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Unknown
Welcome to the Move Rural Canada podcast, where every week we showcase incredible businesses and real in Northern Canada businesses that are not only growing but are looking to hire. We're here to show you companies and communities outside of the big cities that are building stronger and more inclusive workplaces, workplaces that want and are encouraging newcomers, immigrants and refugees to work with them.

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Unknown
Let us be your guides to help you find the best places in Canada to not only immigrate, but build a career and settle. I'm your host, Leah Mitchell, and I am your co-host, Lindsay Rubeniuk. Join us as you learn about all of the amazing career opportunities in places that you may not have ever thought of moving. Let's get started.

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Unknown
Hey, everyone, welcome to Move Rural Canada. And today we have lovely Miss Christine Diores with us today. And we thought we'd have her on this show because she is someone that, you know, exemplifies how you can immigrate to Canada and really have a successful career and create a really great quality of life in rural Canada.

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Unknown
So we're going to start off by welcoming Christine to Move Rural Canada. Yes welcome. Thank you. I'm happy to be here. Absolutely. It's been a pleasure and more so an honor to be chosen to be part of your podcast.

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Unknown
going to say in typical, rural fashion, we're all stuck at home today because of a snowstorm in Manitoba.

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Unknown
So that's also sometimes typical in rural in northern Canada. Right? Schools get closed, roads are closed. You get to, work from home or not work at all.

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Unknown
Now, this is a I see it like a treat, you know, you gonna it's a good day. Well, it's a good day to get sick and still. Yes. To. Yeah.

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Unknown
No. The only problem, though, is with technology. It actually forces you to work down to, though. So, you know, you know, before 97, before the internet, we could all be like, okay, you know, I can't connect to anyone today, so I'll go, yeah, let's have a stay home day and do whatever. But, actually, I have several meetings lined up because, you know, I can still do all my work from home because we have connectivity.

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Unknown
Right? So. So that's the great part. All right. Okay. So before we don't get too much into it, I think the very first thing is that we should ask Christine is to, you know, introduce herself. Tell us all about yourself, where you're from and your journey here.

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Unknown
Okay.

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Unknown
My name is Maria Christine Diores, and I'm born and raised in the beautiful Philippines.

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Unknown
And, I traded, my flip flops with the winter boots, but that was a hard decision, but never regretted it. So I arrived in Canada on a closed or a temporary work permit.

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Unknown
in February of 2011. I have no idea what I'm going into. I have no idea what are what is cold Mile. When my employer told me through an email that it's going to be cold here.

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Unknown
Of course, living in a country with 30 degrees, Fahrenheit, 30°C average all year round, you have no idea what -20. You know, you have no idea what minus is. And so what brought me to Canada is, to work in a pig barn or a hog barn just north east of Roblin. And, I have a close contract with them for, supposedly two years,

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Unknown
but, it didn't work out that well, I quite well, it was, I was it was cut down to three months and I was, unfortunately terminated with while being on a work permit.

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Unknown
So that was a very tragic,

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Unknown
decision that they have to make. But I was at that time, I was only told that you have you still have your work, I mean, your visa. So if you could just find an employer, you can stay in Canada. And that was my biggest decision is whether to stay or go home.

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Unknown
You know, I, I already tendered my resignation from the government position that I left. So there's no work for me back home. And so I decided to like, okay, I'm going to do my all best to find, a good employer or any employer that would take, person and a temporary work permit. And that wasn't, easy because not most locals, especially around a rural area, they don't know the process of getting in an international or foreign worker, and most of them would really want to shy away from the paperwork.

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Unknown
You know, when when you talk about, the amount of paperwork that they have to go through, the legalities and all that, it just stops them right there. So, I was lucky to be in the rural, even though it's a rural area. I was lucky that we have at the time, local, settlement officer and she really guided me through.

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Unknown
She said, you know, she told my this employer that would like to hire me. And she said, you know what? I'm going to help you through the process because you don't know the process of, acquiring international foreign or, foreign worker. Here are your options. You can hire locals, you know. But, see, the thing is that this locals, you know, they're not going to stay.

