Edmonton, AB

Before moving to Edmonton, Sarah Stephens was hesitant about the “harsh winters,” but when the snow fell, she was relieved to find a buzz of activity, despite the icy temperatures.

 

Stephens moved to Edmonton in the fall of 2009, and says that the move from her previous home in the UK to Canada has been an easier transition than anticipated. “People living in Edmonton come from many different countries and backgrounds,” she says, adding that “this diversity is explored and celebrated in Edmonton, a true reflection of the phrase stating Canada to be a ‘mosaic’ of different nationalities, rather than a ‘melting pot.’”

 

With so many supporting organizations for newbie’s to the area, Sandy Mowat, a local high school teacher and president of Edmonton’s Newcomers Club, says that so many newcomers that she has met are smitten when they first arrive, especially if its during the sunny summer months when they can take in all of the organic fare, green space, weekly markets and the plethora of day-trip opportunities.

 

“Edmontonians rise to the challenge of a long winter beautifully,” Mowat says. "They are the most enthusiastic hockey fans, they love live theatre, they love their restaurants and mostly they love their river valley. There is a collegiality here as people stick together to face the cold. It makes it a friendlier place.”

 

Veronica Kastrukoff, public relations director of the Newcomer’s Club and newcomer herself, moved to Edmonton from Ontario two years ago and says, “There is so much to do here whether it be inside or outside, no one can say they are bored in Edmonton.”

 

 

Aside from the Newcomers Club, there are other groups and support networks that prevent newcomers from falling through the cracks. “The City of Edmonton recognizes the importance of social inclusion and social cohesion in building a prosperous future and promoting equality and well-being,” says the Edmonton Multicultural Coalition for Equity in Health and Well Being in a social study.

 

For support, guidance, help with the language barrier and advice in any area, newcomers and immigrants can visit the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Edmonton Immigrant Services Association, the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies and the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers.

 

“I initially joined a walking group to meet people and then heard about the Newcomers Group,” Stephens says. “The Newcomers members were so friendly and we were all in the same boat because we had moved to Edmonton from elsewhere in Canada or from another country.”

 

 

To get a more personal look into Edmonton beyond face value, the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation initiated a website to provide a platform to “uncover the essence of Edmonton” where lifelong residents, newcomers and visitors can share their tales and experiences in Alberta’s capital city.

 

The deeper you dig into the northern community, the more substance you will find. Amongst the many ethnic communities and neighbourhoods represented here, “there are many restaurants that specialize in cuisines other than Alberta beef,” Mowat says. These restaurants are celebrated at the annual Heritage Festival, a venue that celebrates more than 60 ethnic communities in Edmonton via the cuisine.

 

“Recently, one of my favourite columnists for the Edmonton Journal, Scott McKeen, described Edmonton as ‘a kitschy concoction of subcultures, ethnicities, histories, neighbourhoods and philosophies,’” Mowat says. “I couldn’t have said it better!”