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The United Nations ‘Elimination of Racial Discrimination’ event was hosted on March 19th 2009 by the Hamilton Police Services inside the Auditorium at the Hamilton Spectator. The Hamilton Police Services under the supervision of Sandra Wilson of the Police Force was on hand to welcome invitees to the event.

The evening began with a moment for reflection back to the incident which oc-curred on March 21, 1960 in Sharpeville, South Africa. On this date, the Sharpeville police force opened fire on a crowd of blacks killing and wounding approximate-ly 250 people. This incident which cap-tured the attention of the United Nations has been labeled as...

The new office and resource centre opened recently to the public by St. Jo-seph Immigrant Women’s Centre is any-thing but beautiful. It is also easily acces-sible. The Voice in Diaspora was recently shown around this new facility by Ines Rios the Executive Director and Elizabeth, her assistant. This new center brings to three the number of facilities being operated by Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre in Hamilton.

The success of St. Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre has been twenty years in the making. While new facilities have been set up to continue expanding the good services the centre renders to new immigrant and refugee women and their families, the head quarters still remained stationed on 8 Main Street Hamilton. The Centre is a pioneer in creating programs and offering services that exclusively fa-cilitate smooth integration of new comer women in the Hamilton community. What makes the centre unique is that all their services come with quality child minding services on site. Thus, new comer women who are facing barriers and had to meet with their counsellors to fill out one form or the other have a peace of mind entrust-ing the care of their little children to quali-fied child care workers present at the facil-ity.

Ines Executive Director recalled the cen-tre’s early years of hoping from one church basement from the North end to the East-end, and finally settling on their present 8 Main Street location. The Centre was drawn to the downtown core because of the historical attraction it has for new ar-rivals to Canada. The centre has provided services to many new comer women from Somali, Congo, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan etc. and recently the Karen people.

For Ines, it is wonderful seeing women’s lives transformed after many months com-ing for services in the centre. The most amazing aspect of this transformation is the use of the English Language by wom-en who were once unable to communicate in the language when they first arrived in Hamilton. What an incredible success! It was interesting visiting one of the ESL classes on the new site and...

This yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco. Tobacco is the single most preventable cause of death in the world. It is the only legal con-sumer product that can harm everyone ex-posed to it – and it kills up to half of those who use it as intended, with its victims dy-ing on average 15 years prematurely.

This year, tobacco will kill more than five million people – more than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated around the world every year on May 31. This yearly celebration informs the public on the danger of using tobacco, the mar-keting practices of tobacco companies, and what the World Health Organization is doing to combat the tobacco epidem-ic. This special day is also an opportunity for all of us, (policy-makers, non-govern-mental organizations, young people, and the public) to advocate for a tobacco-free world and help reverse the course of this entirely preventable epidemic.

Globally, most people start smoking be-fore the age of 18, with almost a quarter of those beginning before the age of 10.

World Health Day 2009 focuses on the safety of health facilities and the readiness of health workers who treat those affected by emergencies. Health centers and staff are critical lifelines for vulnerable people in disasters - treating injuries, preventing illnesses and caring for people's health needs. They are cornerstones for primary health care in communities – meeting ev-

eryday needs, such as safe childbirth ser-vices, immunizations and chronic disease care that must continue in emergencies. Often, already fragile health systems are unable to keep functioning through a di-saster, with immediate and future public health consequences.

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Apr i l & May 09 • Volume 2 • I ssue 3 • w w w.thevoiceindiaspora .com • 905.521.2875

“Using the power of the pen to facilitate smooth integration for immigrants into the Canadian society.”

U N I T Y I N D I V E R S I T Y

World Health DayA p r i l 2 0 0 9

World No Tobacco DayM a y 2 0 0 9

Hamilton Police Services HostElimination of Racial

Discrimination

Continued Vision Towards Women's EmpowermentSt. Joseph Immigrant Women's Centre

Opens Rebecca Street Chapter!

Refugee Claims Spike by 30%∞ Read on page 2

The No More Silence Rally∞ Read on page 6

The Geography of Immigration in Canada∞ Read on page 5

Too Much Red Meat May Shorten Life Span∞ Read on page 13

Two Good People From Nigeria with Love∞ Read on page 14

The Voice Editorial April/May 2009

I chose not to write my thoughts in this edition; rather I do-nated my space to celebrate Mother’s day with one of my contributor’s. Writing comes easily to some people, while to others, it is a difficult task. We all have our special gifts and tal-ents, and whatever it is, let us use it as a service to our neigh-bours. Thanks for all your supports.

Below is Nonso’s tribute to his mother in celebration of the upcoming Mothers’ Day Event.

MESSAGE FOR MAMA...!!!

You were always the oneNobody else taught me to appreciate;You went through ups & downsTrying to find a better life for me;I was sick as a little kidAnd you went all out to face & feel the pain with me.

You were always so braveSince my Childhood;You always gave me good advice.I remember you tried so hard to make me understand you;Because you understood me better;Now I understand why you said so many en-couraging words to me.For it was because you believed in meAnd you wanted me to believe in myself.

Thus Mama!Your faith + believe in me has fuelled my character to keep be-lievingAnd to keep igniting others to believe in whom they are too

Oh blessed Mama!Your love for me is...And always has being...A verb love from GODI love you Mama + Happy Mother’s day…!!!

Blessings...! ...Blessings...!! ......Blessings...!!! (c) NearChukwuNonso A. Dike

Thanks for your continued support for the Voice in Diaspora. We welcome your feedbacks and cherish your business.

Veronica Chris-Ike Publisher/Editor

A p r & M a y 0 9 • Vo l 2 • I s s u e 32 w w w. t h e v o i ce i n d i a s p o ra . co m

Registered nurses and midwives also gain new powers

Naturopaths in B.C. will now be able to prescribe drugs to their patients, mak-ing them the first alternative health-care providers in the country to do so.

New regulations, announced by Health Services Minister George Abbott on Thursday, also significantly expand the role of other health profession-als, including midwives and registered nurses.

“Expanding the role of midwives, reg-istered nurses and naturopathic physi-cians allows B.C.’s health system to offer more options for patients,” Abbott said in a news release. “British Columbians made it clear during the Conversation on Health that they want increased choice and better access to health ser-vices, and today we are meeting our 2008 throne speech commitment to expand the scope of practice for these professions.”

Dr. Christoph Kind, president of the B.C. Naturopathic Association, hailed the government move. "Now we have the authority to be able to work with the pharmacy, with the pharmacists," he said. "It will also allow better co-management with other heath-care providers, including medical physi-cians, so I think all in all it's going to enhance the care that patients get in B.C. "Naturopaths would be required to complete a new certification course be-fore being allowed to prescribe drugs including hormones, vitamins, minerals

and amino acids, Kind said. Naturopathic medicine, practised by more than 300 registered naturopaths in B.C., has been a regulated health profession in the prov-ince since 1936.

Midwives granted expanded powers

Under the new regulations, midwives will be authorized to deliver a broader range of services to new and expectant mothers, such as initiating induction and augmentation of labour; use of acupunc-ture for pain relief during labour; and as-sisting medical doctors with caesarean sections. These specialized practices will be performed by midwives who have ob-tained additional education and certifica-tion, the government's release said.

“Enhancing the scope of practice for mid-wives recognizes the full range of training and expertise of this profession and sup-ports our goal of ensuring safe and timely care for our clients,” said Terry Lyn Evans, president of the College of Midwives of B.C. “The new regulations are great news for the midwifery profession and for the new and expectant moms who choose to use the services of a midwife.” There are close to 140 midwives practising in Brit-ish Columbia, and midwifery has been a regulated health profession in B.C. since 1998.

Registered nurses expand service

Registered nurses will now be autho-rized to independently provide a broader range of health services, including sutur-ing, tuberculosis screening and managing labour in hospital when the primary care

provider is absent, the ministry release said.

Registered nurses working triage will now also be able to immediately order diagnostic ultrasounds and X-rays. Addi-tionally, registered nurses will be able to dispense or administer prescription medi-cations in urgent situations, including for severe allergic reactions, drug overdoses, post-partum bleeding and communica-ble disease prevention and management.

“An enhanced scope of practice for regis-tered nurses recognizes the key role that they play in B.C.’s health-care system,” said Val Cartmel, president of the College of Registered Nurses of B.C.

“These changes will increase efficiency and choice for patients while registered nurses and nurse practitioners will con-tinue to work closely with other health-care professions to provide safe, quality care to patients.”

There are more than 34,500 registered nurses in the province, and they've been regulated since 1918.

B.C. Gives Naturopaths Right to Prescribe Drugs

UNITED NATIONS -- Immigration Minister Jason Kenney spoke March 24th 2009, of "wide-scale and almost systematic abuse" of Canada's refugee system after a United Nations report showed a 30% increase in the number of people seeking refugee or asylum status in Canada. Much of the in-crease comes from a major rise in the num-bers of Mexicans, Haitians and Colombians claiming they'll face persecution if Canada sends them back to their respective coun-tries, the UN says.

But the world body also says the United States saw a three per cent drop in the number of people asking for asylum in that country last year. Overall, the percent-age increase for Canada is almost three times the average for 51 countries studied in Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrial-ized Countries 2008 by the UN High Com-missioner for Refugees.

