Inside ISANS with CEO Paula Knight: How Nova Scotia Welcomes, Trains, And Retains Newcomers

What makes someone plant roots instead of moving on? We sit with Paula Knight, CEO of ISANS, to unpack the real work of turning arrivals into neighbours—and why belonging is the quiet infrastructure that powers Nova Scotia’s future. From first intake to first job, from a child’s first hockey game to a nurse’s first licensed shift, Paula shows how practical supports and human connection move people from surviving to thriving.

We dive into the ISANS model: language training that meets learners where they are, employment programs that push past generic job boards, and credential recognition efforts that get doctors, engineers, and tradespeople working closer to their skills. Paula shares corporate lessons she carried into the non‑profit world—clear scorecards, honest metrics, and a “rhythm of the business” that keeps services responsive. We also get candid about barriers: uneven licensing, youth navigating language and curriculum gaps, and the cost of losing talent when the path is unclear.

Community is the multiplier. With 80% of staff being immigrants themselves, ISANS pairs expertise with lived experience, making guidance feel like a hand on your shoulder. We talk women’s entrepreneurship, onsite childcare, and the subtle but powerful impact of simple moments—learning to skate, cheering at a hockey game, or finding a friend after a snowstorm. The data matters too: strong retention, 70% working in their field or a related field, and thousands supported across languages and programs. In a province with an aging population and a housing crunch, this isn’t charity—it’s strategy.

We close by reframing the narrative. Whether we say immigrant, newcomer, or simply Canadian, the goal is the same: help people belong so they stay, contribute, and lead. If you care about workforce gaps, economic growth, healthcare capacity, or vibrant communities, this conversation will give you stories, stats, and practical ideas you can use tomorrow. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review telling us one way you welcome new neighbours.

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Transcript

Meet Paula And ISANS

SPEAKER_06 0:15

Cheers. Welcome to the afternoon pint. I'm Mike Tobin. I am Matt Conrad.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

And I'm Paula Knight, CEO of Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia.

SPEAKER_06 0:24

Nice to meet you. That's a long title.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

We say ISANS affectionately. Association.

SPEAKER_06 0:33

Association. Thank you. And what would you say high-level you guys do?

SPEAKER_01 0:37

So we provide so when people are approved to come to Canada as permanent residents primarily, we are in a position to support them with all their needs. So be it help them with employment, be it help them with community connections, uh, help them understand sort of what they need to know about Nova Scotia, and hopefully help them become a you know belong in the community.

SPEAKER_06 0:58

So they like basically like they get here and they come to your office.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Absolutely. They come for what we call an in-take session. So we would meet with them, understand kind of who they are, who their family is, what they bring with them from sort of their background, and kind of what their expectations are here in Nova Scotia.

SPEAKER_06 1:15

And uh I told some really cool facts about your company just before you came on today. Like, so you guys last year, well, this is between April 2024 and March 31st, 2025, you guys supported 17,540 immigrants with clients from over 186 countries. That's almost all of them. That's almost all the countries we uh our podcast is now listened to in that all those all those fake VPNs. Yeah. Yeah, but and you guys gained a thousand four clients gained. 70% of employed clients gained work in their field or related field. That's a really cool fact. That is really cool. Yeah, and yeah, lots of cool highlights here. And refugee resettlement, 583 government-assisted refugees arrived in Halifax in 2024. I mean, it goes on here. Language, 4,758 learners and 220 plus active classes, 35 specialized languages. This is no small operation.

By The Numbers: Impact Highlights

SPEAKER_01 2:10

No, it's not, it's significant, and uh because we really try to make sure that the needs that people have, I mean, language is an important one, of course, when people come, want to make sure that they're able to, you know, speak English learn to speak English at the level that they're at. But then all the other things, I mean, we want people, if they've come as a lawyer or they've come as a doctor or a nurse or any other profession construction, that we give them the support so that they can actually then achieve that same sort of you know quality of life and the work that they've had here.

SPEAKER_04 2:36

Very cool. Yeah, yeah. And you should also add, because it was very recent, and Paul and I were talking before we set it up, we just had Tia on the show, and Tia and myself were judges for the iSands Immigrant Awards, which was pretty, pretty awesome experience. But wow, that was a lot of homework you guys gave us.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Well, it's so important. We have to get you to go really thorough, right? And take a look, and there's so many great businesses that are being started. I can't imagine the the challenge you had picking people because I'm just always so inspired by you know what people actually come here, the courage it takes to kind of not just come to Canada and start a life, but then oh my gosh, start your own business. Like, wow, it's just incredible.

SPEAKER_04 3:18

100%. So this is a fairly new thing though, right? Like the awards. I don't know if you want to talk a little bit about the awards.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Yeah, I think they're about six years. I mean, you know, I'm about two years, but yeah, I think it just came from the fact that we developed this program, we saw the need, we see that a lot of people come here, and that like I said, there's this courage, this you know, newcomers take on sort of just risk that we may not as Canadians sometimes because they've done so much just even coming here. So us to actually acknowledge that they've built a business, they've had some success, that they're actually contributing back to the economy here in Nova Scotia. I mean, it's just being able to shine that light and on different different aspects too. So you have, you know, people that are in different fields, they could be in biomedical, they could be in food, so oh, small business, large business. So just being able to really capture that. One of my favourite is the immigrant women entrepreneurship program. I'm a real fan of that, just in terms of really supporting women who come who may, you know, maybe you've a secondary applicant, they're not the primary applicant.

SPEAKER_03 4:12

Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

So they're looking to kind of build a life as well. Maybe they're still caring for their kids, whatever, and this program gives them an opportunity to kind of learn the information they need to know to be successful as an entrepreneur here in Nova Scotia. So yeah, it's amazing to see their success, actually.

Language, Credentials, And Quality Of Work

SPEAKER_06 4:27

Yeah, and I should just say if you just heard the sirens, just so you know, if it's the first time listening to this show, we recorded at a pub, not in a studio. So we're at uh we're at uh we're at uh Garrison's uh pub here on Quinfold. Oxroom Taproom, thank you. I'm still doing the dry January thing. I'm drinking the beer's called Tuesday, and we're recording this on a Tuesday. That's crazy. And it's uh IPA non-alcohol, and it's pretty awesome. 50 calories, Matt. Wow. So I was showing Matt, like I'm doing calorie, what is it, like uh uh calorie tracking this month and I'm trying to keep it low, and this beer is is very good for the belly. Only 10 carbs. Not too bad. Yeah, you don't care, but I'm just telling you this because it's exciting me right now. Yeah. But we'll move on. Yeah. Segue, we just had to do a quick plug for the Tuesday uh Paradise Co. I hope they I hope they uh we'll we'll we'll send this clip to them. Hopefully they'll pick up on it. Yeah, exactly. So we guess really wanted to open like belonging is infrastructure is kind of my first theme. Belonging and infrastructure. When you say belong, uh what would that mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 5:37

Well, maybe I'll use my own example. So I came here as an immigrant probably 30 years ago. I actually came to Halifax and you know I didn't know anybody, um, and just being able to make relationships um within the community, um, you know, just to get to know at the time I was uh um married to a um a person in the military, um, and that community for me helped me belong because I was part of that. So often when newcomers come, they're looking for that community. It could be some different people from their own culture, their own religion. Um, that's really important. But most important, it's that welcoming. It's that when people arrive that they're there supported. I mean, I mentioned to Matt before I came here. When I first came to Nova Scotia, I was with Tim Hortons for a long time, and a lot of the people that I met there and friends, they're still friends today, and this is 30 years later. Oh wow, because they helped me. And we had a storm the the six months after I arrived, a massive storm, and they showed up with a generator because so that for me was like, Wow, so it's that kind of relationships connections that you make. You know, we have a lot of parents that come to our programs, and I see different uh newcomers connecting over their kids, and we know that those will be friendships and a sense of belonging that they have. But most important, it's about for me, it's like feeling that this is my home, right? That I've actually now made this my home. I just moved back here, and it's hard even moving back. I was in Ontario for a number of years, moving back and recreating that home. So I think for many newcomers, it's just making sure that this for them gives them that sense of peace and home for them and their families, and it's all through those relationships and that support that they get from the community.

