Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre Newsletter

Transcription

1 Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre Newsletter Centre Centre de de Service Service Communauté Communauté Chinois Chinois d Ottawa d Ottawa 渥太華華人社區服務中心渥太華華人社區服務中心月刊月刊 I S S U E S E P T E M B E R 2O 0C 1T7 O B E R I S S U E PAGE 1 INSIDE THIS ISSUE INSIDE THIS ISSUE In-TAC s 3rd Virtual Career The Bill Expo Joe Story: Co-Founder of OCCSC OCCSC is a non-profit, 1, 2 6,7 OCCSC News/ /Algonquin 2,5 3 AGM College Syrian Refugee 2017 Graduation Fundraising Gala 3-5 AGM OCCSC Announcement/ Chinese Radio 94 Our Radio Program My News First Canadian 17 Accounting Job Summer Camp 5 In-TAC 9-10 Volunteer story 6 Settlement Services Workshops Mental Health 8 Language In-TAC Program Membership Settlement Services and OCCSC Language Sponsors Program Membership and OCCSC Sponsors OCCSC is a non-profit, non-partisan, charitable organization committed to advancing the full social and economic integration and participation of newcomers, immigrants, refugees, and people of Chinese descent in the City of Ottawa. This is the 42nd Anniversary of the OCCSC serving the immigrant and newcomer community. In-TAC s 3rd Virtual Career Expo Closed with a Great Success ( Story: Page 6,7) (Right to left) Sharon Kan, Executive Director of OCCSC,Serge Cormier, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Ying Xie, Senior Manager of In-TAC at the Opening of the Expo. Officers from IRCC observed In-TAC s 3rd Virtual Career Expo. The OCCSC 2017 Annual Fundraising Gala November 30th, :30pm - 9:30pm at St. Elias Centre Suite Cooper Street Ottawa, ON K2P 2H8 Suite Cooper Street Ottawa, ON K2P 2H8 Tel:(613) Fax:(613) Tel:(613) Fax:(613) Radio: FM97.9 Sunday 8-11pm 渥太华中文电台 /?lang=zh Radio: FM97.9 Sunday 8-11pm 渥太华中文电台 /?lang=zh

2 PAGE 2 OCCSC News At the Reception of the 68th Anniversary of the People s Republic of China, hosted by the Ambassador of the People s Republic of China, LU Shaye and Mme. Wang Liwen, on Tuesday, Sep. 26th, 2017, OCCSC Executive Director Sharon Kan (left) and Senior Manager Ying Xie chatted with Federal Immigration and Refugee Minister Ahmed Hussen. (photo to the left) (photo above) Mr. Heng Xiaojun, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of the People s Republic of China (mid left),sharon Kan (mid right) and OCCSC staff. OCCSC AGM OCCSC Annual Members Meeting held on September 27th at OCCSC office. The board report will be published in our November Newsletter. Delicious food provided by Kowloon Supermarket and Syrian students from the Culinary program ( Joint program of Algonquin College and OCCSC ) OCCSC Board members and some staff

