“I was lost for a long, long time, so when I started finding myself, I decided I was also going to pull other immigrant women along”
Article content
Edmontonians with roots in Colombia, Nigeria and Syria have been nominated for a national award celebrating Canadian immigrants.
advertisement 2
Article content
On April 12, Canadian Immigrant magazine revealed the short list for its 14th annual Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards and invited the public to vote on 75 nominees.
Postmedia spoke to three of the Edmonton finalists for the awards, designed to recognize and celebrate the contributions of immigrants in their adopted homes.
Jose Fernando Triana
Formerly a mayor of the Colombian city Quebradanegra, Jose Fernando Triana moved to Toronto in 2002, and arrived in Edmonton two years later.
Hoping to connect the Latin American diaspora in Canada, I created Soy Hispano, a Spanish-language magazine, and Soy Hispano TV, a Spanish webcast.
“I wanted to bring together the Latin community, and it’s difficult because there are many flags — many countries,” Triana said. “But with the magazine, I tried.”
advertisement 3
Article content
After the COVID-19 pandemic placed those enterprises on hold, I founded the Edmonton Latino Center in January 2021, which aims to provide legal, immigration and other services to the Spanish speaking community.
Tracy Folorunsho-Barry
Tracy Folorunsho-Barry arrived from Nigeria almost 20 years ago and wanted to hit the ground running, but without “a guidebook on how to integrate,” she felt like she was at a loss.
“There are a lot of opportunities for immigrants, but it’s accessing it sometimes that is the problem,” she said. “I fell in that category. I was lost for a long, long time, so when I started finding myself, I decided I was also going to pull other immigrant women along.”
As the founder of the Gradual Rising of Women (GROW) Foundation, which aims to help immigrant women advance their careers, she embarked on a project in 2017 to collect stories of accomplished immigrant women and use them to inspire others who were struggling as newcomers.
advertisement 4
Article content
That effort, known as Project 150, led to another endeavor: GROW Women Leaders, an organization which offers services to women, and immigrants in particular, including job matching services, leadership training and space to collaborate.
Hoping to inspire immigrant women who are struggling, Folorunsho-Barry said she wants “to let them know that it’s possible to make it in Canada.”
Basel Abu Hamrah
An LGBTQ+ settlement practitioner with the Edmonton Mennonite Center for Newcomers, Basel Abou Hamrah said he’s honored to be considered among the 75 nominees.
Originally from Syria, Abou Hamrah fled his motherland after war broke out in 2011.
And after arriving in Canada in 2015, he said, he wanted to connect with the local LGBTQ+ community but didn’t know how.
advertisement 5
Article content
Recognizing that others were likely facing similar challenges, Abou Hamrah co-created a group in May 2017 to aid LGBTQ+ newcomers in Edmonton, many of whom struggle to find acceptance in their cultural and religious communities, he said.
“It’s a social support group that helps the LGBTQ+ newcomers form their own community — to be family for each other and support each other,” he added.
A few months later, I helped spearhead a similar program through the EMCN called Rainbow Refuge, which helps refugees navigate the settlement process.
Canadian Immigrant magazine said last week the 75 finalists were selected from a panel of past winners. The voting process runs until June 10, and the top 25 winners will be announced in July.
In 2021, three Edmonton nominees were named among the top 25 winners.