SPEAKER_04 7:08

Very cool. Yeah, no, I I think that's cool, and it's funny that now that you're saying, like, you know, kind of coming now, coming back home, kind of thing, and referring it to here, because also I mean it's probably like aesthetically, it doesn't look that different from where you came from, so it probably even more kind of feels like where you kind of coming from the UK, right?

Awards And Immigrant Entrepreneurship

SPEAKER_01 7:29

Yeah, and I'm from Wales, so I mean Cape Brighton always resonates with me just because of the landscape, but also the people, like it really is about people. I mean, there's a warmth here that you can really feel it's really tangible. Like people are very just generally want to know about you, want to know who you are, and I think that's what means a lot to newcomers, is that you're actually interested in who they are and what they bring and the experiences and the different cultures that they represent. I mean, that means the world for them to be able to even make that connection. It also can happen through employment, right? So we know that you know people want to want to work, then when they come here, they want to contribute in a meaningful way. So the more that we're able to support them and be able to get you know the jobs that they want and and have the kind of connections through that, that's another way that helps them as well.

SPEAKER_06 8:13

And to talk a little bit more about belonging, like how do you measure that? Like, I mean, because everyone would kind of feel they belong or don't belong almost on their own terms, I would think. It's almost a bit of an internal thing. So, how do you measure belonging?

SPEAKER_01 8:26

That's a great question. You know, there's a simple one, is that they stay, right? So you know, one of the good answer.

SPEAKER_06 8:33

That's yeah, unless they're stuck, yeah, right. I mean, so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

People have choices, right? I mean, they can go anywhere, and I mean a lot of most em you know, most newcomers come with they're highly qualified, they you know, they're here to give. They don't have to stay in Nova Scotia, right? They can go wherever they want, they may have a greater community elsewhere. So we do measure retention in terms of people that stay from a provincial level, but I think that's the major market that they stay and they build lives here.

SPEAKER_04 8:58

Do you see that rising right now? Like of people staying who've immigrated here?

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Yeah, so it's kind of I would say there was a lot of influx from different provinces. So I think people are we see a lot of refugee communities stay, like 83, around 80 plus percent stay when they arrive. It's more the economic class that may move, but you know, it's just I think it's consistent. I think it's around 63, 65%. Like I won't give me accurate on that, but we definitely do have people staying, and if they move, it's for the same reasons when I moved. It's for you know a job opportunity. I was transferred with my job. It could or it could be because you're trying to find a different community that you you know feel connected to in a different part of the country.

SPEAKER_04 9:35

Yeah, it's because it's one of those things where it's like, you know, I think we we especially in Nova Scotia, I mean we have an aging population, so we we need immigration. So it I'd be curious to see if like if that's changed. Because obviously we all know that our population is growing. Right. That has to be directly because immigrants are staying.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Yeah, well, it's interesting because actually last quarter we we recorded a population decline, I think, of about fourteen hundred, and that's because there's been changes to a lot of the programs in terms of more temporary foreign worker. But absolutely, when people come and they find that sense of belonging, they're able to do the you know, get a job in the field that they're qualified, that they're often we find that their family feels saddled, like that the kids are doing well at school, and those pieces that they're getting that makes a difference in terms of them staying. You're absolutely right. We have more deaths than births here in Nova Scotia, so the natural population is declining. We have an aging population as well, so immigration it's we're 100% reliant. But what I always say in terms of the term terms of the work that Isenz does is that settlement piece is critical. You can bring people, but the really important piece is to make sure that they're you know really given the supports they need to be able to want to stay here and build beautiful lives. I mean, that's the opportunity.

SPEAKER_04 10:48

Yeah, we have need them to set like kind of lay roots.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

Roots is a great word because I think that's the you've already come, you've had roots where you've come from, and if you can replant those roots here, that's pretty powerful.

Pub Vibes And The Belonging Theme

SPEAKER_06 11:00

Yeah. What would you say are like the inputs, like the key inputs that iSance puts in? So someone comes here and to to to help institute that belonging. Like, how do you guys how do you guys start that? Because it has to be crazy. Like, I think somebody comes from Central Africa, they know nothing about this place. It must seem like an absolute loony bin to them, right? You know, this is the you know, it must just seem so strange and so different from what they've experienced. Yeah. How do you get like them like just to start?

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Like where where do you start? So we have a lot of our employees actually, 80% of our employees are actually newcomers themselves. So we really have that lived experience, right? Of knowing what the experience that people are having. Like, and sometimes it's the things you don't expect, like you know, the food that you can buy here versus where you may buy, you know, going to the growth that's sort of everyday living is sometimes where we need to spend a lot of time. But then also those, you know, we've got very qualified teachers from a language perspective, so we have different levels of language training um that we can support people in. So it's all of those. What is the most and we we do it from a place of empowerment, like we want them, we want you know, people who come to support that we support to feel empowered so that it's on their terms, right? And what do they need? So we look at all those pieces. It could be support and raising their children, the school system is different here. How do you get people into preschool? All of those, it's just daily living kind of needs that they have. So, and because we have people that have lived through that, um, I think we're just able to connect often. I've got one of my team members, she's been with us for 28 years, and often I'll meet people in the community and say, Oh my god, this individual was the first person I met when I came to Canada. And they remembered that connection, right, that they've made. So yeah, those relationships kind of stay, and they remember that first person that supported them in the world.

SPEAKER_04 12:40

So yeah, if you're listening, you know, if you see someone new, yes, go up and say hi.

SPEAKER_06 12:45

Yeah, introduce yourself. And do you feel that the folks that are coming too to go and seek help and talk and try to engage in the community to make sure that like do you try to drive engagement with the folks that are coming here and make sure they're speaking with folks and interacting and yeah, and a lot of our newcomers they do volunteer activities because that's often a way of getting to know kind of the communities they're in that they were.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

We do what we call community connections, like we you know, we teach people how to ski, we do hockey games, we're we've got this whole program around that special. So we do Can I join that one?

SPEAKER_06 13:16

The one that learned how to ski and ski.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Absolutely. I need to learn how to skate, so I'm waiting to learn how to stop. I'm ahead of you. I'm ahead of you. I'm like Bambi on skates, so yeah, it's not pretty.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

Yeah, okay, cool.