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Unknown
You know, you can. They they may probably, respond to your ads like, hey, I'm from Toronto, I'm from the big city. I want to, you know, they're going to give you all the spiel like, yeah, I like Small Town. But when they set in reality, you know, they they'll stay for two months and that's it and they'll quit.

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Unknown
So this local settlement officer was trying to explain to my new, supposedly interested employer that if you get an international or a foreign worker, you have at least two years with them. You know, that's because they are bound to the contract. And, you know, they if you treat them right, if you they're happy with you, who knows?

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Unknown
They might they might stay longer than what you thought. And so make it short. My two months and that into ten years, they stayed at the vet clinic for, for ten years. And, I called Russell my home. So I was just going to ask you that. How many years ago was the process? Because you live and work in Russell, Manitoba, and they have come so far from when you arrived like they had their you know, all of our employers are now where at the LMIAs there.

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Unknown
You know, we have a lot of foreign workers in our region. So it was about ten years ago that you came or 15. How long ago? Yeah, that would be, 14, 2011. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and it's really interesting to you made a really good point. You know, I think a lot of rural employers, they're they're worried about all the paperwork.

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Unknown
But if you have someone supporting you. Right, if we can get more settlement or more people in the settlement round to support the employers, then they're going to hire because it's not so overwhelming and, you know, scary, you know, and it's a great point. You know, you know, we want people why not hire people who are already local and who want to stay, you know, and who, like you said, you were there, you were ready to work.

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Unknown
Why wouldn't you hire you over, you know, someone who wasn't, you know, it makes perfect sense to me. So what were your first impressions like? Did you live in a large city in the Philippines, or was it a smaller town, or what was your impression when you came to it to the rural area? Oh, I live in the city.

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Unknown
Let's say Davao City is one of the big it's actually the biggest city when it comes to, geographical and land area. It's the biggest city in Asia, to be honest. Oh, wow. Yeah. But Davao City at the time, we have a one at least a million population.

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Unknown
And I was working. It is a, it's a pretty good city.

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Unknown
I was working for the city veterinary officer, city government position

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Unknown
and coming to rural area when while it was at the height of the winter, February 25th. So my employer, my the first employer that I had, he said, when you got to the airport, just do just go across the airport and you get to the Greyhound, bus station.

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Unknown
yeah, you sounded so it made it sound so easy that you're just crossing the street. But here's the trick. I lost my luggage when I arrived at the airport, so I have nothing, I have nothing, I have a sweater. And I arrive in the Sando in February 25th. So. And crossing the airport, cross just it's just like,

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Unknown
Yeah, it's one block away. But you do cross with the knee high snow. I have no frickin idea. Like, so this guy, working at the airport, he lent me his boots and say, you can cross, and you could just leave the boots there at the end of the, the lane and and here. And and then he gave me also he so winter jacket because I have I just had a sweater.

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Unknown
I just had a hoodie when I arrived at the airport and said, okay, you could now that you have winter jacket and you have boots you can cross, you know. So I was very, grateful for that guy. You know, people really well right at the airport. Sorry, I have to sneeze six. Well, I'm just going to add in there while you're talking.

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Unknown
That's a really what you brought up. There's a really important piece is that I think a lot of companies need to get better at, like, properly preparing employees when they come to Canada to, to come and in February and for no fault of your own, I mean, that's to me that's an employer, initiative. That's an employer responsibility ensuring that their employees are properly supported from the moment they, you know, touch around in, in Manitoba.

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Unknown
I mean, that you could have ended up with frost, but there's lots of things that could have happened. And and that's why I live in are so, vocal about you know, the companies that we interview want, we want to make sure they're truly supporting employees from the moment they get here and that they're properly prepared, you know, and there's lots of, resources available online.

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Unknown
So it's not I mean, the, that the employer has to recreate this now that they can just cut and paste when they email the foreign worker, they can say, hey, so you're coming tonight, Toba. And this time of year, this is what, to expect. And this is how to make properly. But I must say that must have been surprising to you.

