When Nick Avery moved to Canada from England just over a decade ago, he was at a loss on how to navigate the necessities to start his new life in the country.
Avery learned how to sign up for a bank account and rent an apartment, but wished it was more clear when he arrived.
Now as the executive director of non-profit Capilano Community Services Society, he hopes to continue helping other newcomers understand the basics and services to settle in and thrive.
The Capilano Community Services Society is just one of the 25 organizations that will be represented at the Newcomer Expo on Saturday, Jan. 25 at The Pipe Shop on the North Vancouver waterfront. The first expo, hosted by the North Shore News, aims to provide newcomers with free information and connections with local organizations and businesses to help them settle into Canada with ease. Realtors, immigration lawyers, MLAs and MPs and local libraries are just some of the booths that will be in attendance.
“I think we live in an age where there’s information everywhere we look,” Avery said. “Sometimes you can Google something and even be more confused about what’s happening.”
“This Newcomer Expo is fantastic for getting everything in one place and being able to hopefully give a helping hand to people that have no idea about the systems,” he added.
The society offers programs and services to encourage social engagement in the community from youth to seniors. They will provide information on the programs they offer at the expo.
After North Shore News Publisher Matt Blair saw people coming to the paper with questions on how to connect with leadership and services within the North Shore community, the idea sparked of having a “one stop shop” newcomer expo.
“It’s a curated event that creates an informal space for people to connect with those resources, as opposed to having to reach out,” Blair said. “A lot of the time, folks don’t know how to reach out or where to reach out.”
“Especially living in Central Lonsdale, it’s just apparent what a vibrant immigrant community we have, and we want to be part of that, and we want to create avenues for folks to connect with us as well.”
Alongside the booths, the Newcomer Expo will also have free doughnuts and coffee for people to enjoy.
The expo isn’t only for newcomers to Canada, but also for people moving to the North Shore from other parts of the country, Blair said.
North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Bowinn Ma and North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Susie Chant will also have a booth at the expo, providing information about the services their community offices provide as well as copies of the Newcomers’ Guide and the BC Seniors’ Guide.
Ma said she and Chant are thrilled to participate in the first upcoming expo to help provide newcomers with the resources they need to integrate into the community.
“It is incredibly valuable for these kinds of events to be hosted on the North Shore, particularly in communities that have so many newcomers joining us every month and every year,” Ma said.
“It is also beneficial to all of us that newcomers not only feel welcomed, but feel empowered to make this their home, and something that they, in turn, contribute back to as well,” she added. “That’s how we become stronger as a population.”
Newcomer Expo
Where: The Pipe Shop, 115 Victory Ship Way
When: Saturday, Jan. 25 from noon to 3:30 p.m.
Admission: Free
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