"This is clearly an abuse of Canada's gen-erosity," Mr. Kenney said during an inter-view to the press about the issue. "It is a violation of the integrity of our immigra-tion system."

One difference between the U.S. and Can-ada is that the States operates a detention system in which applicants can be effec-tively jailed pending review of their cases,

while applicants in Canada are often eligi-ble to apply for a temporary work permit.

Canada received 36,900 new applica-tions last year, according to the UN report, whereas the U.S., whose population is 10 times larger, received an estimated 49,000. "Canada has witnessed a steady increase in new asylum seekers in the past years, and in 2008 was the second largest recipi-ent of applications," says the report's com-mentary. "On average, every 10th applica-tion in the industrialized world was made in Canada."

Applicants in Canada go before the Im-migration and Refugee Board, which puts the application figure for 2008 at 34,800 - slightly lower than the UN's finding.

The board's case-approval rate for the past several years has varied between 42% and 46%, but rejected applicants have a slew appeals and other options available to them.

"People . . . whose initial claims are reject-ed are able to stay in Canada, sometimes for several years, making serial appeals," Mr. Kenney said. "In some cases, it would seem their objective is to stay long enough that they can make a compelling case that it would be uncompassionate for them to be deported." Mr. Kenney noted the Im-

m i g r a t i o n and Refu-gee Board rejects up to 90% of claims made by M e x i c a n s . "That would s u g g e s t wide scale and almost systematic abuse," Kenney said.

Canada sometimes delays deportation of rejected Haitian applicants, meanwhile, be-cause Ottawa lists the Caribbean country, the Western hemisphere's poorest, among those as potentially unstable or suscepti-ble to other forms of disaster. "That may be acting as an incentive for false claimants," Mr. Kenney added. He spoke of a "broad political consensus" that Canada's inland refugee system was "broken." "I have asked my parliamentary colleagues at the immi-gration committee and in the opposition parties to begin a dialogue on ways we can reform the inland-refugee system to make sure there is a fair process that complies with the principles of natural justice, but ensures that bogus claimants are shown the door, and quickly," he said.

Mexicans are exempted from a U.S.-Can-

ada agreement that gives both countries the right to refuse an application already rejected by the other's refugee review sys-tem - possibly leading to "double-dipping."

"The problem in Mexico is less govern-ment [persecution] than the government's inability to protect people from gang war-fare and drug cartels," he said. "People may also feel safer in Canada, since anyone be-ing pursued by gangsters would be more susceptible if they were just across the border."

In addition to the 7,554 refugee and asy-lum claimants Immigration and Refugee Board approved last year, government and private sponsors of refugees overseas who've already fled from their countries of origin brought in more than 11,000, ac-cording to Citizenship and Immigration Canada statistics.

■ http://www.nationalpost.com/news

Refugee Claims Spike by 30%''An abuse of Canada's generosity''

3A p r & M a y 0 9 • Vo l 2 • I s s u e 3w w w. t h e v o i ce i n d i a s p o ra . co m

The Voice in Diaspora571 James Street N. L8L 1J8 Hamilton, Ontario

Tel: 905.521.2875 - Fax: 905.385.8085www.thevoiceindiaspora.com

Our MissionUsing the power of the pen to facilitate smooth inte-

gration for immigrants into the Canadian society.

Publisher/EditorVeronica Chris-Ike

[email protected]

Art & Creative DesignJihan C. Aydin

www . A4AMEDIA . com

Advertising & MarketingStephen N. Murphy

Tel: 905.521.2875 ext. 3408 [email protected]

ContributorsNica Brown, Blessing Tokis

Veronica Chris-Ike, Hussein Hamdani, Sayed M. Tora

SISO (Settlement And Integration Services Organization)

The Voice in Diaspora Newspaper is free of charge.

Publication will be done Bi-monthly. 10,000 copies will be printed and distributed as follows: 1000 cop-ies mailed to stake holders, 6,000 copies dropped into personal mail boxes; 3000 copies will be distributed to businesses, shopping malls, churches, Non-profit or-ganizations, adult learning Centres, etc, in Hamilton and environs.

The views expressed by writers do not necessarily re-flect the opinion of this newspaper. All rights reserved. The Voice in Diaspora is not responsible for accuracy of information provided by advertisers and contributors.

Reproduction in whole or in part without prior per-mission is prohibited. Some graphic images may be used via flickr.com with respect to its rightful owners under the Creative Commons Licencing.

...Continued from page 1

World No Tobacco Day

The younger children are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit.

A strong link between advertising and smoking in young people has been prov-en. The more aware and appreciative young people are of tobacco advertising; the more likely they are to smoke or say they intend to. As a result, the tobacco in-

dustry spends billions of dollars worldwide each year spreading its marketing net as widely as possible to attract young cus-tomers. Tobacco companies market their products wherever youth can be easily ac-cessed – in the movies, on the internet, in fashion magazines, and at music concerts and sport events.

In response to this threat, World No To-bacco Day 2008 campaigns for a: Total ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, pro-motion and sponsorship by the tobacco industry.

■ http://www.who/int/tobacco/wntd/2008/en/index.html


World Health DayWorld Health Day is more than just a

one-day event. WHO, from its country and regional offices and headquarters, is con-tinuously working with international and national partners to assist countries in pre-paring their health facilities and staff for emergencies. What 7 April 2009 marks is

the launch of the next step of a campaign to build resilience into our health systems so that hospitals, clinics and staff can with-stand the next crisis, whatever it may be, and provide the health care that their communities need in times of emergency.

This year, WHO and international part-ners are underscoring the importance of investing in health infrastructure that can withstand hazards and serve people in im-mediate need. They are also urging health facilities to implement systems to respond to internal emergencies, such as fires, and ensure the continuity of care.

A Call To Action

As Hamiltonians, our collective efforts are needed to ensure our Health and Health care needs are met. There are on-going reductions of hospital beds and closures of some health care facilities that need to

be addressed by our political leaders. The health of any nation is the wealth of that nation. Since the incessant outbreak of so many communicable diseases and the increasing demand on the health care sys-tem due to our aging population, expand-ing and improving health care facilities is no longer a choice, it is a must. More so, the addiction to nicotine, fast food and video games have contributed to seden-tary life styles amongst majority of the population. The ripple effects are felt on

the amount of dollars spent on managing the chronic and sometimes acute results of such lifestyle choices.

While the government has allocated some funds to address some of the emer-gent needs of our health care system, more need to be done. Closure of important hospital beds and reduction of the num-ber of workers in the health care system would definitely contribute to negative consequences for all in this province. Each and every one of us should be proactive in engaging the political leaders in seri-ous discussions about the negative impact their negligence and actions would result when health care needs of the population are not made. Now is the time to act.

■ http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2009/everyone_role/en/index.html


Canada admits immigrants for perma-nent residence for primarily three reasons: humanitarian effort through the admit-tance of protected persons (refugees and others granted protection); family reunification through the sponsorship of selected family members; and economic development and prosperity through the admittance of high-skilled and well-edu-cated individuals.

In 2006, over 6 million immigrants re-sided in Canada representing 19.8 percent of the total population, with over 200,000 new immigrants admitted annually since the 1990s. Immigration is primarily an ur-ban issue with immigrants settling only in a few CMAs in select provinces. With in-creasing immigrant concentration primar-ily in the three gateway cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, the attention has turned to the settlement of immigrants outside of these three regions.

While humanitarian and family reunifica-tion considerations are important com-ponents of Canada’s immigration policy, economic reasons have come to the fore-front. In light of immigration as a driver of population growth coupled with Canada’s aging population, immigrants are often tapped as a source of labour. In addition, with regions shifting from traditional to knowledge intensive industries, the admit-tance of immigrants is targeted towards the well-educated and skilled.

In 2006, over 4 million individuals had a university bachelor’s degree in Canada (18.0 percent of the total population). Im-

migrants have a higher proportion with a university degree in comparison to the Canadian-born population particularly for the most recent arrivals. For example, 42 percent of immigrants who arrived between 2001 and 2006 had a university degree compared to 22 percent of immi-grants who arrived prior to 2001, with only 16 percent among the Canadian-born. Canada, in part, has responded to the changing economic needs of the country through the economic immigrant class component of its immigration policy. Canada’s point system is designed to at-tract high-skilled and well-educated im-migrants by allocating the largest share of points to education credentials and knowledge of official languages.

Although immigrants in Canada are well-educated their labour force outcomes are worse than their Canadian-born coun-terparts. Even after a long period of time resident in Canada immigrants have both lower participation rates and aver-age incomes, while they higher rates of unemployment than the Canadian-born. The unemployment rates for immigrants in the three largest immigrant receiving provinces are relatively poor with immi-grants unemployed at much higher rates. The most recent arrivals have the greatest difficulties finding employment with over three times the unemployment rate of the Canadian-born.

