism continue to infect our modern societies, and then take action to abolish them. We must recognize the inherent dignity and value of all people, and the ways in which internalized colonialism has allowed us to accept, and/or benefit from, inequality and exploitation for too long. We must obliterate racial hierarchies from our own minds, before we can create lasting justice in our politics, our policing, and our economies.
With the long, tumultuous first summer of the pandemic coming to an end, back-to-school season will soon begin across the country. So far, the federal government’s guidelines for safe reopening have been relatively broad, and the measures being taken by schools have varied drastically between provinces. Saskatchewan, for example, will not require masks in schools, while high-risk areas of Ontario will require masks for students in grades 4 to 12 and only allow secondary students to attend classes for half the week.
The differences between provinces make sense given the varying severity of outbreaks across the country, but Canada’s strategy overall has failed to address the threat that the virus presents. By not seeming to take into account the existing risks faced by children and the communities they live in, the plan could potentially jeopardize public health and exacerbate existing inequalities.
Contrary to some of the misinformation that has appeared online, children and young people are not immune to COVID-19. In Canada, more than 10,000 people aged 19 and under have been diagnosed with the disease, and over 145 have been hospitalized. So far, one young person (their exact age has not been made public) has died.
As we’ve seen throughout the pandemic, systemic racism has had a significant effect on who is impacted by COVID-19 — namely BIPOC and other racialized communities. Now we also know that the same disparities exist among children. A study of 1,000 participants in Washington, DC, found that the rates of infection of Black and Hispanic children were several times higher than those of white children — 30 per cent for Black children, 46.4 per cent for Hispanic children, and only 7.3 per cent for white children.
Though the number of severe cases seen in Canadian children has been relatively low, it’s also important to remember that those we’ve seen so far have been made manageable by lockdown measures and early school closures. How those numbers may change once schools reopen is unclear, but early data from the United States and other countries has not been encouraging.
In the U.S. (where some districts began classes in August) there have already been a number of COVID-19 cases in schools, forcing thousands of students and staff to quarantine after potentially being exposed to the virus. The true number of cases is still unknown, mainly because some states are not actually tracking aggregate cases of COVID-19 in their schools, and no national tally of school outbreaks currently exists.
Not only are children able to catch the virus, they could also spread it to their families at home and potentially create clusters of transmission. A study based in South Korea found that children between the ages of 10 and 19 were just as likely to transmit the virus as adults. That means that even if the risk of severe illness is low among young people, they could still put the adults in their lives at risk of contracting a severe case of COVID-19.
Teachers and other underpaid and underprotected education workers are also made vulnerable by schools reopening — and some are speaking out about their fear and frustration with the government’s current lack of planning. As one Quebec teacher told CTV: “A lot of us are afraid to admit how scared we really are…We’re supposed to put on a brave face and make them [students] feel safe. But in kind of our own moments, when we’re talking amongst ourselves, the truth is, yeah, it’s scary getting out there.”
At the same time, moving entirely to remote learning could have significant negative effects on marginalized students who already experience education inequality. Lower-income families may not be able to afford the technology or internet access necessary to facilitate remote learning, and it could be more difficult for some families to provide a quiet, distraction-free environment due to a lack of space at home. If children are made to attend school online, parents who cannot afford childcare are forced to juggle those responsibilities while also trying to work.
In some places — mostly wealthy, white enclaves in the U.S. — “learning pods,” which involve families bringing their kids together in small groups for private in-person instruction, have cropped up. But lower-income families and BIPOC have so far been left out of the conversation.
Economic inequality is already a significant factor when it comes to education inequality in this country. A 2018 UNICEF report found that, in Canada, “parental affluence accounts for about half the disparities in educational achievement in high school.” Evidence shows that children from lower-income families are at a persistent disadvantage when they enter school, whereas children from higher-income families have access to more resources which directly translates into higher educational attainment.
“Income inequality creates a ‘private investment gap’ in childhood, with wealthier and better-educated parents better able to provide resources and environments that support children’s development through the school years,” the report states. “For instance, more food security, safer homes and neighbourhoods, support for children with disabilities and richer opportunities to play and learn in and outside school.” During COVID-19, it’s clear how these inequalities could become even worse, forcing lower-income children and those from marginalized communities to fall increasingly further behind their wealthier peers.