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Unknown
But somebody gave you their winter boots and their jackets. It's kind of like a Canadian or, you know, Prairie thing. It's just to be a very they just to be very generous. So. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm glad you ran into, you know, some really nice people. So I'm going to ask you by default then. Did you, did you choose going to Russell.

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Unknown
It wasn't by you know really it was where the job was. Is that the way how you got to, rural Manitoba?

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Unknown
I still went through a lot of after after, my termination. The hug. Boring. There was another hug born out in Steinbach that offered me, and they say, oh, we have an open LMI.

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Unknown
A and you can come here. So when I ended Friday, I went in and at the time, you know, you just take the bus, you know. So I went to the I went to Steinbach the following day and try to work there. But

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Unknown
they say, oh, we're doing the papers and all that, but it wasn't really. So he said, I can't really give you.

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Unknown
I have to leave because I meant to give this LMI for someone. So like, oh my God, now I'm working under the table. I don't want this. I, you know,

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Unknown
but prior to that, when, you know, you're at the you're the tip of the sword, you know, you're hanging by there and the thread and you kind of just take the job,

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Unknown
whatever you have.

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Unknown
And this is what really pisses me off. Now, I just realized that people pray

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Unknown
and it doesn't matter who they are, whether they're locals or their, other nationalities, they prey on your, vulnerability you know? Oh, I haven't that's that's the gauge. Because as a temporary foreign worker, your document is your Bible. It's it's the thing that holds you to the ground to Canada.

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Unknown
So when they say, oh, we have an open work permit here for you will be an open I at the time, like, yeah, I'll grab that for sure because that that's how I'm going to stay legally in Canada. But then at the end of the day, two weeks after finding out they're not really going to do anything about me, they want to try to keep me under the table.

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Unknown
And so, like, I cannot do this. I'd be deported if people find this out. So I have to find I have to stop working. And luckily, before I left for Matt for, that was in Rob land before I left Rob land, there were a few. There were couple interested applications, I mean, employers. One was the Russell Vet Clinic.

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Unknown
But when she called me and she said, oh, I, I'm interested to try out, see how it works for you. And then when I said, like, oh, I already got this offer in Steinbach because they have already documents, you know, so I went in there and then

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Unknown
oh, I'm sorry about that. But if you think that it wasn't, it's not going to work out there.

00;14;54;07 - 00;15;18;11
Unknown
You know, you you can try and come back here. So that's what happened. At least she gave me that assurance that, she would still be willing to, to try and work out for me if things doesn't work out in Steinbach. So I called her right away after, two weeks after I was working at that hog barn and said, like, Cathy, you remember that?

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Unknown
You know, I want to come back there and, you know, start all over again, settle over again. If you are willing to work with me on, on the documents. And so to make a long story short, yes, we started, he started she started working on the documents in June of 2011. And in October, I got the we had the work permit change to switch to her as my new employer.

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Unknown
That's. Christine. I just want to say something to our listeners who are newcomers. That is very, very important. And this has become an epidemic in the immigration world.

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Unknown
I never thought it would reach rural Manitoba or real one, but it

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Unknown
and it happens all over Canada. And I need

00;16;06;26 - 00;16;09;29
Unknown
all of the listeners to realize this, especially the employers.

00;16;10;02 - 00;16;15;13
Unknown
It is illegal. It is unethical to be charging foreign workers

00;16;15;13 - 00;16;38;28
Unknown
for their positions, and it is happening. And I want to be very clear to the foreign workers is that you will not necessarily be deported if you pay for your jobs there. You know that, you know, you got your job. I have your work permit is actually what what you have to do is report your employer.

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Unknown
The employer does not have the legal right to make you leave Canada. The only people that can make you leave Canada is the Canadian

00;16;49;24 - 00;17;20;13
Unknown
Border Agency. So the CBSA okay. So that is something I really want to make clear because you brought that up about working under the table. Yeah. And it's it's I've had so many people come to me lately telling me that they could get an LMI, a if they pay 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and then they have done it and then they won't pay the consultant that got them the job to do their permanent residency, because they don't have 20,000, which is outrageous, ridiculous.