SPEAKER_04 13:28

But that's kind of cool because I mean obviously, like for many of these people, they've never seen ice and snow, so they need to know how to like integrate into Canadian winters.

Paula’s Story Of Finding Home

SPEAKER_01 13:37

Uh huh, it's cold, yeah. We just did a video with one of our clients. She's amazing, and the first thing she says, it was cold, so cold. Right. So even when I arrived, I remember my nostrils freezing and thinking, okay, this is a sensation I've never had before. So it's just that kind of experience. But you know, they're so grateful to be here. They love that they're in Canada, that they, you know, so that's that that this experience is, you know, exciting. Like it's and they, you know, they're amazing people that we just want to be as Islands, we just want to be able to help them be successful.

SPEAKER_04 14:33

So the cold, though, I will say, so like my uh my aunt does uh she's a homestead coordinator for the International Student Program. So I've seen a lot of students come in and out and all that stuff. And the thing that I find the most amazing is the ones who come from warmer countries are fascinated by snow. They're so excited by snow. And I'm like 20 square. Yeah, it gives you a different perspective in life sometimes because I hate snow. And so I see it, I'm just kind of like, but then you see this like 16-year-old that's like, this is the greatest, like like they're so excited. They're out in their t-shirt, they don't even care it's cold, right? And they dance around. It's it's just awesome to see, and it's a totally different perspective that I think you know it's good, dude. I think that's one of the best things about immigration is like it gives you different perspectives that you would not be able to have unless you have the luxury to spend on traveling, right? Yeah, agreed.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

And taking the time to even learn, I mean, I love my whole team is represented by totally different countries, right? So just the conversation we have around the table, like the different perspectives of people, what you what you think you're forced to think about that you may not naturally. But just like you just said, those simple joys that people have that we take for granted, right? That in itself is a is a for me, I see it as a bit of a gift because we're kind of reminded, right? Like this is stuff that's really great about Canada. We're happy, we should be happy to be here as well, right?

SPEAKER_06 15:59

So okay, so I want you to get into your personal experience. Oh, you do, okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

You know, you my skating like Bambi isn't enough.

SPEAKER_06 16:05

Before you, yeah, before you became CEO, you were like you said, you were once an immigrant, you you came here. So tell us a little bit of the story about where you came from, yeah. What your first 90 days in Nova Scotia was like. If you can give me kind of that idea.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

Yeah, so I'm Welsh. I came from Wales, so I was born and raised there, and uh I still remember I arrived and it was like minus 19. I'd never experienced those temperatures before. Um you came this time of year. This time of year. It was January 1st, actually. So uh and I had um all I had was boots with heels on. Like I still remember that because in UK I was height of fashion, I was 21 years old. I was like, of course your boots should have heels. But that was a mistake, obviously.

SPEAKER_06 16:45

So and then and I yeah, so can I just ask like when you were 21, why did you decide to move here?

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Yeah, because I had actually uh met somebody that I actually spent I came on holiday, and then I decided I would come and stay here, and I'd recently graduated and just thought, you know what, like why not? And it was meant to be just an adventure and fun, and I fell in love with the country. I fell in love with the pro province. And was there a person? Yes, it was a person.

SPEAKER_06 17:08

Okay, cool. Is a country or like a human being? Okay, it was all of them.

SPEAKER_01 17:12

Human, it was all everything, all of it. I fell in love just generally with Canada.

SPEAKER_04 17:19

It was snowing, so it was like a hallmark.

Measuring Belonging And Retention

SPEAKER_01 17:21

Yeah, it was like I was like, it's a movie, I should stay. But you know, like quickly then that sort of, you know, and then it was like, wow, it's snowing, it's Canada, all that stuff. But you know, the day-to-day realities then hit you. It's like I've got to find a job, I've got to know where to go and buy stuff. I've got to, you know, I was from a pretty big city, and then coming to Halifax, which was smaller, and you know, just the diversity that I'd experienced. I grew up in a you know, pretty diverse neighborhood, and it was a little bit different here. So it feels like a time machine too in a sense, or it was how can I put it? I liked it because of that in many ways, right? The pace of it was beautiful, the just the thoughtfulness. Like I was from a city which was like, you know, and I grew right in the middle, I grew up in the middle of the city, and all of a sudden I felt like I was rural. So there was all of that was very appealing. But it, you know, what I do, what I will tell you is I came with, and I I would say m all immigrants come with this, is this sense of opportunity. Like it's like, wow. Yeah, you know, like the really at that time the world is your oyster, and I think that most people come here knowing that Canada is a place where they think they will get a lug, you know, step up and be able to achieve things. And I that hasn't left me. I still continue to feel that, and I think my my whole career has been based on that premise. And I've experienced I've experienced the goodness of Canadians, and I've experienced that support that you can that you'll the people will give you to kind of be successful and be ambitious for you, which I think is a pretty amazing quality.

SPEAKER_06 18:46

So, like your first job you said. Yeah. Yeah, so tell us about that. You had to get a job. So where'd you work first? And when you came together.

SPEAKER_01 18:52

So first I work for Bolins IGA in Lakeside in the office there. Do you remember that?

SPEAKER_06 18:58

That's that was a grocery store, kids.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Yeah, well, IGA still exists, it doesn't it? It does.

SPEAKER_04 19:02

I go every time I'm in Quebec, I go to the IGA to the best.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Yeah, and that was I think Fred McGilvery was the CEO at the time, so that's way back. Yeah, I know, yeah, he's a legend name. Yeah. Um so then I then I got off, then there was a job posting for a regional marketing manager for Tim Hortons, and I had no idea. I mean, I'd gone to get coffee there, but I had no idea what an iconic brand that was become. There was like 400 463 stores at the time. Wow. And they had this vision of having 2,000. I think that was probably for me the most my foundational role. Like it kind of taught me the importance of community and the importance of you know being and what's possible. Um, and then just kind of progressed from there. So I was with them for I think almost nine years and sort of massive periods.

SPEAKER_06 19:46

So kind of in the corporate side. So you must have done that in the while. You were in the corporate side of things for a while.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

Yeah, so I was here in Atlantic Canada for the first three years, and then they was transferred to Ontario to the head office there, and I was responsible for Canada and the US in the regional marketing side of things.

SPEAKER_04 20:00

Did did Ron fly in to his plane there?

SPEAKER_01 20:03

We used to at Tatamagush. I used to, yeah, we used to have the golf tournaments there, and he'd come in on his uh donut one was the plane. So and I would be there to pick him up sometimes. Yeah, and we'd go around the stores, yeah. So it was pretty, yeah. I know I I think it's this is a fascinating thing. At the time, I had no idea how amazing that experience was because you're young and you're just doing what you need to do, right? So, yeah, so that was uh and just you know, uh I like I told you I'm still really good friends with a lot of the franchisees across the province, and um, I learned so much from them in terms of what it means to be a corporation and a business, but to but to care about the people in your community, and I think that's covered me kind of.

