From the Streets

Edmonton brings the world home through its multicultural approach

Photo credit: Breann Gurey
The MacEwan University International Office offers help and support to the international students that come to Edmonton and study at the university and help them adjust to their new lives.

A new multimillion-dollar community centre built to celebrate African culture draws near as Edmonton city staff move to settle on the design of the project with the lead design team.

The new African Centre, set to unveil its design in the fall, is just one of many ways in which Edmonton is showing its support and pride in the various cultures that belong to the city. “Edmontonians won’t need to travel far to celebrate their African heritage or to learn about new cultures.” Said Jibril Ibrahim, president of the Somali-Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton, in an interview with The Edmonton Journal.

Edmonton has undergone massive expansion from its modest beginnings in 1950 with a population of 1,000, to today with a bustling and ever growing population of over 1 million, according to statistics Canada. As well, we have seen an increase in the diversity of different ethnic and cultural populations and citizens that have moved to Canada and made the city their own. A 2011 National Household Survey showed, 20.4 percent of the total population of Edmonton are immigrants of differing cultural backgrounds. On a large scale look at the city itself, Edmonton has since become a flourishing cultural hub which strives to accommodate all cultures. Upon taking a closer look at the city, it is not just the diverse population that is encouraging this cultural growth but the citizens themselves who are providing support and community in their own ways.

Nataliya Oliferchuk, an advisor at the Grant MacEwan University International Office spoke about her experiences immigrating to Canada. She works with foreign students on exchange to  MacEwan. Oliferchuk and her family moved to Canada 13 years ago from Lviv Ukraine.  

Photo credit: Breann Gurney
Natalyia Oliferchuk moved to Canada 13
years ago from Ukraine and now
works at MacEwan International providing
support for future international students.

Since moving to Canada, Oliferchuk has experienced both difficulties and triumphs, though most of the difficulties came from cultural differences. When Oliferchuk first arrived, her challenges made her begin to wonder whether it was the correct decision by coming to Canada. The last 13 years of life proved as a testament to our nation’s multiculturalism; she and her family were able to adapt and thrive. Oliferchuk began to explore the many cultures in Edmonton and tried to “understand where the person is coming from and then understand the behavior and everything and then make a decision but usually yes [they were open to learning about her culture]. Its embedded in us, from early childhood you are at school and they are telling you “Oh, a Germaner looks like this,” and “This is Ukraine.” so you have your own vision on things and they can be changed when you go to that country and experience it yourself.”

Like many other newcomers to Canada, Oliferchuk found herself quite isolated. She barely saw anyone in the street and it took her three years to stop dreaming of returning home. She was terrified to speak because of her thick accent. She refers to her accent as her disability, since she felt that it kept her from having certain experiences when she first arrived. Since then, she has made peace with it and tries to “learn the person, where is the person coming from and then deciding for myself what my stereotype of this person or country is.”

MacEwan welcomes international students by greeting them, making them feel welcome, and discussing their trip before assessing their plans during their time in Canada so appropriate information can be provided.

However, it can still be hard to people like Oliferchuk, who have come to Edmonton permanently or for international students at MacEwan here temporarily, to adjust to such a new life.

Photo credit: http://af.ca/edmonton/
The Alliance Française of Edmonton is one of many
multicultural communities that provide support for their
multicultural residents.

“I’m a very home loving person.” Said Oliferchuk. “For my husband it was much easier. It doesn’t matter for him where to live. Each person accepts reality different.”

Which is why, alongside the multicultural environment of MacEwan and the upcoming new Africa Centre, Edmonton as a whole has many different community centres from all over the world for cultural celebration and networking, as well as language practice and monthly events put on by the associations.

The Edmonton Chinatown Multi-Cultural Centre, Canadian Native Friendship Centre, and the Edmonton Japanese Community Association, are just a few of the communities. As well as the L’Alliance Francaise, which is another example of a thriving community. They have a booming monthly event calendar including films in French, national French holidays, and social meetings.

These communities, and the various events they work hard to provide, can assist with feelings of isolation, as well as encourage newcomers to build a healthy and prosperous life in Edmonton.