Examination across provinces, immigrant university degree holders fare better in provinces that attract smaller numbers of

immigrants. Although few in number, im-migrants in Newfoundland, New Bruns-wick, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan have higher average incomes than their Canadi-an-born counterparts. Conversely, immi-grants in the largest immigrant receiving provinces have the largest income differ-entials earning $20,740 less than the Cana-dian-born in Ontario followed by smaller differentials in Alberta, Quebec and Brit-ish Columbia. In Ontario, immigrants with university degrees who reside in smaller CMAs such as Sudbury and Kingston earn more than or similar to their Canadian-born counterparts while those in larger CMAs such as Toronto, Hamilton or Ottawa earn less. In the largest immigrant receiv-ing CMA of Toronto, the average income of the immigrant is approximately 60 per-cent of their Canadian-born counterparts. Therefore, a large number of immigrants who reside in Toronto earn relatively low incomes despite having a university de-gree. The cost of immigrant skill underuti-lization in Canada is large and growing.

The industry and occupational profiles of the employed Canadian-born and the immigrant populations differ for all levels of education and those with bachelor’s degree. In particular, the profile for the immigrant population differs between immigrants who arrived before 1981 and those who arrived 1981 and later with the pre-1981 cohort profiles more similar to the Canadian-born. Similarly, the Canadi-an-born and immigrant populations with a university bachelor’s degree have the largest shares employed in: educational

services; professional, scientific and tech-nical services; and health care and social assistance.

Canada’s global competitiveness in the future will be in part determined by the degree that immigrants will be able to integrate into the Canadian labour mar-ket. Canadian immigration policy is cur-rently shifting towards easing entry for the foreign-born intending to reside in less immigrant dense regions/provinces through the Provincial Nominee Pro-gram and retaining the foreign-born in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class. These are important additions to Canada’s immigration policy which aims to admit not only the highly skilled and well-educated into Canada for permanent residence, but those who will most likely be able to integrate into the local labour markets. Provincial and regional multi-sec-tor collaborations that provide programs and services to ease immigrant integra-tion into the labour market have begun to emerge across Canada over the last de-cade. With changes to immigration policy, and increasing multi-sector collaborations to ease immigrant labour market integra-tion; these will lead to more positive out-comes for immigrants. However, there is much more assistance required to help immigrants to fully achieve success in the Canadian labour market.

■ Karen M. King

Postdoctoral Fellow, Martin Prosperity In-stitute

The Geography of Immigration in Canada: Settlement, Education, Labour Activity and Occupation Profiles

Measured against the goals and objec-tives outlined in the 2006 work plan, which served as the basis for the creation of the centre, HCCI has accomplished a great deal in a short period of time. In the first two and half years of its existence HCCI has built highly effective programming and tools for public education and community engagement.

HCCI has initiated a broad strategy to promote equity, access and participation in key sectors of employment, education, health and housing in the Hamilton com-munity. Through these efforts we have emerged as an effective force that boosts community awareness and promotes in-clusiveness.

We have responded to feelings of exclu-sion within the community, and to gaps in diversity leadership, by developing a com-bination of initiatives and programs that involve social engagement. We believe

that community mobilization is an essen-tial way of addressing exclusion, particu-larly when race-based exclusion is accom-panied by complex social, economic and cultural dimensions. Study after study has shown that people who participate active-ly in their community tend to be happier and healthier than those who do not. We have used digital stories, Café Conversa-tions and Community Mobilization Teams to increase community participation and build community cohesion.

In our commitment to promote Inclu-sion and Diversity in Hamilton we have had the opportunity and privilege to sup-port many organizations in their efforts to become diverse and inclusive. We have supported the Hamilton Police Service in their training and recruitment strategies. We have also assisted other organizations such as the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board, the Best Start Network,

North Hamilton Community Health Cen-tre, and businesses who desire to improve Cultural Competency components of their policies and practices.

HCCI plays an active role in many collab-orative efforts that make Hamilton unique; such as - the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, the Jobs Collabora-tive Prosperity (JCP), the Economic Devel-opment Advisory Committee, and the Clinical Health Service plan with the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). We are also a key partner with The City of Hamil-ton on the new Immigration Council that will develop an immigration strategy for Hamilton.

HCCI has received great support from the City of Hamilton - the Mayor’s office, the City Council and the Department of Com-munity and Social Services and we thank them for their tremendous support. We also thank the Governing Council mem-

bers, the Employer Resource Steering Committee and HCCI staff for making this success possible. To our many volunteers, we say “hats off to you, we cannot imagine HCCI without you”. Last but not least, we want to thank SISO’s Board, Management and staff for their continued support.

A starting point for building an inclusive city, will be to understand friends, co-workers and neighbours as complete in-dividuals, not solely by reference to race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability. Although dimen-sions of diversity may be essential in fram-ing identity, they should not be limiting features in the development of under-standing; they should instead be features for deepening insight and awareness, and establishing building blocks for inclusion.

■ The Voice in Diaspora

HCCI - 2009 Report to the Community Event


MPP Hamilton Centre20 Hughson St. South - Suite 200, Hamilton L8N 2A1

(905) 544-9644 • [email protected]


Continued Vision Towards Women's EmpowermentSt. Joseph Immigrant Women's Centre Opens Rebecca Street Chapter!

...seeing women demonstrating what they have beentaught for the day. It takes only love, patience, and dedication for the teachers to teach adult learners who could not even write their own languages, and did not know any word of English, how to read and write.

There are many quality services and pro-grams St. Joseph Immigrant Women’s Cen-tre prides themselves of providing to their

clients. These include: ISAP Program Set-tlement Support, which provide support for family’s settlement needs like housing, immigration, health, and parenting.

Other programs and services are: Em-ployment support services; LINC English Language Training; Telephone and Work-shop Skills Training; I-WORK! Orientation to the Labour Market Workshop; Financial Literacy for Immigrant Women; Computer Training; Driver’s License Training; and Per-sonal Support Worker Program. The Driv-er’s License program has been a success amongst the clients of the centre. Most women have written and passed their G1 exams. They present their Driver’s licence card as identifications instead of the refu-gee cards in public. What an incredible sense of accomplishment!

Working with stake holders in the com-munity has really enhanced the image of SJIWC and helped positioned them as good organization to work with.

SJIWC is working closely with Wesley Ur-

ban Ministries to provide Home work Club and Early Years learning opportunities for the clients.

There are a lot of clients and workers at the new 182 Rebecca Street Site that were over-joy having a new state-of-the-arts

centre in Downtown core. One of them was the site co-ordinator Wasan Mo-hamed. She started with the centre from their origin location at the 125 Wellington Street basement. Though the old space was cramped and small, she always en-couraged the staff and clients that ‘space is in the heart, not in the place’. That one can still achieve a lot despite all the short comings. Wasan has been an IT person all her life, since graduating as a computer Engineer from Iraq. However, her pas-sion and desire is now with the numerous new comer women that come through

the centre’s door each day seeking help with settlement. She sees herself in all these women. She has been in their shoes. Wasan knows what it is to wait in a waiting room to meet with the counsellors; or to hand over your precious child to a stranger

to take care of while you fill one form or the other. Having lived the experiences of most of their clients makes Wasan one of the best people to work for the centre. St Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre offers more than school to new comer women; it is their first public place of interaction with people from all over the world. It opens a door to the community for the new comer women who have chosen Hamilton as the best place to live.

■ Nica Brownww


The No More Silence RallyEnough to Domestic Violence

It was a rally to protest domestic violence plaguing our society. The recent death of Muruvet Tuncer in the hands of her ex-partner prompted the organizers of ‘No more silence’ rally to raise awareness on the impact and severity of domestic violence in our communities. The No More Si-lence rally was held in Gore Park March 16th, and was organized by the combined efforts of the Sexual Assault Centre (SACHA), the Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO), and the Turkish Speaking Women's Society of Canada. Many concerned citizens including some local politicians attended the rally.

Mentoring is a powerful and popular way for people to learn a variety of personal and pro-fessional skills. In fact, mentoring is one of the oldest forms of influence. Most individuals can identify a person who, at some time in their life, had a significant and positive impact on them. Most often, a mentor is a more experienced person who acts as a role model, challenger, guide or cheerleader.

Mentoring has become an effective meth-od for businesses to assist their employees through career advancement and problem solving. In addition, mentors can assist employ-ees to deal with the challenges associated with successful, productive, meaningful work life.

Mentoring can assist both newcomers and employers. The relationship between Mentor and Mentee is one of the most efficient ways for new Canadians to understand Canadian cul-ture and social system as well as the regulations and requirements of different occupations in Canada. It offers the mentor, an opportunity to learn about professional practices in other countries, identify business opportunities, im-prove services to diverse customers and recruit new talent for his company.

Mentoring has been included in the on-going services offered at SISO since 2001. The most remarkable success has been registered in the banking/financial sector, as a direct result of the leadership provided by TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank and Bank of Montreal.

The last Mentoring Series conducted through SISO Employment Services stands out as in-

contestable proof that Mentoring really works! Supported by Employment Ontario, this series started at the end of September 2008 and con-cluded just recently. It included a variety of sectors and areas of specialization: banking/fi-nance, health care, teaching and business start-up, to name a few.

Despite a tight labour market, the results in terms of direct employment for participants are very encouraging: 14 employment outcomes and 3 Business Start-ups were registered by the end of March 2009, with additional 3 Business Start-ups to materialize in the next 3 months. The outcomes along the lines of education/training include: the extension of the IMD Study Group to an additional full day (Saturday), with a great number of participants indicating their registration for exams in the upcoming session in May. In addition, by the end of March, 9 IMDs who had been coached for their residency in-terviews obtained residency offers.

