ELEVATING AND AMPLIFYING newcomer STORIES

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 a 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.

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Our goal in publishing this collection is three-fold:

Empower newcomers by giving them a platform to share their stories and voice as a citizen of Canada;
Create a resource with side-by-side English and native language translations; and
Educate established Canadians about the journey of newcomers to Canada through first-person stories.

This collection is for everyone, and it is specially designed for any classroom, library English conversation circle, or settlement organization.

All orders will be shipped by September 15. The Stories of Us is 151 pages, perfect bound, and printed in full colour on FSC-approved paper in Toronto, Canada.

IN PARTNERSHIP with the Department of Imaginary Affairs

The Department of Imaginary Affairs is focused on contributing to the evolving definition of what it means to be Canadian from new and developing Canadians. They are invested in hearing, elevating and amplifying the voices, perspectives, and stories of newcomers and young people in Canada and their visions of alternative and equitable futures. They believe that newcomers and young people make up a majority population in Canada who are under-represented when it comes to the design, development, and implementation of empathetic policies, programs, and services.

They see stories as the key to challenging assumptions, nurturing and fostering creativity, and giving rise to citizen voices.

The Stories of Us 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.

Access the Library