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Unknown
You should never pay that kind of money to do that. So then the employer says, we will send you home if you don't go with this consultant to our lawyer who brought you here.

00;17;31;21 - 00;17;44;23
Unknown
That is untrue, that they cannot they cannot make you go with anyone. You can do your immigration process all by yourself, or you can choose to hire a reputable lawyer or consultant.

00;17;44;26 - 00;18;09;09
Unknown
So I really want to thank you for bringing that up. And I think it's very important to address it because it's getting worse. Instead of better. Oh, my eyes are getting highly competitive. So and and as well as the federal government just took away points. If you had like the 250 points to the express entry. So getting an LMI aid in Canada right now does not and will not.

00;18;09;09 - 00;18;21;03
Unknown
And no one can ever guarantee you that it will get you immigrated to Canada. So take heed. Be aware. Labor market impact assessments. You should be very,

00;18;21;03 - 00;18;37;04
Unknown
very knowledgeable on them. And the foreign worker does not need to pay anything to get a job. So I just want to say that because it's becoming worse instead of better. So so thanks for bringing that up about working under the table and and being put in a really bad situation.

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Unknown
but I think we should digress from that. And I want to hear how you got into that better spot. You got yourself a really great employer, and we want to hear about what would happen from that point on. You know, what happened next and how did you settle in that, you know, rural community coming from such a large, large city?

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Unknown
Yeah. No, I think it's it's quite it's a little not a lot, a lot of shock, but,

00;19;02;12 - 00;19;23;09
Unknown
I think it's because I've always been wanted to, I've lived like, when my childhood. I live in a small town, you know, and I kind of when, when you got your career and you moved to bigger city for a job, and that just never changes because, you know, you need you in a survival mode.

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Unknown
And

00;19;24;03 - 00;19;48;16
Unknown
when I moved here, oh, the funny thing is that when it when I took the bus on Greyhound, it's like it was winter. It was like going into a, you know, this apocalypse. Like there's I cannot find one person on the street that's like, what is going on? And this is a dead. Oh, no, like, where is where are the humans little hiding anyway?

00;19;48;18 - 00;20;13;16
Unknown
So now I got to realize that it's kind of like a phase. When it come and spring comes, it's like, oh my God, it's a new life. It's a fresh breath and doesn't really bother me living in a small town. Because when you look at it, although Russell at the, this we've been growing, maybe 1500 when I arrived, 1500 population arrived in this community.

00;20;13;18 - 00;20;46;18
Unknown
And it keeps growing. And the good thing is that there's a, there's a big business entity out here in the area that gets a lot of, I mean, prioritizes or chooses over Filipino foreign workers to for their company. So there's a, there's a bigger, Filipino community that has been created in this area. And I would say, right now we're probably hitting 400 population Filipino here.

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Unknown
Wow. Yes. In, in just in the Russell and West Coast area. And so when I arrived, when I got here, you know, I don't have my kids, so I had to find my way to be busy, you know, instead of, sucking myself, having the kids not here. I want out and be more, part of the community.

00;21;13;27 - 00;21;37;19
Unknown
And that's the problem with, most, immigrants, you know, they. When they feel comfortable already, they don't. You know, I'm quite comfortable in my own room. I don't I don't need I have enough food. I don't need to go out. And, you know, and I always advocate not for immigrants or newcomers, you know, just because you got what you want doesn't mean that you, you, you chose this area.

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Unknown
You need to be out there. You need to be, taking yourself out and letting the people know that you're here. Because that's the only way you make connections. You know, if you know what it is. Yes. And build opportunities as long as you know the local. And it also gives, good impression to the local community that, you know, or this people or, you know, out there, you know, they're willing to be part of the community.