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4 PAGE 4 The OCCSC 2017 Annual Fundraising Gala The OCCSC 2017 Annual Fundraising Gala will be held on Thursday, November 30th, :30pm - 9:30pm at St. Elias Centre (750 Ridgewood Avenue). volunteers. It is a great honor to have we have served newcomers from over MPs Chandra Arya and Geng Tan, MPP 110 countries. In 2016, we served close Lisa Macleod, City Counselors Riley to 7,000 newcomers. Brockington, Rick Chiarelli, Diane Deans, and Micheal Qaqish with us this year. It will be a great night out with a wonderful evening of fine dining, socializing, entertainment, merriment and of course, fundraising for the good work of OCCSC. Besides, Mayor Jim Watson will greet our guests during the reception hour. We are very pleased to announce that CBC News Reporter Adrian Harewood will be our host for the evening. CBC interviewed our ED, Sharon Kan Ottawa Youth Orchestra In its eighth year, the fundraising gala will be held western-style. The guests will be greeted with delicious snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Four musicians from the Ottawa Youth Orchestra will play world-known classics at the reception. In addition to the delicious dinner, the guests can also enjoy live cultural performances, a silent auction, lucky draws, and other surprises that present guests with opportunities to acquire unique items or experiences. Speaking of the silent auction, this year we also have an online auction, supported by CFC.com for fundraising leading up to the big event. It takes a community to do what we do and we hope to celebrate with you because Together, We Are Stronger! November 30th, we will wait for you. MP Chandra Arya In addition to Otto s BMW & Subaru and Urbandale Construction, our two diamond sponsors who always actively support the fundraising gala, BMO, CIBC, RBC and many previous sponsors will continue to support us, we are also receiving new sponsors this year. The sponsor list is still growing. After paying the cost of the event, the funds raised during the Gala will be directed towards the programs that can help immigrants fully integrate to Canadian society through our settlement, employment services, language training, family counseling, pre-arrival services, volunteer & childcare services, and Syrian Refugees services. HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? Dinner Tickets: $90 per ticket, $80 for OCCSC members. $800 for a table of nine (9) $40 tax receipt for each ticket will be provided Contact: ext. 161 Monetary Donation: By cash, cheque, Visa or Master card Donations exceeding $20 will be issued a tax receipt Cheques payable to: Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre For credit card payment, call Fiona Zhu ext. 123 Silent Auction On the occasion, there will be more than 300 guests attending the gala, including prominent political and community leaders, corporate partners, our clients and OCCSC is a non-profit, nonpartisan, charitable organization serving newcomers since We started with helping Chinese immigrants in 1975, and today, (Continued on next page.)

5 PAGE 5 Gift Donation: Suggested items include: cultural items, artwork, travel/tour tickets, sports/entertainment tickets, spa/ gift coupons, restaurant certificates, gift baskets etc. Please submit items by November 15th, Contact: Doreen Ju, ext. 144 Sponsor Newcomer Clients to Attend the Gala: $90 per ticket, ($40 tax receipt provided). Corporate Sponsorship: Businesses are encouraged to sponsor the gala contact: Doreen Ju, ext.144, doreen.ju@occsc.org Special thanks to our confirmed Royal Bank of Canada sponsors and our media part- Sun Life Financial - Connie ners, including: (The sponsor list Tang is still growing ) Media Partners: Diamond Sponsors: CBC News Otto's BMW & Otto s Subaru ComeFromChina.com Urbandale Construction OTTAWAZINE Gold Sponsors: Bank of Montreal CIBC Pharm Can Drug Mart Silver Sponsors: Capital Funeral Home & Cemetery - Gable Fung Eba Media Onion Auto Service Robbie s Italian Restaurant (St. Laurent) Nov. 30th, we are looking forward to your visit! Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre OCCSC News Our settlement worker organized a popular social media WeChat a workshop at South Nepean Community Health Centre. OCCSC took part in the Diversity Celebration of The Ottawa Police. September in Our Radio: FM 97.9 Sunday 8-11pm Our Canada 150 Radio Program partnered with Ottawa s Beijing Association, our volunteer reporter Xiaodong (left) interviewed Dr. Zeying Liu, who has been a big admirer of Canada s doctor Norman Bethune and spent years in Africa treating local patients. The Canada 150 Radio program introduced the rights of Canadian workers. (photo: Guest speaker Xiaodong and host Jiong Tu)

