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We had always wanted to try leaving our European home behind. The only thing yet to be determined was the destination. We dreamed of China until my husband took the train to the Destination Canada forum, which takes place every year in Paris. As we listened to meetings and speeches, professional and personal desires began…
My bag was packed for the journey.
I have been living in British Columbia for about fifty years. Did I end up here by chance or by fate?
Vancouver is often said to be a city with no culture.
Vancouver is many things – a world-class urban metropolis, a home for immigrants seeking a better life, and much more. But to me, first and foremost, it’s my home.
Ask new Vancouverites why they decided to settle in Vancouver, and many of them will give you a logical answer; a worthy reason, as if their choice were a reasonable one – a job offer, relatives, studies, maybe even an interest in the West Coast.
It was a cold December night in 2011 and my fiancé and I were aboard a Christmas Carol cruise that had left Coal Harbour just minutes before. Our boat slid along English Bay with the twinkling lights of downtown Vancouver in the background. We hadn’t really paid attention to the carol part of the tour name when we booked it and didn’t think much of it other than that the cruise must have a Christmas theme.
After a 15-hour flight with Air Canada, I finally get off the plane and walk through the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to the railway that will take me into the city, carrying my heavy luggage behind me.
Iwas born and raised in Vancouver. Anyone growing up in this multicultural town knows that it’s par for the course to rub shoulders with people from around the world. I have friends from Brazil to Japan, and I can buy the best international meals for less than the price of a movie ticket.
At first, Vancouver, didn’t fit within my plans. Honestly, I’ve only been able to locate it on a map for about three years now, and it’s all thanks to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Let’s face it, Canada’s West Coast remains a mystery to most French people, whereas Quebec has a reassuring ring to it because they speak French, and we are “related”. My arrival to Canada was consequently via what some people call “our cousins’ province” and, more precisely, through Montreal.
Aa someone who grew up both in Canada and Russia, I have witnessed how children are viewed and treated in two very different societies – both as a child and now as an observant adult. I was 10 years old when I arrived to Canada from Russia, and a change seemed to have happened almost overnight.
I’ve worked with many Canadians and the question that often comes up when I tell them that I am from France is “why did you leave? France is such a beautiful country!” My answer is always the same, “Yes, it’s a beautiful country in which I didn’t see myself anymore”.
Eight years ago I made the move from Edmonton, Alberta here to Vancouver. I had considered my recent experience living in Mexico more than sufficient preparation for a simple move across the provincial border.