During their recent Graduation, participants shared some of the benefits they are taking from this program. Here are some of their sto-ries:

Syed started the program on very difficult grounds. His wife gave birth during the start of the mentoring program and he was not able to attend the initial mentoring meeting. He and his mentor, JL- branch manager at BMO were not able to meet until 3 weeks later. However, Syed resiliently overcame all the new develop-ments in his family life and rose to the occasion. He was selected for an interview on 2 occasions

and landed a position as a Customer Service Representative with BMO.

Zareena was one of the most dedicated men-tees, she met with her mentor from BMO on a daily basis. Her hard work and dedication paid off 2 months later with a referral from the men-tor and a job interview where she landed her position as a full time Customer Service Repre-sentative at the a BMO branch in Burlington.

Marwa is a university professor with a PhD in English poetry, originally from Syria and edu-cated in U.K. Marwa’s goal was to find a teach-ing position in her field or ESL and to learn more about teaching in Canada. Her mentor - Jane, an ESL Instructor from Mohawk College, was a good match for Marwa as both are teach-ers and have many common interests. Marwa shares that she has learned a great deal from her mentor and that today she understands better the Canadian work culture. When Marwa was offered a job as Literacy Instructor with St. Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre, her men-tor continued to assist her. In fact, their rela-tionship evolved over time to the point that Marwa and Jane share now a good friendship. Jane says that mentoring allowed her to learn about other cultures and traditions which she knew little about, and, more importantly, to learn more about the needs of newcomers to this country.

Bhairavi is a recent graduate from the HR Pro-gram at McMaster University and she needed to learn more about the field she was go-ing into. The mentor (Elaine) is an HR director

with lots of experience in the field. According to Elaine, the focus of their mentoring was on strategies for preparing Bhairavi for the HR National Knowledge Exam, breaking into the HR field and making the transition from her previous career, while capitalizing on her HR studies and previous work experience. Both the mentor and the mentee found the men-toring very beneficial. Bhairavi feels confident and prepared to write her exam in May; this partnership not only highlighted her transfer-able skills and abilities but also boosted her self-confidence and job-readiness. The mentor says that she has learned a lot from the men-tee as well - from questions the mentee asked her, from her vast experiences and viewpoints. She says the match between them couldn’t be better and she is thankful for this wonderful opportunity. During the mentoring program Bhairavi landed a full-time job as a Community Development Worker with SPRC and things are going well for her. She is ready to write her HR National Knowledge exam and is grateful to SISO for providing this opportunity.

If you are new to Canada and looking for an opportunity to learn from professionals work-ing in your own field, consider the Mentoring Program! If you are a professional working in your own field and looking to find out more about other cultures, call us for more details regarding an opportunity to participate in this exciting program. Chances are you will learn as well, while contributing to someone’s success! Call: (905) 667-7476.

■ By Aurelia Tokaci

Mentoring Works!


April 19-25th is National Volunteer Week in Canada. This is a week where across the nation we recognize the contributions to our community made by volunteers, people from all walks of life who donate their valu-able time and talent in order to make a dif-ference. The national theme this year is “From Compassion to Action”. At SISO this action takes many forms; our volunteers coach, translate, donate, coordinate, men-tor and train. SISO volunteers befriend, facil-itate, interpret, teach, share, play and lend a helping hand. SISO volunteers are making a world of difference every day to people in our community. Whatever forms your volunteer contribution at SISO takes; your compassion and commitment is helping to make Hamil-ton a more welcoming place for newcomers. For that, the SISO Board, Staff, and especially SISO’s clients, our newest community mem-bers, thank you. To Join SISO’S volunteer community contact Susan at [email protected] or 905-667-7496.

Thank you for your excellence in service to newcomers and commitment to community development.

Women’s Groups New Mountain Loca-tions

SISO has established some new partner-ships to bring women’s group programming to people on the Mountain. Women’s craft sessions are designed to provide a comfort-

able environment for newcomer women to use some of their craft skills while socializing and networking with other newcomers and Canadian women. Child-minding is provid-ed by the church where activities take place in order to make the craft sessions more ac-cessible to newcomer women in the area.

SISO and Holy Trinity Anglican Church are excited to offer craft session which will be held the first Wednesday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Anglican Church located at 120 Fennell Ave E. on the Hamilton Mountain. The first craft session held at Holy Trinity gave participants an op-portunity to socialize and make new friends while creating beautiful floral arrangements

for their homes!

Below are some pictures of the items they created.

The Women’s Cooking Group at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church started their first session baking healthy, delicious muf-fins. Participants and volunteers both had a great time! Volunteers showed the women how to make muffins and how they could change the recipe if they would like to add or omit fruits and sugar. The Women’s Cooking Group is held on the second Wednesday of the month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Immanuel Christian Reformed Church.

Immanuel Christian Reformed Church also runs a monthly Women’s Craft Group where, in February, women created beaded neck-laces together. Participants were very ex-cited to learn how to make jewelry and are already looking forward to their next session where they will be learning how to make bracelets and earrings. These Craft Groups will be held on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Imman-uel Christian Reformed Church located at 61 Mohawk Rd. W.

Most newcomer women who are currently settling into our Hamilton community are not able to engage in activities that support

a healthy integration into their new Cana-dian lifestyle. Newcomer women often have to take care of their children and, in some cases, the are not able to attend school to improve their English language skills. As a re-sult, Craft and Cooking Groups are not only

about baking muffins and making jewelry, but are also about building new friendships in a new country, for both women and their children. While women and volunteers par-ticipate and socialize together, their children make crafts and new friends as well.

■ To find out more, register or volunteer

with these programs, please contact SISO at 905-667-7476 and ask for the Host Program.

SISO SENDS THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS!

Trees have blossomed and the air carries a fresh, crisp, spring breeze. The generous rays of the sun kiss daffodils to bloom and caress the greens to grow out of the soil. The streets of Iran are crowded with peo-ple, all in a rush to make sure everything on their holiday shopping list is crossed off. Iranian women in their headscarves go from this clothing store to that, dragging distracted children along, in pursuit of af-fordable new clothing for the upcoming festival. Iranian men, bargaining over the price of fruit, nuts, rice, and fresh fish, pick up bags of the purchased items to take to their sparkling clean houses. It is the very

first day of spring; Norooz is here.

This is how Iranians prepare for the New Year, called Norooz. Norooz literally means new day—“No” meaning “new” and “rooz” meaning “day”. Norooz is not only cel-ebrated by Iraninans; it is also celebrated by Afghans, Tajiks, Kurds, Azerbaijanis, and Uzbekistanis.

In anticipation of Norooz, people do a thorough spring cleaning and set up a Haft-Seen. A Haft-Seen is a specially pre-pared assortment of red apples, gold fish swimming in a bowl, colorfully painted eggs, sweet smelling hyacinth, gold (if you can afford them) coins, the Holy Book, and more. There are in fact seven items in a Haft-Seen. Each item starts with the letter “S”; hence the name Haft-Seen— Haft” for “seven” and “Seen” for “S”. Each item sym-bolizes what people wish the New Year will bring them, such as health, wealth, pros-perity, purity, and God’s blessing.

Families usually get together to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. When equinox is close, they all circle around the TV and wait for the countdown to start. Women with their beautifully made-up faces hold hands with their well-groomed husbands and nicely dressed children. Prayers start, some out loud, some silently, asking God to make the New Year the best ever. When the countdown starts, families hold their breath and wait excitedly, arm-in-arm. And when the TV announces loudly that the New Year is here, they all scream with joy and kiss and hug each other. They ex-tend New Year greetings with all family members around, and kiss and hug some more. Tea and sweets are served imme-diately. Some people sing; some people dance. Women chatter merrily and loudly

together, and men give out new and crisp bills to children as gifts, called Eidi, as cus-tom indicates. Food is served promptly,

rice with fragrant herbs and fried fish, among numerous other dishes the aroma of which make you dizzy. Right after the food, the guests indulge themselves in fruit, nuts, sweets and tea. Norooz is not the time to worry over your weight.

The break that follows this festivity takes 13 days. During the holidays, people visit family members. Usually there is a huge circle of family members visiting a relative on a given day and time. The next day, it would be one of the visitor’s turn to host the same group of people, and this pro-ceeding goes on and on until every mem-ber of the family is individually visited and respect is paid by doing so.

During these visits, people wear their new clothing and try to look their best. They chat and laugh and consume consid-erable amounts of sweets, nuts, fruit, and tea. Children collect more money as it is customary for the host to give out Eidi to kids.

Norooz celebrations end with a fam-ily picnic on the 13th day of the holidays,

called Seezdah-Bedar. The word “Seezdah” means thirteen and “bedar” means out-ing. The tradition dictates that in order to escape bad luck in the New Year people should spend the day out of their homes. On this day, people prepare lots of food, go outdoors and spend the whole day inhal-ing lovely spring air. People play games, sing and dance, and devour all holiday leftovers. Young maidens tie two strands of grass and wish for Mr. Right to come along in the New Year, as promised in Ira-nian folktales. Some people play tricks on others, in a good-natured way, similar to April Fool’s tradition. By the end of this fun day, Norooz is officially over, and people reluctantly return to their routine lives. The next morning, children get up grumpily to start school again, men get ready to go to work groggily, and women attend to daily chores, brooding over the extra weight they have gained and need to get rid of now.