00;22;04;23 - 00;22;54;09
Unknown
And so when I work at the vet clinic for at least ten years, I, I learn and I met a lot of people from all walks of life, you know, the farmers which are the basic and the most, integral part of the economic development in an agricultural area, basically. So I met them. I met a lot of them, pet owners, business entities and, and a lot more, you know, and then you realize how how blessed and how lucky we are to be in this area, you know, and this this area is so abundant and it's kind of just like, make me realize that people are not that grateful.

00;22;54;11 - 00;23;14;23
Unknown
Most locals are not grateful for what they have in locality, because, I mean, you're born to that. You see that every day and you know, and you don't really realize how. And for me, looking at that, this from a different perspective, I'm an outsider, what I call my God, you have no idea how lucky you are to be in this community.

00;23;14;23 - 00;23;27;13
Unknown
And that was kind of like my advocacy for the locals. You got to you got to see the the good part in your community because you're so blessed. You are so blessed to be in this area.

00;23;27;13 - 00;23;36;27
Unknown
And then after ten years of working at the vet clinic, when my boss decided to retire. So she I also find another and you know what?

00;23;36;27 - 00;24;06;19
Unknown
I can maybe I could change my career, you know, and so I, opted to and there was this position that opened, as a local settlement, facilitator in the area, which I, I kind of love doing it because I'm connected with the people in the community. And even though before, before getting into that position and I was still working at the vet clinic, I was working side by side with our local immigration officer at the time.

00;24;06;22 - 00;24;30;22
Unknown
We she was kind of like our, our Mother Goose, like she look after everyone. She goes above and beyond of her job and, she we would she would tell me, hey, Tina, do you want to come with me? We're we're picking up newcomers from from York and people that have no idea how to get here. There. It's the same thing.

00;24;30;22 - 00;24;51;20
Unknown
Their boss just told them. Just take the bus and they'll drop you there like we have no bus station here. So they ended up in York. The bus station, I don't know, but we pick them up at two in the morning and it's a blizzard. They have no idea that there's no bus station here, so we have to pick them up from New York, then bring them to their house.

00;24;51;20 - 00;25;12;04
Unknown
Their house was so freezing cold. And we have to, you know, and a lot of things that, you know, the simple things that really breaks my heart is that when you don't prepare the people to to come into the area, the first, you know, the first entry that they have is traumatizing. And that's why it really stacks up.

00;25;12;10 - 00;25;36;16
Unknown
You know, it sticks up whether it's ingrained in their memory for the rest of their lives, you know, and that is not how you want to, make people feel homeless. So how do you make this people, stay, you know, when when all this being stuck up in their brains. Is that, like, I. I came here, and I was almost dying from freezing cold, you know it well, and that's their first impression of their employer is.

00;25;36;21 - 00;25;57;16
Unknown
Yeah. You're you're basically to support them at all. Right. And then you, you start to question. And that's another thing I'm very passionate, you know, how are companies supporting their employers to grow. Because, you know, most people don't want to stay in those beginner positions forever. They want to grow. They want to make a better income. They want to, you know, settle and buy a house and things like that.

00;25;57;19 - 00;26;10;21
Unknown
And so and there's so many things that happen. I have a question for you, Christine. When you came, did you speak English already? Was it at a certain level? Did you find that affected anything that you were doing

00;26;10;21 - 00;26;19;18
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. Because, English is a second language in the Philippines. So English has been used since you were kindergarten.

00;26;19;20 - 00;26;43;27
Unknown
Okay. Yeah, it's been used in school, universities and all that. So it wasn't a big deal to, you know, and I think that makes, most Filipinos, more, you know, advantage to have that. Yeah, it's already. Yeah, yeah. And that's so unfair because I think a lot of times employers are able to take more advantage of people if they don't have the English.

00;26;43;27 - 00;26;54;08
Unknown
Right. Because now they can't maybe read or understand, and it's taking them longer to get that language. And so they get stuck, you know. Yeah. Yeah. That's true.

00;26;54;08 - 00;27;05;03
Unknown
testing. Can I just so just to bring it back a bit in terms of. So you arrived here to work at a hog barn and that didn't pan out.

