A message of welcome and gratitude

Many of us might have experienced coming to Canada as an immigrant or refugee. The first years can be tough as you learn to adapt and then to integrate into society. In 2016, I came to CHEO and joined an amazing team who were working tirelessly to help newcomers. I found it disconcerting to hear the terrifying stories children and families went through on their perilous journey to arrive in Canada. Many of you who have been helping newcomers navigate through the complex health and settlement sectors have probably experienced similar vicarious stress and trauma hearing the horrific stories of what newcomers have had to endure.

Observing the impact of the above on staff and the challenges they faced in trying to provide care and support to the weary and traumatized refugees inspired us to dream of building a national network of professionals in healthcare and settlement to connect, learn and collaborate around newcomer navigation. Creating an equitable experience for newcomers can be daunting to all of us, but I found it helpful to think of small changes that can make a big difference in the future. Hopefully, the launch of this platform during this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic is a timely change that can help you all come together as you bravely battle to support our nation.

With grateful thanks to the National Newcomer Navigation Network Project team (N4 team), who made this website-based platform possible, I invite you all to come and join us! 

"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success."
Henry Ford

Sahar Zohni, N4 Team