SERVICES FOR NEWCOMERS

APRIL 2009

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 Orientation session

For RAP families

9:30am-1:00pm

Mountain Office

1030 Upper James

Hamilton

2

3

4

5

6

PPC – Parents Providing Care Workshops Every Monday -2 Groups 9:30-11:300am, or 1:00-

3:00pm Main Office

7

Czech Language Services 12:00-4pm Main Office Citizenship Class

5:00-7:00pm Main Office

8

Pediatric Clinic 5:00pm-9:00pm

To book an appointment call

Penny Drover 905-667-3173

Main Office

9 10

11

12

13

PPC-Parents Providing Care Workshops Main Office 9:30-11:30am or

1:00-3:00pm

14

Citizenship Class 5:00-7:00pm Main Office Czech Language Services

12:00-4:00pm Main Office

15

Pediatric Clinic 5:00-9:00pm

Call: Penny Drover 905-667-3173

Main Office

16 17

Seniors Workshop 10:00am-12:00pm

Hamilton Central Public Library

18

19 20 PPC-Parents Providing

Care Workshops Main Office 9:30-11:30am or 1:00-3:00pm

21 Citizenship Class

5:00-7:00pm Main Office Czech Language Services 12:00-4:00pm Main office

22

Pediatric Clinic

5:00-9:00pm Call: Penny Drover

905-667-3173

Main Office Children Aid Society

Session 12:00-2:30pm

Mountain Office-1030 Upper James Hamilton

Otario Works Session

Main office 1:00-3:00pm

Ontario Works Session

Main office 1-3pm

23

24

25

26 27 PPC-Parents Providing Care workshops

Main office 9:30-11:30 am or 1:00-3:00pm

28 Citizenship Class 5:00-7:00pm

Main Office Czech Language Services 12:00-4:00pm Main Office

29

30

Raise The Bar for Real Estate Services Standard

As a Realtor, Real Estate has been my passion. Helping a client to find a dream home is so rewarding and it always moti-vates me to provide better services to my clients. Providing information about local real estate market conditions helps cli-ents make informed decisions. Assistance in finding a lawyer, mortgage specialist or a home inspector, who they can trust, is a key component of service. Understand-ing policy and incentives from the City for investor clients and introducing gov-ernment rebate, incentives and tax credit programs to clients, can potentially save them thousands of dollars. All of these services help clients complete their real estate transactions smoothly, and I en-joy working with clients who can benefit from my knowledge.

Through the years, I have been con-stantly looking for ways to improve my services. I found the answer when I saw the business training session provided by SISO Business Hub at Upper James orga-nized by Business Development Advisor Chouki Ouhib. The sessions involved vari-ous topics and business areas and provid-ed speakers who were seasoned experts in their subject matter. In addition, it pro-vided a great opportunity for business networking and talking to speakers. Most importantly, it reassured my practice – providing better knowledgeable services is the key to service demanding custom-ers with satisfaction. The take-away from these sessions greatly benefited my prac-tice and I would recommend any small business owner to attend the future ses-sions organized by SISO.

Please contact me if you have any ques-tions or concerns about real estate.

Huidong (Dennis) Tian, M.Eng.

Sales Representative

Office: 905-575-7070

Cell: 905-906-8816

Sutton Group Innovative Realty Inc.

1423 Upper Ottawa St.

HAMILTON, ON L8W 3J6

In my last article, I described how stu-dents can work more efficiently without spending more time on their homework and assignments. When students earn higher grades, they have greater oppor-tunities at the post-secondary level. I am in the fortunate position of witnessing this firsthand at the Globe Youth Centre, where several of our students have already received offers of admission from colleges and universities. They have done their homework researching programs and schools, but they have missed one crucial aspect: how do they expect to pay the bills for their post-secondary programs?

There are many payment options avail-able, depending upon the student’s situ-ation. OSAP, or the Ontario Student Assis-tance Program, is a student loan program that is available to citizens, Permanent Residents, and Protected Persons. The amount that each applicant will receive depends upon their personal financial situation, the tuition charged by their pro-gram, and the financial situation of their family. Students must apply for the loan

each year, and repayment begins within 6 months of graduation.

Those who are not eligible to apply for OSAP may elect to balance work and study. Students can apply to study part-time or full-time. If students will be paying their own tuition out of pocket, they may want to attend school part-time to bring some balance into the work/school equa-tion. With the rising price of tuition (ap-proximately $3000 for college programs

and $5000 for university), students will have a difficult time earning enough mon-ey to pay the tuition and books and still leave themselves enough hours to com-plete readings and assignments. If study-ing part-time is not an option, students can study full-time while working, but they should make sure that they take advan-tage of time management workshops and keep track of their readings so that they do not fall behind in the first semester.

Some students are offered the financial solution through their programs of study: Co-op or Work Co-op placements provide students with the opportunity to work in their fields while studying. Payment for placements varies according to field, du-ration and level of experience, but this option has benefits in the short and long term as students earn money to pay tu-ition and also have tangible experience to put on their resumes for future job appli-cations.

While paying for your tuition is much bet-ter than borrowing money, an even better strategy is to apply for scholarships, bursa-ries and grants. Applying for post-second-ary funding can be every bit as difficult as finding a job, but the effort is worth it. The internet is a great tool for helping students to search and apply for scholarships. Sites like www.studentawards.com and www.scholarshipscanada.com provide students with free databases of awards and infor-mation on how and where to apply. Schol-arships are merit-based competitions, so grades and reference letters are extremely important. Bursaries are similar to scholar-ships, but decisions are based on financial need. Grants often have their own condi-tions for application, and may require that students engage in some type of program for the duration of the award or produce an essay or project in return for their fund-ing.

My final bit of advice is probably the most important: students should talk with their families early and often about how they intend to pay for college and university. Studies show that newcomer youth do not talk with their families about the costs in-volved in post-secondary education. The lack of support, information, and commu-nication makes the tuition amounts seem insurmountable. By talking openly and honestly, students can plan ahead and feel empowered by having a plan in place.

The Globe Youth Centre can help stu-dents learn about funding options for post-secondary education programs. We offer workshops on OSAP, scholarship searching, guest speaker sessions, and in-dividual appointments. For more informa-tion or for a schedule of upcoming events, please contact Catherine at 905-527-2049 or [email protected].

Paying for College and University



Every year reality hits thousands of new-comers arriving on Canada’s shores. A group of people, who once thought the most difficult part of their immigration was the thousands of miles they just tra-versed, find themselves realizing a new reality. Facing the daunting processes, paperwork, and retraining required to reclaim the quality of life they were once accustomed to, or even the chance of entering the industry in which they were educated and trained, many of these peo-ple are forced to surrender their dreams in exchange for meeting their family’s basic needs.

Although settlement services are de-signed to be relevant and accessible to newcomers, yet regardless of the best effort by agencies, there are always new-comers who may not be aware of settle-ment services or who may face barriers in accessing them. Other than the usual marginalized groups, such as women with young children and seniors, there are also some newcomers who work in survival jobs and are unable to access settlement services in a timely manner. During the last few years we have developed a close relationship with many businesses and explored opportunities to provide settle-ment services to their employees. Some businesses, especially the ones in which most of their employees are newly-arrived immigrants, have asked us for onsite set-tlement services. Also, surrounding the

city of Hamilton there are a number of towns, where, because of employment opportunities, some newcomers and their extended families may settle, but where there are no settlement services available. In our search to find an alternative way to serve these newcomers more efficiently, we came to the conclusion that a Mobile Settlement Service (MSS) may be a better way to serve them. On June 20th 2008, International Refugee Day, SISO launched mobile settlement services for the city of Hamilton and surrounding area. In this short period of the time SISO’s Mobile Set-tlement Service has not only been success-ful in reaching the hard-to-reach clients but also has managed to provide services in different places where it would have been difficult and expensive to have a permanent office. The MSS is also helping newcomers who, while working at survival jobs to support themselves, to access the necessary settlement services to achieve their long-term goals.

Several key locations across Hamilton have been pinpointed as areas that require SISO’s presence and community develop-ment. These areas have a high concentra-tion of refugees and immigrants and are geographically remote from many servic-es. The Mobile Settlement Service offers the same services as the stationary offices, and these services are offered in many dif-ferent languages. The MSS operates on an itinerant model, visiting different places

based on a preset and advertised sched-ule.

The MSS, along with our stationary offic-es, have made it a priority to have all of the services in both official languages (English & French). SISO has a strong multidisci-plinary Francophone team of profession-als providing settlement and employment services to French-speaking newcomers in all its locations. The MSS has a French-speaking Settlement Counsellor on board at all times. Also, other services (Employ-ment, Language Assessment, Host, etc.) are available in French, based on a rotating schedule.