00;27;05;05 - 00;27;26;26
Unknown
So, however. And then you went to Steinbach and for this, for similar industry, same industry. That didn't work out. But you're the one employer, the Russell Vet Clinic. They gave you opportunity a spent a lot of time there. And then when your your employer retired and you moved into a settlement coordinator. So that was you know, that's pretty cool.

00;27;26;28 - 00;27;46;09
Unknown
And then I remember you and I talking about the position that came open and what position was that. And so you're like, Bill Lindsey, I can do that. I and I'm a economic developer myself. So we talked about it. And you went ahead and you applied for to be the economic development officer of the Russell Area.

00;27;46;09 - 00;27;47;20
Unknown
Absolutely. Yeah.

00;27;47;21 - 00;28;18;11
Unknown
So that came to be. Yeah. So when I was working at a local settlement office, this position came out, as a economic development officer for Assiniboine Valley and Assiniboine Valley Community Development Corporation is, conglomerate. Communities are riding Mountain West in the Russell this court so they fuze together and collaborate that we're going to do economic development office.

00;28;18;11 - 00;28;32;17
Unknown
So, luckily I, they gave me a break from that. So they, they want to try me. So and it's probably one of the best opportunities that I, that I could see. And,

00;28;32;17 - 00;28;43;02
Unknown
it was a big shoes to fill in because I know that the previous economic development officers were all, in line, you know, there there were educated in that line.

00;28;43;02 - 00;29;15;16
Unknown
And here I am coming from, from a different world. But I've always loved, economic development. And I think it's a very. And when I was still working as a local settlement officer, it kind of used together because it's basically when you, you bring a newcomer to the area, you're building them, their economic life. You know, first of all, you you help them with housing, you know, and that itself was the biggest challenge in the, in the community.

00;29;15;16 - 00;29;46;00
Unknown
And this is only happened in the big city. Even in rural communities, we are facing housing challenges and it's across Canada. So finding them home. But not only that, but it's not just enough that you find them on a rental place, but you also need to look after them like, oh, it has to be strategically. They should be strategically renting in a place where they can just walk to work, because first of all, they don't have a vehicle yet.

00;29;46;02 - 00;30;20;06
Unknown
You know, it's all the things you navigate for them. And at the time, as a local settlement officer, you actually provide the entire economic aspect of the new commerce. It's like, so anyway, I moved to this position like I could probably wing this out, you know, this this like so. And it is actually is and then, I'm bringing that problem or concerns to the council like, hey, you need to do something as a council, if you want to grow your community, you need to provide housing that is basic.

00;30;20;12 - 00;30;26;05
Unknown
That is basic. It's not only for newcomers because a lot of locals also want that, you know,

00;30;26;05 - 00;30;41;02
Unknown
young adults wants to own their home too. And what would make their stay? What would be the reason for them to make stay in the area? If you know, I want to get out from my mom's basement and I want to, I'm able to have a job I want to have.

00;30;41;04 - 00;31;16;04
Unknown
I want to own a home, too, you know, or or kind of like a rental place. So this thing came out also when I become economic development officer. I know I open a big kind of worm. It's just like this. A lot of things are like, oh, why do we even here? Because we can. There is a little bit of, you know, there's every day you pull out something different and you and it's very challenging that, there's a lot of opportunities in the area that were untapped and there's a lot of problems to that.

00;31;16;04 - 00;31;48;21
Unknown
It could actually be matched with the opportunities in the area. But I think that, sometimes at some point, the community's not just that prepared, you know, the council's priorities are, you know, different. So, you can just do the best whatever however you can with a very limited resources and I lasted there for a couple of years just because the contract ended.

00;31;48;24 - 00;31;55;12
Unknown
It has a five year contract with writing Mountain West and Russell Ben scored. So when that ended,

00;31;55;12 - 00;32;19;08
Unknown
the other municipality have a different perspective or understanding of their own economic, setup, which is fine, you know, and, the other community also is looking into a different, economic perspective. So both of them are working on and how they can best put their economic, status.