SPEAKER_06 20:43

So as a skill you kind of transferred into the non-profit sector, you think? Absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Because you know, it's um it's really you know, it's just a critical piece. Like you you have to care about people, right? Especially if they're your customers and your um but members, you know, in our case, they're gonna be members of our society, right? So we have a responsibility to make sure they're set up for success, and I learned that very early on. So yeah, from Timbit Minor hockey players, right, through to what are you?

SPEAKER_06 21:09

Not being a hockey. What other lessons do you say were learned kind of aside from caring for people, which is probably the most important one? Uh like what other lessons would you say transferred from the corporate world to the non-profit world that you're in now?

SPEAKER_01 21:20

That um business mindset. I think um, you know, I was with Microsoft for a very long time and then very disciplined around, you know, sort of how you run a business, how that kind of discipline. So I think it that is there you need to apply that even when you're in the not-for-profit.

SPEAKER_06 21:35

Can you give me like a nugget of Microsoft, like something you kind of remember? I know there's some of it you probably can't say.

Settlement As Population Strategy

SPEAKER_01 21:40

No, I do no, but give us all the insider trade. No, but too late. But just you know, we had this we'd have this thing that called rhythm of the business, right? Where we would constantly monitor our business success, our you know, all of that, and that's been something, a process that I've adapted. Even when I was in government, I kind of you know, that making sure you're constantly looking at the success of your business. The we used to have this thing called, you know, we used to have a scorecard and we'd have the watermelon, which was uh, you know, it looks green, but it's red on the inside in terms of a metric, right? So those I'm always questioning is that really are we really making progress or is it you know the things so those kinds of you know that's a really good watermelon?

SPEAKER_06 22:19

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Yeah, well, you think you know looks green, but like is there something really tell the whole story? Exactly, right? That there's more to it than just what you see on a scorecard.

SPEAKER_06 22:26

So those kinds of things it really taught me to kind of probe deeper, and I've never left even and in fact in that's good to have in your role too, because when you see those stats, you know, I had so many questions when I was actually looking at them earlier today. Some some of them, like I mean, I I didn't ask everything I wanted to ask because but but like you know it's uh statistics don't always tell the whole story when you see them. It's like so because I mean when I saw what was the job placement thing, I was like, well what where's every where would everybody did that mean a bunch of people didn't get jobs? Like what's this what's the other story, what's the other side of it, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Yeah, and pro and then and then how do you improve, right? I mean I think that's the other if you don't ask those questions, you don't know how to get better, right? So and sometimes they're uncomfortable. So I think that's at Microsoft I really learned that to be uncomfortable and to make sure that and be questioned and grilled on things. Um but also the you know the other piece I would say is to always believe in what's possible, right? Because sometimes it's very easy to shut the door and think, oh, especially in not-for-profit, we can't do that, we can't be innovative, we can't go digital, we can't and you actually can, right? You just have to you know have the right partners, have the right relationships, have the right expertise around you, those kinds of things.

SPEAKER_04 23:33

So and I think there would also be some like fine more financial restrictions in a lot of ways too.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

Absolutely. So creativity, right? You have to be a lot more creative, but you know, today I would argue sometimes it's easier to do things in the world that we're in because a lot of things are free, right? So you know, promoting your brand development, you don't have to invest lots of money anymore, you can do it yourselves, right? So I think those are the the most important thing I would say is though, storytelling, right? It's really making sure you're telling the story of the work that you're doing, the people you're impacting. It's always better if somebody else is telling your story. Um so making it's not about just telling the space actually having the impact where that story can be shared.

SPEAKER_04 24:13

So speaking of storytelling, it what like ISANS obviously is gonna tell the story to uh fellow immigrants and and this you know how you can help. How important is ISANS like mission to tell the story to non-immigrants? How important is that story kind of thing? And what like what importance do you give that?

First Steps: Intake And Daily Life

SPEAKER_01 24:36

Yeah, a lot of importance because you know, as I said, like we're dependent on immigration settlement, right, in terms of the economic prosperity of the province. So making sure that we're able to tell the story of the impact that people are having, about businesses, organizations, individuals, just in terms of their contribution, that's really important. You know, I talk about our future, like what's the future state of Nova Scotia? You know, we're gonna need a lot more care. We're gonna get into the if we don't have immigration and bring those really important skills to the province. The other piece is that community aspect and that cultural aspect. I mean, we're richer and we're better when we have different, you know, so cultures as part of our community and people that bring those different perspectives. So I think we're enriched overall, so that's the story. And even working with employers, we work really hard and doing intercultural training, for example, so that you know those nuances of how you might work with different people is really important because it's not a not a natural, not a given necessarily, right? So we do a lot of that work. So that's really it's just a part, it's that other part of what it's we kind of interweave it to be honest. We don't separate it, but it's all a crucial part of the conversation.

SPEAKER_06 26:06

We've had like a lot of uh immigrants, or sorry, we've had a lot a a few economists actually really talk about the immigrant model and basically we need more to survive here in Atlanta, Canada quite desperately. Absolutely, and uh how it could all fall apart.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

Yeah, and we're built that way. I mean, we're Canada is a nation of immigrants, it's just simply who what we are.

SPEAKER_04 26:25

Yeah, I mean, essentially that's uh is yeah, I you can obviously get into the whole like colonization versus immigration and all that stuff, right? But in the end, we we were a nation of people that came from elsewhere outside of the indigenous, and you know, but we came together and we made a country that just I heard somewhere it was interesting, it's like like anyone can be Canadian. It's like not everyone can be German, not everyone can be French, but like anyone can be Canadian. I think that's like that is kind of really cool.

SPEAKER_06 26:56

That's a cool that's cool messaging. I like I like the idea of even sh making that messaging a little bit more mainstream. Look, anyone could be Canadian is a really cool way to kind of look at it, yeah. Yeah, because because I think uh sometimes we we misinterpret what that that means, right? Right. So yeah, yeah, and you choose to live here, you choose to do a job, you choose to have a family here or whatever, right?

SPEAKER_04 27:17

Well, I think everyone has like an image in their mind. If you say, like, I'm German, I'm Welsh, whatever, right? Like if people have a particular image in their mind of what that looks like.

SPEAKER_06 27:25

In particular today, I I think, you know, and I won't now go too far into this, but with the the American words that we're hearing right now, I mean, we do see some some kind of contrary to what an American is to what it was 10 or 20 years ago. I mean, and and we really, I mean, I'm really against that. I mean, that that notion, the you know, that's same as our country, they built themselves off immigrants equally. Same kind of story. That's what the Statue of Liberty represents, right? 100%.

SPEAKER_04 27:50

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. So it's uh yeah, I that's the thing. So in my mind, anyone can be Canadian. We want good people here who are gonna contribute and kind of make us the you know the best that we can be. Stronger, yeah, as a nation, right?

SPEAKER_01 28:06

And this is the other thing I would say is that you know, the the more we do to help people, you know, see Canada as a place that's attractive, that we help people want to build, you know, help this environment where they belong and they grow and they thrive. It may get a competitive advantage for us as a nation as well, right? Because we're not the only country like that's looking for great people to come to their, you know, to build their we're not the only country that's in that position. So I think that's why, you know, it's really important to do the work. I mean, I know for Isaac's we put a lot of a lot of focus on that is we want to make sure people want to stay and that we set them up for that success because it's for the betterment of the entire province and country as a whole, right?

