In partnership with The Department of Imaginary Affairs (DIA), we’re bringing you 60 stories in 15 different languages from newcomers hailing from all across the globe and who have settled across various parts of Canada.

From the many reasons for migrating to the challenges of adjusting, from the process of learning a new language to discovering belonging in a new country, this collection captures a small slice of the varied and complex newcomer journey. This collection is for everyone, but specially designed for any classroom, library English conversation circle, or settlement organization.

The Stories of Us is 151 pages, perfect bound, and printed in full colour on FSC-approved paper in Toronto, Canada.

We are proud to partner with The Department of Imaginary Affairs (DIA) – a national nonprofit organization focused on understanding the evolving definition of what it means to be Canadian from new and developing Canadians – to bring you this special collection of The Stories of Us. The Stories of Us aims to empower newcomers to learn English through their own stories.

According to the 2016 census, more than 7.5 million people, or 21.9% of the Canadian population reported being a landed immigrant or a permanent resident. Moreover, 1 in 5 Canadians are foreign-born. At the core of this work is the mission and drive to create a sense of belonging for citizens across what we now know as Canada. Along with the DIA, we see newcomers as vital to the social fabric of Canada and we recognize that the settlement journey can be jarring, exciting, challenging, and joyous all at the same time. For newcomers, this includes leaving behind the familiar and re-learning everything including housing, work, family, and, of course, language.

This collection attempts to capture just a small slice of the varied and complex newcomer journey. It includes over 60 stories in 15 languages from newcomers hailing from all across the globe and who have settled across various parts of Canada. It is the first-ever English as a Second Language (ESL) library of stories written and told by newcomers, for newcomers.

Our goal in publishing this collection is three-fold:

1. Empower newcomers by giving them a platform to share their stories and voice as a citizen of Canada;

2. Create a resource with side-by-side English and native language translations; and

3. Educate established Canadians about the journey of newcomers to Canada through first-person stories.

This collection is part of a broader project by the Department of Imaginary Affairs to elevate and amplify newcomer stories as a tool to learn English. They have put together an ever-growing digital library of over 120 stories open to all newcomers, ESL educators, settlement agencies, and all Canadians.