The Mobile Settlement Service offers:

-Settlement Counselling Services

-Newcomer Information and Orientation

-Referrals to Community Resources

-Access to Technology and Resources

-Support in Employment, Training, and Education

-Assistance in completing and submit-ting various application forms: OHIP, SIN, school registration, etc.

Please visit us at www.sisohamilton.org or call (905) 667 - SISO (7476) to find out where our Mobile Office will be next.

■ Uzma QureshiMobile Settlement Services Coordinator

Mobile Settlement Service (MSS)...Continued from last issue

A TIGHT JOB MARKET AHEAD!

If you have been laid-off or you consider yourself at risk of being laid-off and training is not an alternative for you, here are some tips to assist you transition back into employ-ment:

• Update you resume and ensure that it includes an overview of all your education, training, skills and abilities

• Keep yourself informed about economic conditions and trends for your sector and oc-cupation

• Conduct a diligent labour market research and ensure that you understand what are the needs and prospects for companies in your sector

• Start considering more seriously oppor-tunities with smaller companies, rather than targeting your search with major employers in your sector or community

• Seek advice and coaching from an Em-ployment Consultant to improve your inter-view skills

• Start considering self-employment op-portunities

• Network, Network, Network! Networking is the most effective strategy to inform you of employment prospects. Networking will re-quire you to reach out to others; consider so-cial connections outside your circle of friends and outside your community; and develop an ability to give back as much (or more) in-formation and assistance as you receive.

As the employment prospects ahead are tightening, the best strategy is to stay posi-tive; look into the future; re-evaluate all your current skills and education; consider alternatives to your current occupation; and ensure that you keep yourself marketable in an uncertain job market. This economic situ-ation may just present the brightest future and an opportunity for you to transition into a job that you may like better than the cur-rent one!

■ By Aurelia Tokaci


Hamilton Police Services Host

Elimination ofRacialDiscrimination

...one of the most violent responses to a demonstration against apartheid. In re-sponse, the United Nations designated March 21 as the official Day for The Elimi-nation of Racial Discrimination. On this day, it is important to recognize that rac-ism continues to be an existing issue which must not be ignored. According to guest speakers, those who ignore racism are actually contributing to it.

The evening was a great evening with many guest speakers from the broad di-versity of Hamilton’s communities. Many speakers were Doctors, Teachers and Heads of Organizations from the Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Russian, Aboriginal and South African communities. They pro-vided the audience with influential words of encouragement to eliminate racial dis-crimination. Not only did the community leaders provide words of encouragement

they also included personal experiences of racial issues that have affected and shaped their life. It was evident that listeners in the audience appreciated hearing past stories of racial conflict. The stories gave the audience a sense of hope and direc-tion to resolve current racial issues.

Political leaders shared their experi-ences and reassured listeners that they are aware of the racial issues affecting the

community. They indicated that they are on the same page as the Hamilton Police and community leaders in their efforts to eliminate racial discrimination. Officers and staff from the Hamilton Police Services also showed their support by reading pas-sages from a publication that addressed the elimination of racism.

A special acknowledgement goes out to the young ladies from High School (Glen-

dale & others) that also voiced their opinion and posted stories. Also, a special thanks to Sgt. Jorge Lasso for keep-ing the audience enter-tained with his musical talent while still being committed to the Ham-ilton Police Services for

over 31 years. The event would not have been possible if it was not for Ms. Sandra Wilson’s hard work and dedication to the Hamilton Police, Community and to the elimination of Racial Discrimination. A special thanks to everyone that showed up and supported the event. United we stand, divided we fall!

■ Stephen King

First Time Home Buyer as Driving Force for Canadian Real estate market

Buying a home is one of the single larg-est investments most Canadian will ever make. That is why it is vital to do your homework to ensure that your new home dream meets your expectation and fits your lifestyle.

With the current economic downturn, there are still some favorable ideas that can come from it. With the low interest rate reaching record lows and falling prices in the real estate market, this is classified as a win – win situation on the consumers’ part.

A report released by RE/MAX confirms that entry-level purchasers are now the engine driving home-buying activity in al-most every major centre in Canada.

The 2009 RE/MAX First-Time Buyers Re-port, highlighting first-time buying activi-ty in 32 residential housing markets across Canada, found that improved affordability is prompting many first-time buyers to get off the fence, out of the rental, and into the market. While a sense of caution still prevails, more and more first-timers are finding it hard to pass up the chance to be-come homeowners in today’s buyer-cen-tric real estate climate. Increased inventory and longer days on market coupled with the lowest lending rates ever are present-ing opportunities that have not been seen in almost a decade.

“While the current economic crisis has caused some first-time buyers to either take it slowly or apply the brakes, home ownership remains a top priority for those who are able to take advantage of reduced carrying costs, rock bottom interest rates and lower house prices,” explains Michael Polzler, Executive Vice President and Re-gional Director, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada. “Affordability has greatly im-proved and buyers are firmly in the drivers’ seat in just about every market we sur-veyed. The new reality is that homeown-

ership remains well within reach for most first-time buyers.”

Although the year got off to a slow start, February home sales were well ahead of those reported in January. The upward trending is expected to continue as more and more first-time buyers enter the mar-ket in the weeks ahead. The flurry of ac-tivity in the lower-end may also serve to kick-start sales in the mid-to-upper end of the market, which have, as expected, been relatively sluggish in recent months. While inventory and days on market was up virtually across the board, it’s notewor-thy that several markets reported tighter conditions in the lower end of the market, where demand and buyer activity remains quite healthy.

“Canadian markets from coast-to-coast are ripe for a reawakening as the weather warms up,” says Elton Ash, Regional Ex-ecutive Vice President, RE/MAX of Western

Canada. “First-time buyers seem more acclimatized to economic factors, even though the barrage of bad news continues to flow. Those who are secure in their jobs, have accumulated good down payments, and have acceptable credit ratings are continuing to venture forward, undeterred by tighter lending criteria.”

According to the RE/MAX Report, buy-ers are clearly in control in most Canadian markets. Of the 32 markets surveyed, 22 (69 per cent) remain firmly in buyer’s mar-ket territory. These include Vancouver, Sur-rey, Port Coquitlam, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Ottawa, Peterborough, London-St. Thomas, Niagara Falls, Mississauga, Metro Toronto, Northern GTA, Kingston, Windsor, Hamilton-Burlington, Barrie, and Halifax-Dartmouth. Ten (31 per cent) report more balanced conditions: Winnipeg, Kitchen-er-Waterloo, Sudbury, North Bay, St. Catha-

rines, Saint John, Moncton, Fredericton, St. John’s, and Charlottetown.

“In the midst of stock market turmoil, sold signs continue to appear on lawns across the country. With affordable lending rates and increased selection, first-time and move-up buyers with good credit may choose to play their investment strategy safe and purchase a home. The comfort of a tangible investment like real estate goes a long way in tough times.”

Tips for “Top things to know” when buy-ing a home will be illustrated on next issue of this publication.

■ For more information regarding your real estate inquiries, kindly contact Joshua

Adeyemi, Sales Representative. RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc., Brokerage. Hamil-

ton Ontario. Website: www.JoshRealEstate.com Cell: (905) 512-4151.


Appropriate structuring of the financing arrangements of any business will be the key to its survival. Not only is the amount of funding important, but also the nature and the structure of the funding arrange-ments.

Traditional business funding is usually ac-quired through bank financing that is sup-ported by the assets of the business and by the principals of the business through guarantees and security. However, a num-ber of alternative forms of financing are available to the business person, including their own funds, family, and friends; third-party equity; government; lending trans-actions and cash stream funding.

Family, friends and self is the initial source for most start-up businesses. Generally, all that is needed is money available and the confidence of family and friends who con-tribute. What is often overlooked is how to protect these funds from future problems. These funds are often not secured against assets of the company, meaning if the business encounters financial difficulties, this money may not be recoverable.

There are a number of sources of third-party equity. Venture capital companies will often acquire an interest at an early-stage of a company. A venture capitalist will usually require some assurance that the business has some unique aspect

which will help it to succeed. Merchant bank arrangements are another form of third-party equity that generally require a more mature company, and again will re-quire something unique which will prob-ably lead the company to be successful. The merchant bank will generally wish to have some control over the operation of the business and will require an arrange-ment that provides an exit for the mer-chant bank. Such investment agreements usually run for three to five year term.

There are some sources of funding through government programs. These programs are generally oriented toward employment programs and will generally require a more established business that is in the process of expanding its employ-ment base. Types of government funding vary and may include equity-type funding, grants, loan arrangements and secured loan arrangements.

Lending transactions for a start-up com-pany usually require some form of asset-based security, often based on the assets of the company. Term lending is one form of lending, often provided by insurance companies, which is based upon security

of assets, including real estate, machinery and equipment. Term lending is gener-ally for a fixed term in the range of three to twenty-five years. Lending will require proof of available operating funds, reason-able cash flow, and security value in the as-sets lent against.

Cash stream funding includes methods that free up cash flow for a business. Leas-ing is an alternative method of financing the use or purchase of real estate, machin-ery, equipment and intellectual property. Leasing is a financing alternative to a busi-ness because it frees up money which would otherwise be required to purchase property of assets, by permitting payment

to be made on a monthly basis. Leases can also be structured with a purchase compo-nent, which will ultimately result in owner-ship of the property or asset.