SPEAKER_04 28:42

And without without getting political in terms of political parties, but like just the current state, we'll just talk government. How do you feel like government has been helping with your organization and also like the immigration and in terms of integrating and all that stuff?

SPEAKER_01 28:58

Yeah, so we're you know, we're really well supported, I would say, in terms of delivering the services that we need, and also I think what's really helpful is we're able to have those conversations or where there's a need to shape, you know, shift, right? In terms of right now, the government priorities are focusing on economic, which is really important, but we don't want to lose sight of a humanitarian either, right? So we're doing, you know, we do a lot of work. You mentioned one of the statistics where over 500 refugees that come here, that's really important, and we need to make sure that we continue to provide those services. And I would say we generally have a very good relationship with Frederick and provincially in terms of recognizing the need for settlement services. And we're one of the best models in the world. Like I recently talked to a panel in Germany where they don't have these kinds of settlement services in place.

SPEAKER_03 29:40

Okay, I was gonna answer about that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Yeah, and there's a bigger, you know, so that their ability to kind of attract but also then retain is more difficult. Um it's for varying reasons. But we actually presented on the work we do, and there was a lot of interest in that. So I think we have a model here that's been set up really well. There's always opportunity for you know enhancement and change, and I feel that we're able to because we're on the ground, we see what the needs are, that we're able to communicate that and have that kind of adjustment if needed. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:08

What about other provinces? So I mean like other countries, but like how are other provinces? Do the other provinces have organizations like yourselves?

Community Connections And Winter Culture

SPEAKER_01 30:14

Absolutely. So settlement is a national um strategy. It exists in different forms, like with Aizans, we're left to right. So if you come in and you need everything from family support, social service support right through to employment, building your own business, we have all of that. In other provinces, it might be a little bit more distributed because the province Ontario is massive, for example, right? So they may have one that's specialized in employment or specialized in you know gender-based supports, right? So though that different, but overall there's this entire focus on, and it's a really, I think, special and unique part of the way we do it here in Canada.

SPEAKER_06 30:46

I want to ask you this. Is there an immigration program that you're envious of, or do you feel like we're number one in the world?

SPEAKER_01 30:53

I'm biased, of course, but no. Actually, you know what? I think there's a what I will say about this sector is the commitment of the people who do the work is incredible. It's like, I mean, I've worked in a lot of different sectors and it's incredible. I think we have a unique proposition here because we are left to right in terms of the services we provide. And I think for the client, for the individual who's coming, I think it's a benefit to them, right? Because they come to one place, they get so I would say from that perspective, but it does exist in some of the pockets across the country as well. So, and everybody kind of works towards this common goal of yeah, so it's a lot of I'm really impressed by the sector itself. I guess yeah, too.

SPEAKER_06 31:30

So, like what are some of the biggest barriers you're facing right now? Because it can't, I mean, I know it's not all roses. I mean, so like what's you know, what are some of like is it is it language barriers, credentials, biases?

SPEAKER_01 31:41

Yeah, I think it's a combination, right? So it's not just one thing. So, you know, speeding up credential recognition is something we work hard on, so depending on whatever you c what you come in, what are you doing? Right.

SPEAKER_05 31:52

So if you come here to be a doctor, but your doctor papers aren't recognized in Canada, I can hear that's a super challenge.

SPEAKER_01 31:58

Yeah, so make yeah, so working and actually Nova Scotia's done something really great with an organization called PACE where they're actually accelerating some of that. So yeah, so that's been really great. But there's some areas that are lagging, right? So us continuing to have those conversations, working with our industry partners, so often they have a voice as well as we do. I think the this the being able, so we just I'll give you an example. This year we did a program with 40 refugee individuals who we put in a construction program with Nova Scotia Community College and with construction partners, got them trained, even though their language may not have been at the higher levels, that it was enough to keep them safe, but also to help them kind of get into the job market and then be able to continue do classes beyond. So being create, I think that creativity is the barriers that are needing more creativity and more collaboration across sectors that maybe not have happened as much before because you know the whole space is having a bit of a reset right now just based on the growth that we've seen in immigration. So I think it's a good time. It's a good time to step back and actually be able to address some of those barriers that exist.

SPEAKER_02 32:59

Cool, yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_04 33:02

No, you're giving us a lot of people. I'm optimistic as you can tell.

SPEAKER_06 33:07

I will say about that.

SPEAKER_04 33:08

I think we're all being optimistic in this type of industry. In your role, you absolutely have to be an optimist eternally. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

And you have to see it from the I mean, the individuals who are coming here, they they need that optimism. They want people to believe in what's possible for them too, right?

SPEAKER_04 33:22

Well, it's also like it's kind of scary. Like they're leaving their home, their comfort, right? So it's like, you know, as much as they may are they may be excited because it's new opportunity, or sometimes they're leaving because of, you know, horrible reasons.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

They're displaced, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

Yeah. But obviously, it's no matter what it is, it's probably still a little bit like scary because you're yeah, you're out of your comfort zone, right?

SPEAKER_01 33:43

Yeah, it's scary coming back. I mean, I can't imagine I came back a couple, it's scary coming back even when you've lived here before, right? The things change, you're building new relationships. Here's a question for you.

SPEAKER_06 33:53

How do you counsel somebody who was like in a senior position or a good standing of where they came from? Now they're coming in here and they can only get entry-level job, or you're kind of starting over again. How do you counsel that and what what what happens in those scenarios?

From Wales To Tim Hortons To Leadership

SPEAKER_01 34:08

Yeah. So we have a really robust counseling program actually that takes understanding kind of what they've had previously and then actually guiding them through the path of I feel the you know credential recognition that they may need to go through here, getting them into opportunities that might give them the work experience that they may need here. So we kind of really do kind of guide through the process, but we're also very realistic, right, in terms of letting them know that the process might take this long. We've had great success in terms of with our internationally educated health professionals actually helping them through even the exams that they need to take, like getting them prepared and having great outcomes in terms of success. So we kind of a side by side, depending on the needs, like really sort of spending that time to kind of guide them through the process and giving them the support, you know, because it can be a long process and it can be you know disappointing, and you might want to step back and say, Oh my gosh, I'm gonna stay, but really kind of encouraging them to kind of keep because we need those kinds of professionals.

SPEAKER_06 35:07

You guys are almost therapists in a way too, add that on top of everything else because you must be must you must come here. Uh I I imagine people come here and feel a little defeated sometimes, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:16

Absolutely, especially if you're not in the profession or your you know your life is different to what you may have.

SPEAKER_06 35:21

Or people are just disrespectful because you have a dialect and somebody can't hear you. Stuff like that. I'm pretty empathetic towards that stuff.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

And we do a lot on people's rights, having them understand what they do a lot of orientation with people just understanding kind of what yeah. So we try and step by we start and step along the path with them.

SPEAKER_06 35:40

I have so many questions though. Like, how many okay, how about this? Like, if if you come in here with uh say if your home country had a particular attitude, maybe it was different towards women, or if it was different towards how how do you manage those types of situations? Because you know, we try to be a pretty free and fair place for all, while some other cultures don't dictate that exact same thing. How do you manage that?