There’s no easy solution to this problem, with governments trying to balance the health and safety risks of in-school instruction with the education inequalities involved with moving to remote learning. But without addressing fundamental inequalities related to income, race, and immigration status, the disparities in COVID-19 infections will continue and the long-term effects on the health and education of young people could be significant.
Meet Canoo member Amjad Baig. Amjad moved to Canada because he believes it is a country where “there is unlimited opportunity and potential where your dreams can become reality.”
“Canada is a truly multicultural country with a rich ethnic diversity,” he says, “You feel welcomed and belonging here. The gorgeous scenery views of the untouched and natural environment are breathtaking and next to none I have seen so far.”
Amjad lives in Toronto, but his favourite place in Canada is on the West Coast. “Even though I stay in Toronto, two hours north of Vancouver by road lies our favorite place – Whistler,” he says, “The natural beauty, unique mountain lifestyle and stunning scenery is the best escape like nowhere else. Finding yourself in the mountains, breathing in the wild air you just get swept up by the unique energy. There are always some adventures that can inspire and challenge you anytime of the year in Whistler.”
During his time as a Canoo member in 2019, Amjad visited Casa Loma with his family, one of his favourite cultural venues in Toronto. “We went to Casa Loma on the 25th of August, 2019. It was our family day out,” he says, “We saw some of the most amazing things like the Great Hall, The Library, The Estate Gardens, The Round Room, Sir Henry Pellatt’s Suite, Lady Pellatt’s Suite, The Windsor Room, The Pellatt Board Room, Queen’s Own Rifle Museum, the stables and finally the Automotive Museum. The experience was as if you traveled back in time, at times we would stand and just imagine what life would have been during those times, such an amazing history. Our favorite was a secret storage area beside the fireplace.”
Amjad believes that cultural venues like Casa Loma can help build more inclusive societies: “Coming from various cultural places and background help to understand others better, learn through connections making it a better resilient, stronger and socially inclusive community.”
“Canoo is so very thoughtful and such a beautiful gesture to give every new citizen to experience and learn a little more about the land, food, culture, nature and connect with people,” says Amjad, “ Canoo celebrates the experience of being truly Canadian, not just to celebrate a new citizen’s journey from landing to becoming a citizen but recognizing & rewarding the hustle and the contribution during that period. Visiting the parks and Casa Loma was simply beautiful. Thank you Canoo for the memorable experience!”
Canoo gives new Canadian families access to 1400+ arts, 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 Canadian citizens. With your generous support, we can help thousands of new Canadians and their family belong. Give the gift of Canoo! Become a monthly donor today.
In June, the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC) received a call from a hospital asking them to translate information from English to Spanish for one of their patients, a migrant farm worker who was in critical condition after contracting COVID-19. In a recent report, MWAC described how, before putting the man on a ventilator, the hospital needed his verbal consent, prompting their call to MWAC. Rather than using a qualified medical interpreter, a doctor had tried using the Google Translate app on his phone to communicate vital medical information to the patient. “When we spoke to the worker informing him about his choices and that he may not wake up again, he confirmed that no interpretation had been provided in the previous days,” said the report.
This incident highlights how crucial it is to have access to reliable translation services in medical settings, especially during COVID-19. Without access to translation and interpretation services, patients cannot be properly informed of their medical choices and are unable to give medical workers the information they need to provide the best treatment.
In Southwestern Ontario, where many migrant workers from Spanish-speaking countries work and live in close quarters, major outbreaks have cropped up on several farms due to unsafe conditions and inadequate access to care. On June 1, about 18 per cent of all COVID-19 cases reported in Windsor-Essex County were from migrant workers. Despite this, MWAC still received complaints from some workers who said that they were not able to access translation services in Spanish and English.
In the U.S., where the Hispanic community has been extremely hard hit by the virus, the need for translators is especially important. According to the CDC, people who are Hispanic and Latinx have a hospitalization rate that is over four times higher than non-Hispanic white people in America.