Many alternative sources of funding will require certain information before invest-ing in a business, including an understand-ing of the relationship between profit and the output that is required to achieve that profit (for example, employees and equip-ment), a risk profile of the business includ-ing the relationship of debt to equity, a comparison of the business’ performance with industry standards, cash flow for a one-to-two year time frame and updated seasonal performance reports. Prepara-tion of a three-to-five year business plan, which outlines the structure of the busi-ness arrangements as well as the financial needs of the company will enable a new business owner to make appropriate fund-ing decisions while providing necessary information to potential sources of fund-ing.

A new business owner should obtain le-gal advice when creating a business plan as well as when considering what type of funding to obtain and what type of secu-rity to give to different sources of funding.

In the following issue, we will explore real estate considerations when starting up a new business.

In this article, we will discuss financing options and funding alternatives available to businesses.

■ Hussein Hamdani

He is a lawyer at SimpsonWigle Law LLP where he practices in the area of corporate/commercial and real estate law. Kristin Ciupa is a student-at-law at Simp-sonWigle Law LLP, practicing in the areas of corporate/commercial, real estate and wills and estates.

Many Parents sacrifice their time, wealth, and even their health to provide for the physical needs of their children. They work for long hours and they work overtime, so that they can provide the best clothing, food, and shelter. Obviously, every par-ent wants the best for their children, the best of everything. That is indeed the sign of love. Yet in the midst of their struggle to provide for the physical needs, parents often forget or fail to address the spiritual and emotional needs of the children.

Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and upon all the prophets of God, said:

“All of you are shepherds, and all of you are responsible for their wards”

Islam sees the family as the pulsing heart of the society, the brick that strengthens the establishment of a community, the spring that produces strong citizens. It is the school from which the future leaders, parents, men and women graduate.

Interestingly, the care for the family in

Islam does not begin after marriage, nor does it begin with the birth of the first child; it begins far before that. It starts at the first step of forming a family, when the proposal for marriage comes. The husband-to-be is encouraged to choose his wife, the future mother of his children, based on inner qualities rather than just status, wealth and beauty. Similarly, the wife to be is encouraged not to reject the proposal of the man, that she and her fam-ily finds to be pious, trustworthy, and of good morals.

“And they (women) have rights (over their husbands) similar (to those of their husbands) over them to what is equitable” Quran 2:228

The next step in maintaining the family is that each member fulfills his/her duties towards the other(s), and recognizes the rights of others. Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and upon all the prophets of God, said:

“Know that you (men) have rights on your

women, and your women have rights on you”. Perhaps, one should not forget the role of compromise, tolerance, and gentle-ness.

Parents have duties towards the children, and similarly the children owe their par-ents respect, love and dutifulness.

“And your Lord has decreed that you wor-ship none but Him, and that you be duti-ful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor. And lower unto them the wing of submis-sion and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small”. Quran 17:23-24

There is no family that is immune to con-flicts, however, smart parents are those who approach the matter with patience and accommodate one another with a great level of wisdom. Islam advocates for the relatives’ and society’s complete efforts

in maintaining this unit safe and strong, by mediation and reconciliation:

“If you fear a breach between them twain (the man and his wife), appoint (two) arbi-trators, one from his family and the other from hers; if they both wish for peace, God will guide them to it. Indeed God is Ever All-Knower, Well-Acquainted with all things.” Quran 4:32

Let us not forget the great statement of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and upon all the prophets of God: “ The best amongst you are those who are the best (in treatment, approach, etc) to their families, and I am the best (amongst you) to my family”.

■ Sayed M. ToraImam of Hamilton Downtown Mosque

www.downtownmosque.com

"And I am The Best of My Family"The best amongst you are those who are the best to their families, and I am the best to my family'' Prophet Mohammad


Business Financing and Funding Alternatives

“Every month The Voice in Diaspora will try to publish articles from different faith groups.”


by Melanie Segala

Breast Cancer. The very words strike fear into women everywhere. And for good reason according to the National Cancer Institute’s factsheet, the 2008 estimates indicated that 182,460 women were di-agnosed with and 40,480 women died of breast cancer. That translates into 1 out of 8 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life time.

With such alarming statistics, it’s even more tragic that most women just wait until a self exam or mammogram shows an unusual lump in the breast. By then the cancer has taken hold and it becomes a life or death battle for survival.

That’s why I did a double take when I read Jim La Valle’s article, Breast Cancer — Real Prevention that appeared in the Novem-ber 4 issue of Total Health Breakthroughs. Jim’s advice can save countless lives if it is read and understood by women every-where.

As Jim explains in his article, most breast cancer is determined by how estrogen is metabolized in the body and whether it is balanced by adequate levels of progester-one. Knowing this and taking the appro-priate steps means that you may never be

involved in this fight for your life, because with the proper testing and nutrition the cancer will never have the opportunity to develop in the first place.

In brief, here’s what you need to know and then pass on to your mother, your sis-ters, and your friends.

Have your estradiol, estrogen metabo-lites, and progesterone levels tested. If you have a progesterone deficiency, you are at least 4 times more likely to develop breast cancer. If testing shows you are de-ficient, there are several bio-identical, not synthetic, progesterone creams available without a prescription that can be recom-mended by a healthcare professional.

Estrogen testing will let you know wheth-er your body is breaking down estradiol, your primary estrogen, into safe or dan-gerous metabolites. For instance, 2OH, a metabolite of estradiol actually inhibits breast cancer, but 4OH and 16OH increase your risks, so you don’t want to see those levels elevated.

The good news is that you can encourage your body to make more good estrogen while getting rid of the bad stuff simply by maintaining healthy gut flora and modify-ing your diet to include more antioxidant-

rich and omega-3 foods and fewer inflam-mation-causing carbs. As Laura explains in the same issue, the insulin resistance and inflammation these foods cause signifi-cantly increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and breast cancer.

You might not know that your thyroid plays a role in breast health too. If you have an underactive thyroid or thyroid antibod-ies (autoimmune thyroiditis), your body may not be making enough natural killer cells —the immune cells that search out cancer cells and destroy them. That’s why it’s vitally important to have your thyroid regularly checked too.

This brings me to an important question: Were you aware that it was in your power to dramatically reduce your risk of breast cancer by balancing your hormones and eating a nutritious diet? If you’re like me, the answer is no. I believed it was fate or genetics that determined whether or not I would be faced with a breast cancer crisis.

And like millions of women, I thought that a yearly mammogram (and waiting for the bad news) was the most I could do to protect myself from this horrific disease. But not anymore. Thanks to what I learned from Jim LaValle, hormone and thyroid

testing will now be part of my yearly checkup.

I can’t even imagine how many lives could have been saved if women were properly educated about real breast cancer preven-tion by the medical establishment and media. But we don’t need to wait any lon-ger. We can carry this message to women everywhere, and together we can reverse these killer statistics. Let’s put breast can-cer behind us once and for all.

Reference•http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/

breast.html

Enough of the Grim Statistics

Too Much Red MeatMay Shorten Life Span

Diets high in red meat and in processed meat shorten life span not just from can-cer and heart disease but from Alzheim-er's, stomach ulcers and an array of other conditions as well, a U.S. National Cancer Institute study has found.

In fact, reducing meat consumption to the amount eaten by the bottom 20 per-cent seen in the study would save 11 per-cent of men's lives and 16 percent of wom-en's, according to the study.

"The consumption of red meat was asso-ciated with a modest increase in total mor-tality," said Rashmi Sinha, lead author of the study in the March 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

"This fits together with the findings of the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Cancer Society, which rec-ommend limiting the consumption of red meat," added Sinha, who is a senior inves-tigator with the nutrition epidemiological branch in the cancer epidemiology and

genetics division at the Cancer Institute. "This is something new in the sense of mortality."

Previous studies of red meat had mostly found an association with cancer inci-dence. The authors pointed out that many pooled studies had been conducted by vegetarian groups.

Last year, U.S. National Cancer Institute researchers reported that a quarter-pound hamburger or a small pork chop eaten daily could put you at increased risk for a variety of cancers. The message from the latest study echoes that finding: The more red meat and processed meat you eat, the greater your risk for dying of cancer.

But the American Meat Institute objected to the conclusion, saying in a statement that the study relied on "notoriously unre-liable self-reporting about what was eaten in the preceding five years. This imprecise approach is like relying on consumers' per-sonal characterization of their driving hab-its in prior years in determining their likeli-

hood of having an accident in the future."

"Meat is an excellent source of zinc, iron, B12 and other essential vitamins and min-erals," the statement continued. "The U.S. Dietary Guidelines say to eat a balanced diet that includes lean meat. In this way, you derive a wide array of nutrients from many different sources. It's the best return on a nutritional investment you can get."

Dr. Michael Thun, vice president emeritus of epidemiology and surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, however, said the study's findings "support previ-ous studies and also support the American Cancer Society nutrition guidelines."

Those guidelines include choosing fish, poultry or beans instead of beef, pork and lamb; choosing leaner cuts of meat; and baking, broiling or poaching meat rather than frying or charbroiling it.