SPEAKER_01 36:04

So I think part of our orientation is really around what to expect in Canada, like what the rights and freedoms we have here. So that's very much of our initial programming that we do. So we work really hard to kind of make sure.

SPEAKER_06 36:16

We kind of work to see if they're a fit first. Is that what you're saying? Yeah, they're already here though.

SPEAKER_01 36:20

Yeah, we don't make the decisions around any of that, right? So we're really just around when people have arrived, like that they get the supports they need when they've been approved for um immigration in Canada. So um, but it's still important that we help people everywhere, like understand kind of all the differences within Canada and how you know they would exercise even their rights as individuals as well, right? So we do all of that as part of our orientation and making sure that they have that information and knowledge and we spend time. We have a lot of interpretation services, so you know, we're not communicating just through English, we have multiple languages represented that we can actually support them so that we're making sure that the information is received.

SPEAKER_04 37:10

I mean, I know you know, I work in insurance. When I was doing personal lines insurance, I was I actually went and hired a bunch of different people who could speak different languages. And I at one point you could hear six different languages in my office. And a big part of that was I mean, selfishly, like one was because you can reach those communities and I can you can sell to those communities, obviously. But the biggest part too is that explaining something like insurance to somebody can be very complicated.

SPEAKER_03 37:40

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 37:41

And if you can do it in their native tongue, the less likely for them to have mistakes that would happen or gaps and things like that, right? Of things that they need.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

Yeah, and knowing, you know, if they did need to use your or even sell your services that they're actually equipped to do that. So we have a very large allocation of and we have a great amount of people that do that work with you. And it's just comforting for the individual, even though they're learning language English along the way, that they you know kind of have that. And we actually have some clients that even pre-literacy in their own language, and we know we're trying to help them even from uh literacy to English to language. So we try and you know be part of all of that through their, you know, that's when you said about the the operation, it's such a significant operation because of trying to meet all those needs that people have. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 38:26

Very interesting.

SPEAKER_04 38:27

Yeah. And you guys do translating uh, I know you guys do translating services as well for documents and things like that, which helps a lot.

SPEAKER_06 38:36

Yeah, like some fun side game, you know.

SPEAKER_04 38:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 38:38

Give me, give me.

SPEAKER_01 38:40

That wasn't fun?

SPEAKER_06 38:41

Give me no no no, this is just an optional mini, mini thing here. Give me one myth and one truth about hiring newcomers. One myth and one truth. Take a take a moment. We've something like a common misconception about hiring newcomers. If you don't like this, we can pass and pretend it never happened. It's okay, we're easy.

SPEAKER_01 39:04

Uh I would say a myth, maybe not a I don't know. It's hard for me to say. You've got me. I didn't expect this question. Okay, yeah, we'll pass on that, okay?

SPEAKER_06 39:25

Um so no, that's fine. You got me thrown over.

Corporate Lessons: Metrics And Mindset

SPEAKER_01 39:28

What I know though is that like newcomers are incredibly hardworking, right, and want to kind of contribute. And I think if that's a general myth that, you know, takers versus givers, okay, uh, it's the opposite, right? It really is. And especially in the current climate where there's a a shortage of resources like healthcare and all those pieces, and the narrative is very much around because of you know, newcomers or immigration, and that's not necessarily the case.

SPEAKER_06 39:53

Okay, yeah, for sure. And that actually kind of leads into this question here about youth. Like, you know, uh youth pathways. You guys supported over 375 refugee youth since 2017 through Y E I Y E P. What's that stand for?

SPEAKER_01 40:08

So it's the in oh my god, now you're asking. Oh no, no, everyone. What what makes engagement it'll come to me.

SPEAKER_06 40:17

What makes youth employment uniquely difficult?

SPEAKER_01 40:20

So it could it's I mean youth generally are having trouble, right? But often if there's language barriers not working in sort of same kind of settings here, often it's that social engagement, sort of the way in which you because they may not have had that experience previously. Often when they come here they're put into the school system at the same grade level as they would have been where they may not necessarily have that same language and those so really trying to align them in terms of the language skills, the having the experiences, so that they they can go on to have greater employment that way. And we actually just did some research around kind of the that we're sharing with employers around the common needs that people have. It's like giving them the chance, actually mentoring them on the job, all of those pieces are really important so that they kind of learn and earn learn dialogue, learn how to communicate better than that. Yeah, and it's that customer service engagement, yeah, all that kind of stuff. Different age groups, like all of that.

SPEAKER_04 41:16

That was a challenge that I didn't wasn't like it's not that I didn't know, but also just I guess just didn't think about it. But my wife's a teacher and she their school is a school that is kind of specified mostly where they get a lot of newcomers that go to that school. And something that I didn't like ever think about or whatever is that not all grades line up. And so it's like some kids are coming here and they're learning things that they learned like the year before, or like, or you know, sometimes they don't learn that thing in that, so that what they're learning now is like almost a little ahead of what because they just every country has different ages where they feel appropriate to teach certain things and all that stuff. And that's a huge struggle that like I just you just take for granted when you don't realize it, right? Like I can move to Ontario and that you know, but it's not really the problem, right?

SPEAKER_01 42:06

And also you add on that sort of social isolation, you add on the language barriers and all those pieces, it can be pretty difficult. Um, and then when you think about the success future, like that you want to sort of be able to address that very early on after they arrive so that you can actually set them up for future success. So a lot of the programs that we do are really designed to do that.

SPEAKER_04 42:25

Okay, yeah. So because the schools don't really have enough resources, it's really hard. Yeah, because like they some of them will come and you get to come here because we're a bilingual country, it's like what school would you like to go to, French or English? And you can choose either one, but a lot of them don't speak French or English, and they spend a lot of time well, I shouldn't say that, they should they don't spend enough time learning so they have to come here, be in school, and learn math, right, but also learn English or French while learning math. Right. It's really hard, it's hard on the teachers.

SPEAKER_01 42:59

Yeah, and also that sense of community. We have a a youth camp that we do in the summer, and we have such a huge participation because it they're like they're able to be by amongst their peers, they're able to build community, but then also advance their English skills, and I think that really helps. And we have you know the YMCA has a great program within the schools as well, they're great partners of ours, and they do a lot of work for that reason in the schools as well to be able to make sure they're supporting youth who who come here as newcomers. So yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:23

Okay. So I'm gonna shift a little bit, but this actually touches on what you just said, you know, all the things that we want to do. Uh, you know, taxes is always the issue, right? I'm a taxpayer, we're all taxpayers here. I mean, when we look at iSense? Okay.

unknown 43:38

Shh.

SPEAKER_06 43:39

No, but uh when we look at iSense, like what I mean, listening as a taxpayer, like what's the biggest multiplier effect for how are we getting our money back as taxpayers putting it into iSense from your perspective?

Telling The Story To Non‑Immigrants

SPEAKER_01 43:53

That's a great question. You're getting a workforce, you're getting community worth and value, I would say. You're actually getting the skills that we need to ensure the success of the future um of the province, right? So I think we're just setting ourselves up for future success and we're ensuring that people come and they stay, right? Because it's you know it goes back to that, it's an investment, right? It really is an investment in our future um as opposed to a a cost, right? And I think sometimes we have to change that uh perception because um otherwise we're not gonna the the success of those individuals who come here is gonna be, then you won't be getting any return, right? Right, right. Um so I think that's the that's the value of success.

