The holidays are a time to be together with family and friends. But for newcomers to Canada it can be a lonely time of year. Some, though, have continued their own holiday traditions in their new home.

As Christmas lights glow across Brandon streets and snow blankets neighbourhoods, the holiday season is taking on a deeper meaning for many newcomers experiencing their first Christmas in Canada.

Holidays can be a hard time for people who are far from their relatives or estranged from their family members, but for these three people who came to Canada from other countries, close friends have come to feel like family and have helped them forge new connections and traditions.

Canada's long-held consensus on immigration — that it's a net positive for the country — has been coming apart in recent years.

The traditional preparation and consumption of fermented cabbage has become the connective thread uniting the growing number of Korean-Canadians in British Columbia’s most multi-cultural city. Here, South Korea’s most prized culinary possession is a bridging cornerstone, from humble taverns to hip restaurants.

Dozens of newcomers to Quebec got the opportunity to learn how to skate from Speed Skating Canada athletes. The participants learned about safety, how to put on equipment, balancing and the importance of getting back up.

A decade after Ottawa did much to help resettle displaced Syrians, refugees and advocates say wait times have lengthened, funding has dwindled and federal policies may tighten the path to safety.

Combining elements of home and new traditions at the root of Christmas celebration for new Atlantic Canadians

Over the past year, Isabel Vaca Diez Buhezo has dribbled basketballs, set volleyballs and carved up ice at the rink by going to Winnipeg Newcomer Sport Academy programs.

A couple in Steinbach, Man., describes the love they feel for their new life in Canada, but the loss they feel for loved ones left behind thousands of kilometres away.

A growing African and Caribbean community in Steinbach is coming together to celebrate Christmas with familiar flavours, music and traditions far from home. “This is a little taste of home in all this white and cold,” says organizer Beth Slusher.

John, not his real name, credits an advocacy group for internationally educated nurses with prompting his employer to take action.

December 18 marked World Arabic Language Day, and Arab Canadians took the opportunity to share with OMNI News the importance of keeping the language alive through different activities in the diaspora. 

The new legislation not only rectifies these historical injustices but also introduces a forward-looking framework that emphasizes genuine connections to Canada.

A new employee group at Horizon Health Network is working to support the growing cohort of internationally trained staff with the company.

The Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia says the province is raising concerns about the human rights of female migrant workers who work on farms and in seafood plants. Stacey Gomez, executive director and a co-author of the report, explains the findings.