SOPA BC and BCCA-IN Partnership

More and more people are choosing to immigrate to Canada. It feels like a blessing that people with such diverse skills and backgrounds are coming to Canada from so many different countries. But many newcomers struggle with everything from learning how to get around the city, to finding a job. Thankfully there are an increasing…

Read More

Arrive Prepared for Winter in Canada

No matter where you live in Canada, it’s wise to be prepared for the winter. Here are our tips for staying warm, driving safely and having fun during the winter season in Canada. With the exception of parts of British Columbia, where it is worthwhile to invest in rain gear to get through the winter…

Read More

8 questions with the SOPA Graduate

Update: In December 2017 Fahim found a job. We are very happy for Fahim and wish him all the very best in his first job in Canada. Fahim Al Faruqui is an Information and Technology Services Professional from Bangladesh. He has extensive experience working in IT field and arriving soon in Halifax. Fahim has just…

Read More

Small Talk Works!

One day, shortly after arriving in Edmonton from The Philippines, Ria and her son insisted on taking the bus to a museum instead of waiting for her uncle to drive them. She wanted to be more independent in getting around the city after-all. While at the bus stop, she asked a gentleman if they were…

Read More

Be Better Prepared for Your New Life with Next Stop Canada

On April 1st, 2016, the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s Immigrant Services launched their pre-arrival program Next Stop Canada. Funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the program’s primary objective is to provide quality settlement services to new immigrants before they arrive in Canada. The staff at Next Stop Canada, being immigrants themselves, have firsthand…

Read More

How I Got a Job in Canada

I learned about SOPA thanks to a message board last year and saved the link in my favorites before even receiving my immigration visa. When I received a notification from IRCC to submit my passports, I went ahead and created an account with SOPA. I only wish I joined SOPA earlier and took all of…

Read More