Safety Tips for Newcomers

Over the last year I have gotten to know many newcomers from India. Many of them were students coming to study at the local college. Although Canada is a mosaic and we celebrate diversity, I know there is still a big culture shock upon arrival. I think one area that often isn’t discussed enough is safety. For example, I had a friend who thought it was ok to get in a stranger’s car when they offer you a ride while you are standing on the street. While I was thinking about the missing and murdered women on the “Highway of Tears”, I realized that having moved from India just after high school, it wasn’t obvious to her that this is considered dangerous. I wanted to offer a few tips for those who are new to Canada. 

In terms of road safety, you should avoid wearing all black clothing. This is especially important as it is getting darker earlier with darkness falling at 4 pm in December. If you are wearing all black and crossing the street, drivers may not see you. You can buy shiny stickers to put on your jacket if it already doesn’t have a reflective coating. It is also important to cross the roads at crosswalks (where it is marked). It is dangerous to walk in the middle of the street and illegal. The law is very important in Canada because they are made to protect us. For example, there are laws that we have to wear seatbelts because it has been shown to save lives in a car accident. Many people have told me that this is a major difference of living here, that laws are followed and enforced. When we are aware of the reason for rules, it makes us realize how important it is. 

It is important for all those who are from outside the country to know their rights. You should know what you deserve in terms of pay (minimum wage), working conditions, working hours, workplace discrimination, and rights for practicing your religion, for example. Unfortunately, those who are new to Canada are vulnerable to being abused because they don’t realize labor laws protect us from getting poor pay under extreme working conditions and hours. Similarly, you are vulnerable to fraud, where someone tries to cheat you by stealing your money or identity. Scammers target those who are new specifically because they aren’t as aware of laws. For example, someone calls you telling you they are from the Canada Revenue Agency and since you didn’t pay your taxes, you need to pay them now or they will send you to jail. This is a fake call but unfortunately lots of people have lost their money to these scammers. Knowing your rights helps to protect you from these situations. 

Lastly, it is important to keep one’s body well during winter. It can get very cold, and I have seen people not having winter boots or proper coats. It can be cold even in September so one should buy or bring a warm jacket, boots, and sweaters. It is also important to make sure you have medical insurance in case you need to go to the doctor as many people get sick in the first few months of arrival. 

I hope these tips provide some help to those who are newly arriving. Canada is an amazing place to live but it takes some time for the adjustment period of being in a new culture halfway around the world from your family. Knowing your rights helps to make sure you get benefit from all the systems designed to keep you safe and well, such as our amazing healthcare system and police force. I have provided some links to great resources below to help you learn more. 

https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/pdf/pub/welcome.pdf One of the best resources I found, a pdf package all about life in Canada

https://www.princegeorge.ca/Business%20and%20Development/Economic%20Development%20Documents/Hiring%20Skilled%20New%20Immigrants%20Resource%20Kit.pdf

https://www.omnitv.ca/on/en/videos/welcome-to-canada-2/ Some great videos for South Asians 

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-immigrants/new-life-canada/community-connections.html

https://imss.ca Prince George resource that helps new immigrants including with English language lessons    

https://moving2canada.com/welcome-to-canada/

https://moveupprincegeorge.ca/move/new-canadians