SPEAKER_06 44:43

You have to think about what you're you're going to lose if you stop doing it.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 44:47

Well I I I think here, like locally in Nova Scotia, and I think like Tariq Kadad, who's been on this show, has has become a bit of a poster boy for this, right? Like that that initial information. investment that is turned into jobs across the province. Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_01 45:01

Yeah. But and that's a you know that's an that's a excellent example of kind of that huge but you also we need PSWs. We need you know I'm gonna I'm gonna be older and who's gonna care for me, right? Who's gonna care for you? Who's gonna get so I think hoping robots.

SPEAKER_04 45:18

But but it's true though we we do need that. We need care. We need healthcare workers but we need builders too like construction workers. We don't have enough houses being built. We talked about that with Andy just a couple weeks ago he we're we're building half of what we should.

SPEAKER_01 45:30

Yeah right now it's and I think what's the stat like eleven thousand by we need eleven thousand construction workers by two thousand and thirty just given the fact the number of people that are leaving so back to my point of it being an investment right in that kind of talent pool that we need to kind of be able to continue the growth of the province.

SPEAKER_06 45:46

So that's the investment that's being made in terms of the taxpay dollars that goes to this kind of work right yeah you're being a a rock star with these answers by the way so just take a breath this is like another like kind of tough ish one but not really well then we're gonna get into maybe our fun questions I'm sure Matt has something he wants to ask you too I'll ask this first and then you can go and then we'll get into our 10 questions.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

Okay so thought leadership so why are you focused on yourself or your organization what's like your top priority that you want to improve on in the next 12 or 24 months for your organization so there's a couple of things so I think there's an opportunity when you're a not for profit organization right it's the infrastructure the way in which you run the organization those pieces are always a challenge right because you're trying to put all your your funding in the frontline delivery of services but I do think there's opportunities for us to think about AI, digital, those kinds of pieces right and how do you live the sophomore services in a way like you know how do you apply for funding all those pieces right so to apply that and to kind of bolster. So I think that for me is kind of how to be huge for you guys. And how do you become a model right how do you kind of model for and you know I come from a different background but how do you become a model for not for profit and kind of doing this well.

SPEAKER_06 46:59

So I think that's one I think the other piece is what we just talked about is right the value of immigration the worth of immigrants right I think that's a really important I think that's something that really needs to be better communicated especially today right because it's I mean you know we and we I mean it'd be nice to see the message be non-political as well right because it doesn't really matter your political party you need I mean if you're if you're on uh conservative side and you're pro-capitalism well you need workers at the end of the day or if you're oh no if you're you know if you want uh you know to focus on DEI initiatives well you need diversity right so so wherever you are on the political spectrum it seems like you still sort of need immigrants I mean that's my thought on it right yeah it's simple math right at the end of the day and for me it's about that piece is kind of out of our realm but it's also like when they're here how do you make sure that people feel that they're welcomed and that they're supported and that they can build a a life here I got one more question. Do you do you think do you like the word immigrant today? Do you think it sometimes doesn't have positive implications?

SPEAKER_01 48:07

Yeah so there's definitely an anti-immigration sentiment that it's becoming an anti-immigrant sentiment and that is concerning and there's recent research that's out that shows that it's kind of getting worse.

SPEAKER_06 48:19

Yes um absolutely I've I've read about it quite quite a bit and it really concerns me and like to see us get into that headspace.

Canada’s Model And Global Context

SPEAKER_01 48:26

Yeah so I think the more the reality is that we've you know it's a point in time I think that the what what we know is that we have we have to have we have to be able to immigrate have people come here as immigrants we have to be able to settle them and it's kind of the history of our country like you say outside of the indigenous peoples like that's kind of how we've grown it's that sentiment is concerning because I know as immigrants people wear it they feel it they hear it and that you know when you talk about belonging right in the very beginning it's really hard to feel that sense of belonging when that you know so that does worry me a lot and I think changing that narrative it was great to see it you know as a it's a priority for us as a nation so I think over time that will change but it's really and that's you know the worth of people we're talking about human beings who uproot their lives to come here by choice or not by choice. And you know it's Canadians have typically s looked at immigration as a very positive attribute of our country. So I think getting back there will be really important and we're gonna make a picture stays a positive word I think.

SPEAKER_04 49:26

Yeah. Well I mean that's a the it's an verbiage is always an important thing and I think it's an important question is like is immigrant the right word? Is it newcomers like things like that. Like language is always changing and what people want to be referred to is also something that we want to consider whether it be new Canadians or whatever. But I I hope maybe I'm wrong but I hope you agree and I hope it's true but that I think the anti-imgr immigration mentality is a loud minority.

SPEAKER_06 49:55

I think it is but I hope you're right I I mean I I I don't know if you're right.

SPEAKER_04 49:59

I don't I don't know I don't know either.

SPEAKER_01 50:00

Yeah so I'll tell you what I I like I like to just say Canadians, right?

SPEAKER_06 50:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:05

I don't even know why we end up having this con because when people come here they are to be Canadians, right? They're not part exactly um so I don't know how we you know get into a space around us and them or not because it's not it's not Canadian to do that begin with but um we're all Canadians so when people come here as permanent residents they're you know beyond citizenship but they are here to you know they're they're they're contributing as Canadians right the maple syrup testament but even as permanent residents before they even become citizens they really are here and contributing as Canadians do right so um we want them to be successful and become Canadian right so I think that's the that's the that's the shift I think is required.

SPEAKER_04 50:44

So it would be very un-Canadian to not want them to be successful. Absolutely agree with that.

SPEAKER_01 50:50

But you know this is the other thing I mean there's a lot going on like the infrastructure you talked about infrastructure I mean housing health care but you know I I come from health and house my batch both my last two jobs were in those spaces planning is huge for to meet the needs that you have from a population growth perspective. So it's you know it's gotta start now for even kind of what we want to be in the future right so I think and I think that stuff's catching up but it's um it's all how it's been a perfect storm right of those things at once. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 51:19

Great yeah so I uh I wanted to give Paula a chance because I know something that was really important to you when we first were talking about Kevin on the show is talking about women in business. I know you want to really talk about that. So I want to give you some some space to talk about that before we get into the fun ten questions.

Barriers: Credentials, Language, Creativity

SPEAKER_01 51:35

Yeah this fun ten questions oh exciting um so I you know for me and I talked about the women entrepreneurship um immigrant women entrepreneurship program that we have and then their success but just generally um you know often um when new immigrants come the secondary applicant maybe the the the wife that's at home or looking at the children. So making sure that we kind of support women um throughout their journey here um all our programs we offer childcare so when people come to classes their children um are well careful we have about 500 children that go through our programs um so we have a full we have three locations and we have three ECE centers with qualified ECE teachers yeah so so you don't have to worry about that right so when you come and you take you don't have to worry about your children so that's a huge program that we have and that's a way that we support women to be able to actually get that program level of programming. But even women moving through leadership right so I meet a lot of immigrant women who are now moving into leadership programs. So one of the things I'm you know we're thinking about as ISIS how do we continue to build kind of leadership programs for immigrant women so that they can actually ascend into senior positions. But giving those kind of staff up and opportunities for people to kind of who may be overlooked because they you know have different um background and experiences is really important and I think as an as a uh business community we need to kind of really look to the women entrepreneurs that are women immigrants who come here and the kind of the opportunities and the what they can bring to different organizations as well.