6 PAGE 6 In-TAC s 3rd Virtual Career Expo In-TAC s 3 rd Virtual Career Expo The Express Lane to Canadian Employment for Global Talent After four months and countless hours of preparation, In-TAC s 3 rd Virtual Career Expo closed with a bang on September 22 nd, Over 3,000 job seekers from around the world met with 62 employers and service providers in 52 virtual booths offering more than 1,300 employment opportunities for local citizens, and new and prospective immigrants. The job openings ranged from professional positions to skilled trades located in 90 cities and municipalities across Canada. In-TAC s realistic 3-D platform gave representatives from multinational enterprises such as CGI, Fortinet and Syntronic, national brands including Air Canada, Bank of Montreal, TD Bank and the RCMP, the ability to interview candidates without the need to travel. In a post-event survey one exhibitor said, This is a state of the art technology and an excellent use of time and resources. More than 95% of the exhibitors said they would like to attend a similar event in the future. In-TAC 3 rd Virtual Career Expo booths at the virtual exhibition hall Serge Cormier, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, officially launched In-TAC s 3 rd Virtual Career Expo. Ying Xie demonstrated the operation to the officials.

7 PAGE 7 In-TAC s 3rd Virtual Career Expo The Expo was launched at In-TAC s main office in Ottawa by Serge Cormier, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), on the morning of September 21, Representatives from the Ministry, along with Sharon Kan, Executive Director of the Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre (OCCSC) and In-TAC s Senior Manager, Ying Xie, discussed new ways to engage immigrants, whether locally or at long-distance. Observing the online interactions between Canadian employers and prospective employees still living abroad, Mr Cormier commended In-TAC s hard work in connecting international talent with Canadian employers, echoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau s written message to In- TAC, that its efforts are helping to create a more prosperous Canada for us all. In a show of support for In-TAC s endeavour, a team of officers from the General Consulates of Canada in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong hosted the IRCC booth to provide answers for people from around the world pertaining to questions about both visiting and immigrating to Canada. A special addition to this Expo was a Syrian Refugee Employment Support booth set up to address their urgent employment needs in Canada, and a Pre-arrival Services booth to provide assistance and information to new immigrants prior to their arrival in Canada. Both booths were made possible by a joint effort between a dozen of service providers from across the country. In-TAC is proud to report that some job seekers have already received invitations for face-to-face or Skype interviews. Such successes are the true measure of the Expo s worth. Our goal in providing this virtual venue is to bring skilled individuals from around the globe into the Canadian workforce to combat the challenges of skills shortage the country is facing, said Ying Xie. We have seen positive results from our last two virtual career expos. We are IRCC booth, represented by a team of officers from the General Consulate of Canada in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong expecting more good news. This Expo was jointly organized by In-TAC of the Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre, Immigrant Services Calgary, and Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia. We would like to thank everyone who went online to make In-TAC s 3rd Virtual Career Expo such a success! Special thanks go to the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for their ongoing support, and to all of our exhibitors, who worked tirelessly to engage with motivated job seekers.

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11 Settlement Services Workshops PAGE 11 Downtown, Ottawa East Topic Date and Time Location Description Computer Literacy October 2, 16, 23,30 Monday, 1:30pm- 3:00pm Registration: ext.113 Cindy Computer Literacy Group for Newcomers Practical English Citizenship Preparation Class Recreational Activities and Understanding Canadian Culture October 2, 16, 23,30 Monday, 3:00pm - 4:30pm Registration: ext.113 Cindy October 6, 13, 20, 27 Friday, 9:30am-11:30am Registration: ext.113 Cindy October 13,20,27( 3 sessions) Friday,10:00am- 12:00pm. Registration: ext.113 Cindy Monday, October 2,16, 23 9:45am-11:45am Who we are Monday, October 30 9:45am-11:45am Diabetes Screening and Health Session Registration: ext.136 Oscar Lu / oscar.lu@occsc.org Wednesday, Oct 18 th 1-4pm Language: Cantonese / Mandarin. OCCSC 400 Cooper St. Suite 2000 Computer Lab OCCSC 400 Cooper St. Suite 2000 Computer Lab OCCSC 400 Cooper St. Suite 2000 Classroom C OCCSC 400 Cooper St. Suite 2000 Classroom B OCCSC 400 Cooper St. Suite 2000 Classroom A OCCSC 400 Cooper St. Suite 2000 Classroom A Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre Suite 2000A, 400 Cooper St. Learn basic ing and Internet Learn basic ing and Internet Daily Conversations and understand Canadian Cultures Study for the citizenship test based on Discover Canada Study Guide. Presentation in English. Immigrants who wish to applied or have applied are welcome. Recreational Activities and Understanding Canadian Culture Canada Brief History This screening program is provided by the Diabetes Screening Team of the Centretown Community Health Centre in order to provide screening for high-risk people and a health session on diabetes prevention and healthy living habits by registered dietitians.