00;32;19;08 - 00;32;29;14
Unknown
So there's no economic development. Office is right now in both municipalities, but I believe they are. The council is, working on that

00;32;29;14 - 00;32;44;13
Unknown
and before I was going to say, you know, don't knock skilled. I mean, you're a highly trained professional and skills are transferable, you know what I mean? And I think that's what's great about rural areas is you get that opportunity to transfer those skills into different opportunities.

00;32;44;15 - 00;32;58;02
Unknown
You know, like you said, you started off at the vet clinic, you know, you were working in settlements, you made connections there, you know, you got there. And then just through been so involved in the community. I was so happy when you talked about that. I think that's like you said, a big piece. A lot of newcomers miss.

00;32;58;02 - 00;33;17;05
Unknown
They they come, they sort of stay with the group. Maybe that speaks their first language and they're not getting out there. And that's one of the, the biggest things you have to you have to go out there and meet people and connect to everyone, because you never know what opportunities are going to come your way. You know, it's very important to those who, you know.

00;33;17;06 - 00;33;39;00
Unknown
Yeah, it's it's it's networking. Right. And it's really hard to get that across to especially newcomers because they're like, well, I don't have the Canadian experience. But actually and if you were to let the cat out of the bag or speak or if you're the secret, it's it's always who, you know, anytime I, I, you know, really got a contract.

00;33;39;03 - 00;34;00;29
Unknown
Any referrals I get for clients is who I it's who I knew is who I talk. So it's really important. As both of you just said, when you arrive in a community is that you immerse yourself with anyone possible, like volunteer for the local humane society. If you like cats you know are volunteer wherever you can.

00;34;00;29 - 00;34;28;19
Unknown
And so that means not getting paid, for doing a project. So that's what volunteering is. And that's my whole kind of built is through volunteering and small business development. But by volunteering is the way how you meet people and then by meeting people, you may meet somebody in the industry you want to get into. And, you know, and that's the way I have always flow, is you walk into an interview and there's that person there like, I know Christine, she's a great volunteer.

00;34;28;19 - 00;34;43;22
Unknown
She knows our community. She'd be a wonderful economic development officer. Right. So it's it's all in who you know and how much you immerse yourself in a, especially in a rural town that's really when you meet. So great point.

00;34;43;22 - 00;34;49;07
Unknown
So we're almost at our 40 minute mark here. So I want to I want to ask you a question, Christine.

00;34;49;14 - 00;35;04;22
Unknown
Think what would you say to other immigrants who are considering moving to rural areas as their new home? Is there any any advice or things you would recommend when they're chatting with employers, or if they're just thinking of moving here and then finding work?

00;35;04;22 - 00;35;18;03
Unknown
When we are I think one of the biggest, I would say not achievement, but one of the biggest and most significant, action plan that I have left in,

00;35;18;03 - 00;35;22;24
Unknown
economic development office is that when we start, we initiate the, the,

00;35;22;24 - 00;35;26;11
Unknown
West central Manitoba immigration Initiative.

00;35;26;14 - 00;35;52;27
Unknown
It it's like it's a special pathway for specifically for the eight communities in the area. So, in that West Central Manitoba Immigration initiative, our office initiated it. So we have residence card riding, Mountain West, Ramblin Ross brewing, Ellis, Archie, gambler first Nation. We have also, the Yellowhead community and,

00;35;52;27 - 00;35;54;09
Unknown
Prairie View Municipality.

00;35;54;09 - 00;36;15;00
Unknown
So there's actually eight municipalities that are involved in this immigration pilot. So this is for the communities that are, one of the biggest challenges that I found working in the economic development Office is that the need to address the local short labor shortage.

00;36;15;00 - 00;36;24;25
Unknown
And when you look at the, job employment Board, there is at least at least 200 jobs posted every day that no one's responding.