SPEAKER_06 53:05

Great answer.

SPEAKER_01 53:06

Yeah yeah anything else you want to talk about uh I just think you know I mean um what I would say is you know we have a lot of great partnerships with good businesses and who are actually really starting to see the value and have for a long time of the work that we're doing and I think that for us is to continue to grow there. We have you know Isa you know we just a strategic plan and the economic prosperity of the province is a key part of that so we're leaning into it so you know that support that we're getting from the community has been really we can't afford to hire anybody yet but when we get there when you get there please reach out.

SPEAKER_06 53:40

I have lots of people for you we're we're thinking the wheels are turning here.

SPEAKER_01 53:44

We're happy to help yeah so this has been awesome thank you so much for sharing all this with us now we're gonna jump into our lightning round questions some of these are tied into your job but most of them are just more out of the box thinking Matt you want to kick it off kick it off at number one all right so here we go ten questions question number one one thing every Nova Scotian can do to make a newcomer feel welcome without being awkward um just ask them about their themselves like have the conversation like who are you where you're from like what is you know what do you like about Nova Scotia so I think that was more than one answer but you know a general relationship communication just not to be afraid to ask people about their background yeah great answer yeah talk about food yeah yeah no exactly like it's always there's always a common you know they we all have common ground like the Batman everybody likes Batman kids right exactly but uh you know so I've got you're going to change this question slightly because of something you said earlier but just to comment on what you said earlier so what's the best in place for employers that in retaining immigrant workers so they don't leave for another job it's kind of really understanding it's like any employer I would say you know where is the opportunity for growth for these individuals tapping into the unique skills and background that they bring really supporting that kind of cultural diversity that you know with different ways of working that people may have so really and and trying to understand it right sometimes yeah all right answer answer question number three I'm willing to fail one we'll tell you if it's bad thank you so if you could go back to your early twenties oh my god what would you tell your early twenties self arriving from Wales down on the crash or isolation I would say um it's the same as I said then like the world is your oyster like you really the opportunity is yours right to take it um and I would say the same thing again um yeah not to be afraid must have been good advice if you're willing to take it again right you know okay so number four question number four who was the first celebrity actor musician or other that you had a crush on okay and who do you have a crush on today?

SPEAKER_06 56:14

A two-part question so we want the young one like so you this could be when you were a kid or like when you got the Halifax or whatever Donnie Osmond when I was a kid.

SPEAKER_01 56:24

Donnie Osmond okay there you go and oh I don't know if I have a crush today do you like Carney?

Optimism, Safety, And Starting Over

SPEAKER_06 56:35

You seem like you'd like Carney Oh crush on Kearney better than Trudeau? Just choose your class if you think he's a little bit better than Trudeau.

SPEAKER_04 56:43

There we go there you go Kearney won Trudeau zero old for crushes I think I'm past that point in my life I don't think you're ever too old for crushes question number five so this is a weird one alcohol or cannabis if one was to get rid of if if you were to get one rid of one of the Wow I'm struggling with this one if one was to be rid of off of the earth today which one would you choose? So if you get rid of one you gotta get rid of cannabis I put that down horribly just looking at the writing but it's all good you gotta get rid of cannabis or alcohol if you had to get rid of one which one would you get rid of can you say both you'd like to get rid of both I get rid of both yeah there you go I don't know I do like a pint of my dry January Tuesday beer it's all that was if that was for you. That answer was for you question number six.

SPEAKER_01 57:48

Thanks book where what's a book you've read that you want other people to read from any point in life it could just be a fun fictional book it doesn't have to be some oh my gosh what did I recently read oh trying to think there's one about happiness oh I can't think of the name I'm gonna have to come back to you I can't think of the name there's one something about good life but it's like having your buckets that you fill it's called something something like how to have a good life but it's it for me I'll tell you why because it talks about you know your community bucket your you know family bucket yeah and it just for me always resonates because I'm like how full is my self-care bucket is it called how full is your bucket maybe we can make it up there's a whole in my there's a book called how to fill your bucket and it's great how to fill your bucket uh question number seven so okay if you were called to the front office tomorrow because an immigrant arrived that was from another planet how would you explain Earth to them do you think that standing that you're gonna I would say um really good for that this is the perfect time to drop an F-bomb on the body because I'm just landing that I would say it's a place where people are going to take care of you and make sure you're okay. That's a beautiful answer depends where you land but where you land if it's you in Halifax I would say you're gonna be okay we're gonna take care of you.

SPEAKER_06 59:27

Just don't go over the bridge joking damage.

Rights, Orientation, And Translation

SPEAKER_01 59:30

Okay question number eight over to you okay horrible lunch meeting well this is another tough weird question I was I was bad I was bad today okay you have to go a horrible lunch meeting you have to go with one of these two people would you pick a big Mac with Trump or Poutine with Putin you had to sit down with one of them probably a Big Mac with Trump Okay with me cut the word all right Matt question number nine so who is the person that inspires you the most my mum okay yeah what's that yeah uh she you know worked multiple jobs to you know my mum and dad but my mum in particular you know she was an Avon lady for 50 years Avon call so you know because she was raising kids and that was her yeah she cleaned churches she you know was a dinner lady at school like she did all of those pieces and she's feisty man she just doesn't take any prisoners so I just love that about her she's just uh and she's you know 83 and she is still as feisty as ever that's awesome your mother get more feisty as you get older because you get away with that stuff right yeah she's incredible yeah totally she's lost a filter okay question 10 we're almost done if you had to move yourself to another country tomorrow where do you think you would go and why you'd probably go back to Wales yeah oh yeah that makes sense it's a beautiful place yeah no and I've I've you know I've still got my brothers there and my family's there and my friends a lot of my friends I grew up with um I have I think I mentioned to Matt earlier I have a someone with special needs so that would be a big decision for me as to where to go with him so that um yeah someone was welcoming for him and supportive of him.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:35

Yeah yeah that makes a lot of sense too yeah great answers Matt you got the last call buddy all right last call so and I think this one would be easy for you but you know it is what it is we asked that we're asking this one book should have been easy so last call we ask a question uh you know we're asking the same question everyone this year so what's one thing that you will do this year to improve the betterment of others I will um just just be there for them just to make sure that they know that they've got somebody that's in their corner like I love that answer yeah well I mean I think uh I think you'll yeah an easy one because what you do is pretty much helping others yeah but just really to know I mean I try to do that every day to make sure that people know that you know that they can always count on me in any way that I can possibly be there for them.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:39

So to continue that.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:40

Lovely answer. Yeah cheers to you yeah well cheers if any listeners are employers connect to iSanse Employer Supports if community minded volunteer or if a newcomer front door it's an invitation check out iSanse seems like you guys do a lot of great stuff. I really appreciate your time today so thank you very much for the great to see you guys