12 PAGE 12 Settlement Services Workshops Barrhaven Topic Date and Time Location Description Parents and Kids Group Registration: Happy Kitchen, Healthy Life Registration: Welcome to Canada Diabetes Screening Newcomer Financial Literacy Each Wednesday 1:30pm - 3:30pm Registration: ext. 134 Each Friday 9:45am - 11:45am Registration: ext. 134 Wednesday, Oct. 4, 18 9:30am - 12:00pm Wednesday, Oct. 11 9:30am - 12:30pm Wednesday, Oct. 25 9:30am - 12:00pm OEYC Cityview Centre 1099 Longfield Dr. Barrhaven South Nepean Community Health Centre 4100 Strandherd, 2nd Floor Classroom A South Nepean Community Health Centre 4100 Strandherd, 2nd Floor South Nepean Community Health Centre 4100 Strandherd, 2nd Floor South Nepean Community Health Centre 4100 Strandherd, 2nd Floor Kanata Information sessions for parents, activities for children: singing, puppet plays, circle time. Multicultural cooking, health information, making new friends, to understand immigration and settlement information. Orientation for newcomers to Canada. Topics includes: health care, banking, housing, education, employment, etc. Understand different bank accounts, how to apply and use credit card, how to apply mortgage Kanata Parenting Group Celebrate Mid- Autumn Festival Every Tuesday, 1:30 pm- 3:30 p.m. (613) ext.131 Lisa Hou Turesday, October 3, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Dementia Turesday, October 10, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Pre-Planning Workshop Snow Go Assist Program & Home Support Program Rasing by Grandparent Turesday, October 17, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Turesday, October 24, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Turesday, October 31, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre (EYC room) 2 McNeil Court, Kanata SS#1 Community House Goldridge Drive (Kanata Lake) SS#1 Community House Goldridge Drive (Kanata Lake) SS#1 Community House Goldridge Drive (Kanata Lake) SS#1 Community House Goldridge Drive (Kanata Lake) SS#1 Community House Goldridge Drive (Kanata Lake) Meet other parents and learn about children s health, education, and community program topics. Make new friends and meet with old friends Introduce the causes of dementia, symptoms of dementia and how to cope with dementia Help you and your family in making the final arrangement. Introduce financial assistance to eligible low-income seniors for snow removal and light house housekeeping A focus group discussing pros and cons regarding grandchildren raising by grandparent