For the study, the researchers looked at what more than a half-million people, ages 50 to 71, were eating over the span of a decade. Participants tended to be white and educated with fewer smokers and more vegetable-and-fruit eaters than in the general population. During that time, more than 71,000 people died.

Men and women eating the highest amount of red meat were found to have a 31 percent and 36 percent, respectively, higher risk of dying from any cause than those eating the least amount.

Women eating the most processed meat were 25 percent more likely to die early than those eating the least of this type of meat, while men had a 16 percent in-creased risk, the study found.

Causes of death for those in the study included diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, ul-cers, pneumonia, influenza, liver disease, HIV, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pul-

monary disease and more.

Dying from cancer also was more likely among those eating the most red meat: 22 percent higher for men, 20 percent for women. The risk for death from cancer in-creased 12 percent for men and 11 percent for women who ate the greatest amount of processed meat.

Similarly, the risk of dying from cardio-vascular disease was higher by 27 percent for men and 50 percent for women; for processed red meat, the risk was 9 percent higher for men and 38 percent higher for women.

However, people who ate the most white meat showed a lower risk of dying.

The authors also noted a 24 percent higher risk of dying from heart problems among men who had never smoked and who ate more white meat. Women faced a 20 percent higher risk.

Meat contains many carcinogens as well as saturated fat, which might explain the increased mortality risk, the authors stat-ed.

Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Ba-ton Rouge, La., described the study's find-ings as "provocative."

"The question is how much of it is the meat and how much is the extra calories," Brooks said. "Calories per se are a strong determinant for death from cancer and heart disease. This should make us think about our calorie intake."

■ HealthDay

SISO Mentorship Graduation

Event

It is not often that one’s path crosses with not one, but two individuals that share their God-given talents to the betterment of others. These two individuals are unique in their own ways, but the unifying factor is their love for each other, and their fel-low beings. No wonder they chose pro-fessions that are people oriented. One is a doctor, and the other is a lawyer. Their destinies united them in the sacrament of matrimony. Happily, they are raising three daughters. The Voice in Diaspora is happy to share the stories of this unique husband and wife with our numerous readers, the stories of Taiwo and Adenike Aderibigbe.

Taiwo Aderibigbe popularly known as Dr. Sam runs his family practice in Hamilton. He was born and raised in Nigeria. He qual-ified as Medical Doctor from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria in 1991, he worked for a while in Nigeria and thereafter trav-eled to South Africa where he worked as a medical doctor and furthered his studies in Family Medicine.

Adenike Aderibigbe was born in the United Kingdom and raised in Nigeria. She obtained her first degree in Law in 1991 and she was called to Bar by the Su-pereme Court of Nigeria in 1992. In South

Africa she studied further and obtained her postgraduate Master’s degree in Law. In Canada after writing a number of quali-fying exams in Law, she was called to Bar in Ontario in 2008. Adenike’s Law office is situated on 8 Main Street East, Suite 408, Hamilton, ON, her website is www.nikea-derib.com, she can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by tel: 905-522-887

Marital

Taiwo & Adenike met in Nigeria in 1992 in Asaba, Delta State during the National Youth Service Program. They got married in 1995 and their marriage is blessed with three beautiful girls, namely Tioluwani, Oyinloluwa and Ifeoluwa.

Canada

Taiwo, Adenike and their first child Tiolu-wani arrived in Newfoundland Canada in December 2002. They lived in a nice town called Springdale in Central Newfound-land with a population of about 3,500 for three years. Their Second and third child were born in Newfoundland. In 2006 they moved to Hamilton, Ontario.

They find Canada very interesting and a country where one fulfill ones potential.

Interests

Taiwo with the assistance of Ade-nike is also the Pastor in Charge of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, House of Liberty parish in Burlington, Ontario. It is in-credible how they find time from their busy schedules to pastor a church. Well, there is no other way they could have done what they are doing if not by the spe-cial grace of God.

Advice to New Immigrants

Their advice to new immigrants is never, ever give up, study to improve yourself and very soon God will crown your efforts

with success, because God has promised that you will not labour in vain.

■ Veronica Chris-Ike

Two Good People From Nigeria with Love!


Creating Access to Regulated Employment

...they were enrolled with an adult learn-ing centre to improve their English language skills.

Looking back on the early days of their ar-rival in Burlington, Ontario, and how every-thing was quite different and alien to them, Loredana could not imagine how quickly life changed for them. She recalled, for example, her amazement and total confusion with the bus transit system, and her wonderment try-ing to read and make meaning of road signs and street names. However, their involve-ment with the adult learning centre helped improve their English language skills tremen-dously and opened a new door to the oppor-tunities that first attracted them to their new country. They slowly began to see that such opportunities do abound in Canada.

Loredana recalled that her classes seemed tedious and lengthy. However, the determi-nation paid off when they joined the job-

finding club, where they were exposed to resume writing and telephone skills, as well as job finding skills. Loredana’s first resume led to her first healthcare job interview and healthcare job in Canada. She is now work-ing with retirees in a retirement home. It is a job she loves very much because it helps her fulfil some of her yearnings to be a nurse in Canada.

However, once a nurse, always a nurse. All through her journey and re-birth in Canada, Loredana has been looking forward to be-coming a nurse in Canada. She was intro-duced to the CARE Centre by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and by her sister who is already a registered nurse in Canada. Loredana contacted and immediately con-nected with the CARE staff. They are present-ly involved with her and helping her to get registered in Ontario. Loredana appreciates CARE and all her instructors. She genuinely

believes that those attracted to work in the CARE Centre have the interest of the clients/students at heart. The instructors’ and case workers’ demeanour, their listening skills, their demonstration of empathy and words of encouragement are rare qualities she had not encountered before in her years of for-mal education or interaction with teachers.

In an interview with VOICE, Loredana re-called many moments of self-doubt and confusion on how to adjust to the rigorous learning responsibilities for her nursing cer-tification. These moments, she said, were alleviated by CARE’s staff who counselled her and made her believe it is possible to succeed. Loredana is thankful to CARE for guiding her through the process by teach-ing her skills she will need as a nurse. She has learned, for example, how to create Pow-erPoint presentations, she has learned the rules of documentation, she has learned the

APA format, etc. What she thought would be impossible to achieve was nonetheless ac-complished within a short while through the guidance and careful direction of CARE staff.

Loredana’s advice to new foreign-trained nurses is to connect immediately with the CARE Centre, instead of trying to work alone on their certifications process. This way they can avoid many pitfalls. They are very likely to shorten their registration process and, with proper preparation, have a far better chance at passing the registration exam.

Now, life in Canada has a promising new meaning for Loredana and her family. She is confident that with her rich and solid home-country nursing experience and her Cana-dian nursing training she has a great deal to contribute to a profession that serves such a diverse population.

■ Blessing Tokis


SISO Mentorship Graduation Event


Evelyn Myrie's 50th Birthday

Party

Adenike's 40th

Birthday Party

If you are a foreign-trained Nurse or if you know anyone who is, valuable support is available to you in your Ontario nursing reg-istration process. The agency at the centre of this good initiative is called the CARE Centre. It is located in Hamilton at 100 James Street, South, Suite 2, Hamilton, Ontario (www.care4nurses.org).

The CARE Centre has been around for quite some time now (since 2001 in Toronto and 2005 in Hamilton), ensuring foreign-trained nurses are ready to enter and contribute their skills and knowledge to the Canadian health care system. Nursing is all about car-ing, and this is the main characteristic im-bued in the CARE Centre and reflected in their commitment to their clients. Close to 90 percent foreign-trained nurses, having passed through CARE’s direction, have gone on to become registered nurses in Ontario, and they are now gainfully employed in our health care facilities.

There is no other way to learn more and understand the important services that the CARE Centre provides to their numerous cli-ents than to hear from one whose life is be-ing transformed by CARE. Below are excerpts of the VOICE interview with Loredana Gheo-rghe, a foreign-trained nurse from Romania.

Loredana came to Canada in 2007, with her husband and a heart full of expectations of limitless opportunities that would transform her life. Loredana has nine years of nursing experience as an Operating Room nurse in her home country. Most of those nine years of nursing experience include three years working concurrently with Alzheimer’s pa-tients.

Loredana visited her sister here in Canada prior to immigrating in 2007, and that visit shaped her desire to apply for permanent residency in Canada. She began her applica-

tion to practice nursing in Canada with the Canadian College of Nurses, but submitting the application proved to be only the begin-ning of what her requirements would be to practice nursing in Ontario. Loredana could hardly speak a few words of English when she came. It took sheer determination, a lot of self-study, and endless listening to the airwaves and the Internet to acquire the lan-guage she needed to function in her new country. Settling in her Burlington high-rise apartment with her husband who is also a nurse and grappling with the everyday real-ity of joblessness in Canada was a nightmare for these new immigrants. Their biggest ob-stacle to employment was the lack of Eng-lish language skills. No Canadian employer would risk giving them employment when they could not communicate in English.

Heartache turned into nightmare for them, and in their desperation to survive, they started looking for work in factories. Though the factory jobs offered an income for the bare essentials of life, adjusting to the work-place atmosphere and coping with cultural differences also proved a herculean task for both husband and wife. While Loredana and her husband were working at the mean-pay-ing jobs...

Creating Access to Regulated Employment


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