Settlement

My first connection to Canada happened in 1997 when I first met my future Canadian husband, Samuel, in Chile, my home country. He courted me for over a year before I finally agreed to be his girlfriend. We dated for another 4 years, and then at last we got married. Shortly after, I gave birth to our first son in 2002, and then had another in 2007. My husband really wanted to move back to British Columbia to be near his family and to raise our children. I promised him that when my older son, Shawn, started grade one, we would move to Canada.

In 2009, we moved to Blind Bay British Columbia, and I began the second chapter of my life, which has been full of surprises. The first year we spent in Canada was really difficult for my children and me. We only spoke Spanish, so we often felt sad, frustrated, and very lonely because we couldn’t talk to our neighbours. My husband of course speaks English fluently, but he didn’t help us out much. Finally after 5 years of living in Canada, my English began to improve and I started to make new friends and take part in community activities. I have remained active with the church, the community centre, and my kid’s school. I help out with garage sales, with Christmas sales and events, and school concerts, etc.

Although, I will always miss my life back in Chile, Canada is my new home, and I am grateful for the opportunity to raise my kids in Canada. It is a safe country; the education is publically funded, and there are lots of employment opportunities for young people who complete post-secondary education. Canadians, especially small town people, are very kind and generous. Whenever I have needed help, the people in my community have been there for my children and me. Another thing I really like about Canadians is the way they celebrate all of the holidays such as Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s day, Easter, Christmas, New Years, etc. These celebrations bring everyone in our community together.

Finally, I live in the Shuswap region of British Columbia, where we are fortunate enough to be surrounded by majestic cedar trees that tower above a huge sparkling lake. The Bald Eagles make homes in the cedar trees, which surround the lake. While soaring above, they scan the lake searching for fast moving salmon that swim freely. We have the pleasure of inhaling deeply the earthy smells released by the forest floor and treading gently upon the moss and roots of the fir trees. As the sun sets on the mountaintops, I am amazed at the wonder and beauty surrounding us. I get to live in a wonderland that never ceases to astound me.