13 Language Program PAGE 13 LINC Newsletter, October 2017 *Childminding is available, for children ages 19 months to 6 years. LINC at OCCSC started its Fall-Winter 2017 term in September. Most classes are full, but there are still seats available in a few different levels - if you want to join them, please contact us as soon as possible. In order to do so, if you haven t already done it, please have your English assessed at the YMCA Language Assessment and Referral Centre (240 Catherine St., Suite 308; Tel: ) when you finish the assessment, please ask to be sent to our school, OCCSC LINC. LINC students will have several presentations and workshops in October, as it is a long tradition in our program. Some of the presentations will include guest speakers from the Ottawa Community Loan Fund, from St. Lawrence College (on employment), then there will be a pronunciation expert delivering a few sessions, etc. With the Syrian refugees in our 3 classes specifically designated for them (at 750 Ridgewood Ave. and 1187 Michael St.) and with a very diverse student body in our other classes, (open to all newcomers), we are proud to inform that our current students come from over 50 countries of the world. Buses for the Cooper St. location: 1, 2, 4, 7 on Bank St. and all buses that stop on Slater & Albert St. West Kanata location (2 MacNeil Court): LINC 1/2 - Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Buses for the Kanata location: 63, 64, 96, 118. South I location (Barrhaven, Walter Baker Sports Centre, 100 Malvern Dr.): LINC 2/3 - Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 9:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Buses for the Barrhaven location: 70, 76, 95, 170, 173, 873. East Location: (1187 Michael St.) We are very proud of all our students, but this time, we would like to bring your attention to an extraordinary success story about one of our Syrian students who is an artist, too: LINC student s success story: (From the official brochure for the Chelsea-Wakefield Studio Art Tour, September-October 2017) Nada Melly is a Syrian artist, teacher and graphic designer who arrived as a refugee in Canada in October 2016 with her sister and brother-inlaw and their two children. They live in Ottawa and are currently settling in, learning English and adapting to this very different life. Nada was not able to bring much with her but has some art supplies now and is working in pastel, pen and ink, oil and acrylic. We are very pleased to be able to host her during the Tour. Nada Melly is OCCSC LINC student at level 2/3 OCCSC LINC class schedule as of October 2017 is as follows: Central location (400 Cooper St., Suite 2000) LINC 1/2 - Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.* LINC 2/3 Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.* LINC ¾ - Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 to 12:00 p.m.* LINC 4/5 Monday & Wednesday, 9:00-12:00 p.m.*. LINC 1/2 Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 1:00-4:00 p.m. LINC 3/4 Monday & Wednesday, 1:00-4:00 p.m. LINC 2/3 Monday & Wednesday, 6:00 9:00 p.m. LINC 4/5 Tuesday & Thursday, 6:00 9:00 p.m. LINC 5/6 Tuesday & Thursday, 6:00 9:00 p.m. LINC 1, LINC 1/2 & LINC 2/3 Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. LINC 2/3 & LINC 4/5, Saturday, 1:00 4:00 p.m. LINC 1/3 - Monday to Thursday 12:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m.* *Childminding is available, for children age 19 months to 6 years. Buses for the East location: all buses that stop at St. Laurent Shopping Centre Station. South II (Mooney s Bay) Location: (750 Ridgewood Ave.)* LINC ¾ - Monday to Thursday 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.* LINC ½ - Monday to Thursday 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m.* *Childminding is available, for children age 19 months to 6 years. Buses for the Mooney s Bay location: 87, 290, 640. Our Conversation Circles continue being offered with the following schedule: Tuesday, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Wednesday, 1:30 2:30 p.m. Friday, 11:00-12:00 a.m. Our new Beginner, Low and High Intermediate English Courses for newcomers have just started, with the new one added, Advanced English course in the evening it is not too late to join them; please see the enclosed flyers for more information. If you want to register, please contact us as soon as possible. The courses are for all those who want to learn or improve their English skills in all language segments (listening, speaking, reading and writing), but the High Immediate and Advanced courses additionally focus on the effective communication, both oral and written. For these courses there are no restrictions in terms of the clients immigration status (all are accepted) or their place of living (Quebec is included), etc.