Though the connection between language ability and health is complex, research has shown that inadequate language accommodation could be linked to poor health outcomes overall. A study that tracked new immigrants across many different language backgrounds between 2000 and 2005 found that those with persistently limited official language proficiency reported higher incidences of poor health over a four-year period compared to new immigrants with more advanced language proficiency.
Other interrelated factors affecting new immigrants, such as housing access and education level, were also linked to the health outcomes reported. But because Canada’s health system is built for English and French speakers, new immigrants can be left out — especially during their first years in Canada. As researchers pointed out, language proficiency could directly impact a new immigrant’s ability to access health services, and therefore result in poorer self-reported health.
Medical translation seeks to bridge this health care gap by facilitating accurate communication between health-care workers and patients. During a pandemic, when the volume of sick people is greater and conditions for COVID-19-positive patients can change quickly, medical translators are especially important to ensure that patients can communicate their symptoms and understand their diagnoses.
As Natalya Mytareva, executive director of the US Certification Commission for Health Care Interpreters told Time magazine, “any good doctor is only as good as how they are understood by the patient.” Even the best medical treatment will be made ineffective without a full understanding between patient and doctor. “If the doctor is basing the diagnosis on the wrong information because they didn’t have an interpreter, then what good is that doctor?” said Mytareva.
As physical distancing measures continue to be put in place in hospitals, the family members and friends that might typically do the translation for people with limited official language proficiency are unable to accompany them to the hospital. Though patients should ideally not need to rely on family member’s assistance for translation, their absence in medical spaces has only further increased the demand for interpreters.
At the same time, interpreters’ ability to do their job is hampered during COVID-19. Many medical interpreters are now forced to do their work over the phone rather than in person, which can reduce the quality of translation they can provide to patients, like their ability to pick up on some of the non-verbal cues present during a conversation. Some interpreters have also described the trauma of doing their work during COVID-19, especially when they themselves are among the communities being hardest hit by the virus.
As the pandemic continues, governments should be making sure that no one in the country is left out when it comes to accessing essential services. And those essential services may not necessarily be limited to the health-care sector. Undocumented migrant workers fearing legal issues should be made aware that they are able to access health care if they contract COVID-19; new Canadians protesting in recent anti-racism and police violence demonstrations should be made aware of their legal rights if they’re arrested; and Canadians with limited language ability should not fall into the estimated 3 per cent of workers who did not know they were eligible for Canada Emergency Response Benefit payments.
Though offering translation services isn’t going to fix all of the systemic inequalities facing racialized communities — many of whom may come from immigrant backgrounds with limited language proficiency in English — they are essential to ensuring that everyone is able to access the services they need.
Meet Canoo member Janega Boltiador-Gallant. She immigrated to Canada from the Philippines, and currently, she resides on the East Coast in Prince Edward Island, her favourite place in Canada, with her husband. Janega chose to move to Canada because it is her “dream country” and to “have a better life.”
“What I love most about Canada is that it is a very productive country,” says Janega, “And it’s the place where I met the love of my life! I am looking forward to many more years here spending our lives together with good health and more happiness.”
Janega typically visits Canoo venues with her husband. The places she’s enjoyed visiting most using the Canoo app are the Anne of Green Gables Museum at the Green Gables Heritage Place and Skmaqn–Port-la-Joye–Fort Amherst National Historic Site, PEI.
“I went a few times to the Anne of Green Gables heritage site with my family,” says Janega. “I love learning about how the story was made. We went walking on the trail — it was a pretty good experience. We saw all the stuff that makes up the story at the Green Gables House, and we got to get dressed up in Anne’s clothes. We even took some pictures. It was very cool.”
Janega agrees that cultural spaces, such as heritage sites and parks, are important experiences for building a sense of inclusion and belonging for new citizens in Canada. “Cultural places will let you share your culture from where you’re from,” says Janega, “And to be included in social gatherings with a bunch of people from different countries allows you to learn about, and experience, their cultures. This kind of inclusion means I can be part of the success of this country.”
Janega highly recommends that all new Canadian citizens download and use the Canoo app! “It will give you more information about lots of wonders in this world and the beautiful places that you can visit,” she says. “It is very helpful!”