00;36;24;28 - 00;36;46;15
Unknown
You know, right now, right now, I Lindsay posted that the other day. There's yes, 200 jobs right now in that area. That's yeah. Life. Yeah. So how do we address that. And you know the the local businesses are the backbone of, a small community. And so, when we as part of the,

00;36;46;15 - 00;37;05;11
Unknown
criteria that we're looking for is that when you come to the area, you really make, you want to make sure that, you're not just there because it could be it can be abused, you know, people already are in within Canada when they see this opportunity and they're desperate to stay in Canada, they're going to use all those avenues

00;37;05;11 - 00;37;28;11
Unknown
to stay. But then what we wanted is a retention program. That's what we wanted to, stay let them stay in the community. Contributed economy and be a part of of a growing community, not just getting the paper, you know, when and and become permanent residents. I'm totally out here, you know, and, we've seen that a lot.

00;37;28;11 - 00;37;50;25
Unknown
And it changed the dynamic when after Covid, I seen a lot of people that have stayed, I would say 80%. When I was, local settlement officer, I seen 80% of the newcomers have stayed in the area, and there's still few that would like to venture when they become permanent residents. I will see what city life is, and that's fine.

00;37;50;25 - 00;38;19;10
Unknown
You know, that's beyond there. But, what I would recommend for people that are coming to the area is that, you chose to be here. That's the thing. You know, you chose to be in that area. You have a responsibility to immerse yourself. You know, it's not always what I can get from this community or what can what benefit, what benefit can I get from this people around here now, we're used to as newcomers back then.

00;38;19;10 - 00;38;42;14
Unknown
We're used to people are just. The locals are so generous. There's so loving, there's so welcoming. And they would always give you whatever you want, you know? And I don't want this to be abused by newcomers, you know? And newcomers should understand that that is their way of welcoming you and it should not be abused. So you gotta think as a newcomer, okay?

00;38;42;17 - 00;38;53;27
Unknown
And you you put this out. Yeah. You we bring our cultures, okay. You have that innate with you, but you also have to come to a country and you have to respect their values. You have to respect their culture. So, you know,

00;38;53;27 - 00;38;56;04
Unknown
kind of had like, okay, I'm this,

00;38;56;04 - 00;38;58;20
Unknown
I wanted to stick around with what believe.

00;38;58;22 - 00;39;22;22
Unknown
Yes. You can do that in the four corners of your own home. But when you're outside, you got to be respectful of everyone's, values, because it's a very diverse community out here. And actually, we are lucky to have that harmony in, you know, very diverse community. We have no, so far, knock on wood, we have no problem with racism.

00;39;22;29 - 00;39;51;09
Unknown
You know, it's not really that kind of, mixed blatantly. You can see in other places. So just be part of the community in any simple way that you can, you know, just being visible there and just, be respectful for, you know, new your neighbors, whoever, you know, and I think that's, that's what that is. And I think you got to stay.

00;39;51;11 - 00;40;14;05
Unknown
You got to stay humble. You know, you you got to stay. You're starting from ground zero. You know, you win when you leave. When I left my country, I forgot who I am. You know, I forgot I left that all aside. And you start fresh. You know, you adopt the values that are going to be building you as a new person in a new, country that you chose.

00;40;14;10 - 00;40;34;23
Unknown
Thank you for that. I think you said it perfectly, you know, just come in with an open mind, right? Be willing 100%. I always say 100%. Keep your culture, but, you know, be open to maybe adopting a few new things too. Right. And yeah. Share. And exactly. I think I think you said it best. Well, thank you so much, Christine, for coming on today to the Move Royal Canada podcast.

00;40;34;26 - 00;40;52;15
Unknown
You've had a great interview with us. You've shown us giving us a lot of a lot of we talked about a lot of things that I think people don't want to talk about and have. In your experience about good employers and the not so good employers? I think it's so important for people to understand and, and Lindsay for exactly explaining what are your rights.

00;40;52;15 - 00;41;02;00
Unknown
I think that is so important. So it is. Yeah. Thank you again for coming. Thank you everyone for listening. Lindsay, you can close us.

00;41;02;00 - 00;41;10;24
Unknown
Okay. Well thanks, Christine, and thanks everyone. And we'll see you next time or listen to you next time on Move Rural Canada and live rural, live well.

00;41;13;15 - 00;41;29;00
Unknown
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