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17 My First Canadian Accounting Experience (Part 1) --- In-TAC Accounting and Taxation Services intern: Nie Xue Yang PAGE 17 New immigrants who learn accounting will need the Canadian experience to get their first job in Canada. This Canadian Experience is often the most difficult to obtain. In order to solve this problem, the Chinese Community Service Center set up a social enterprise, In-TAC Accounting and Taxation Services, in order for new immigrants to get the accounting experience, and in the meantime help Ottawa s many small and medium enterprises or small business operators to use accounting services with very reasonable prices. I was such an intern who was lucky to practice in this office. When it comes to finding a job, people use the word "hard work. But in this old building of Chinatown, this bright and clean In-TAC accounting firm, every day is full of joy. In the beginning of the internship, I often felt anxious and nervous, but soon, I learned that our principle here was that when we encounter problems, we will first research the information, write down to deepen the understanding, and then come up with the solution. If we really can t solve the problem, then we will ask the expert. We remember better if we figure it out by ourselves. The same principle applies to our customers. We first help them get a thorough understanding of their own financial situation, so that they can make the best decision. This increases the clients profits, and in return, helps us to become more competent. In-TAC Accounting and Taxation Services Phone: Location: 725 Somerset Street West, suite 205 (2nd floor) Ottawa, ON K1R 6P7 Office hours: Monday Friday 9:00 am 5:00 pm Website: We are encouraged to support small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, especially young people who have just started their business. We actively communicate with the client about the existing business and financial situation, discuss with them the rationale for the financial management of the business, guide their financial ideas and provide effective advice, such as shortening the flow of materials, reducing unnecessary expenses, and so on. Here, we always hear the exciting conversation between clients and accountants, and heartfelt thanks from the customers. The firm is actively looking for new customers while maintaining a solid relationship with current customers. It safeguards the credibility of the OCCSC while gives us interns more opportunities to practice. The firm requests interns to be accurate and professional in writing and speaking to customers. In our monthly, quarterly and annual reports and various types of financial and tax reports, we strictly check all the information before submit to the customer or the Canadian Taxation Bureau. We must keep all the documents in the office, even if it is a small stack of customer invoices. (To be continued on the next issue)

18 PAGE 18 OCCSC Thanks Our Sponsor

19 PAGE 19 OCCSC Thanks Our Sponsor

20 PAGE 20 MEMBERSHIP AND SPONSORS Lifetime Members Benefits of Many thanks to our lifetime members for their being an OCCSC support. OCCSC hopes to get more support for member: the important work of the agency. Current Lifetime Members: Hazel Wong Connie Tang Bill Joe Shek-ho Ching Friend of OCCSC Wu King Wan Xian Chun Liang Vote at our Annual General Meeting Have an opportunity to become a member of the Board of Directors Receive our enewsletter monthly Get discounts from our membership sponsors To become a member, please apply Benefits of being our Life Member: In person. The Full Tax deductible receipt membership fee is OCCSC Lifetime Membership Crystal $10.00 ($5.00 seniors ) Plaque recognizing Life Membership displayed in and is valid for one year. Board Room or reception Interview story in OCCSC Newsletter Acknowledgement in OCCSC Annual Report Acknowledgement on OCCSC Website Acknowledgement in OCCSC Newsletter Vote at the OCCSC AGM Receive OCCSC monthly newsletter Discount card at 40+ local businesses More information on Lifetime Membership and Annual Membership, please check our website at or contact Doreen Ju at doreen.ju@occsc.org Restaurants 20 Member Discount Business Brother Wu Restaurant Jadeland Restaurant Mandarin Ogilvie Rest. My Sweet Tea Sea King Shark Fin Seafood Sushi Kan Wang s Noodle House Yang Sheng Rest. Grocery/ Food Store/ Ding Fung Dry Seafood Dumpling Shoppe Driving Instructors Ottawa Driving School Ping Sit Driving Instructor Travel Agencies Go Trip Midearth Travel Inc. Sunnyview Holidays OCCSC Thanks Our Sponsors pharmcan@bell.net PAGE Chinese Traditional/ Medicine/ Esthetics/ Naturopath Asia Aromatherapy Ctr Can-America Life Care Chinese Wellness Xianchun Liang Grace Massage & Acupuncture Green Apple Acupuncture ibalance Physiotherapy Li, Chunlin (Message therapy) Sunny Esthetics Yan Lu Chinada Traditional Medical Centre Ying Lu Acupuncture Chinese Wellness Clinical Hair Salon/ Optical/ Pharmacy Mei Mei Salon Lisa Hair Salon Tri Optical Somerset Drugs Homecare and Giftware Global Homeware & Giftware Oriental Cham Y-Not Gift Shop Flowers Bayshore Flowers Carling Flowers Dry Cleaning The Dry Cleaning Co. Funeral and Cemetery 安福園 Capital Memorial Gardens Plan ahead! Gable Fung 10% Other Daido 书葶艺术工作室 刘嵘注册会计师 Motel Casino