Belleville: An inclusive city

In a world where some people talk about building walls, people in the City of Belleville are attempting to break down barriers – and the Inclusion Committee helps move things along Belleville – It’s a city full of different races and religions; different foods, different fashions. It’s a long-time home for some, and a place of new opportunities for others. …

Belleville Businessman Encourages New Canadians to Push Through Early Challenges

Building a new life in Canada isn’t easy; it takes time, and most will experience hurdles along the way. “In the beginning there’s always a problem. But, ultimately, it’s the best country to live in,” says Kadeem Asad, the owner of Front Dollar in downtown Belleville. Asad is well qualified to speak about the challenges and the eventual rewards of …

(Stick)Handling a New Home

Christian Jaros and Andreas Englund have been honing their hockey skills in Belleville, hoping to earn a call up to the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators. But off their ice, they’re learning a bit about being Canadians. They are two of several players with Belleville’s new American Hockey League franchise who hail from overseas. Jaros, a defenceman, is from Slovakia. …

Once a Refugee, Now a Restauranteur

Kugan Soma arrived in Canada with hardly a cent to his name. He’s now the owner of a successful business in Quinte West. “I had nothing … $1,” Soma recalls, sitting in his restaurant, Tiger Chicken & Ribs, at 68 Front St. in downtown Trenton. “Thanks to Canada for letting me in. They did really well to me.” Soma arrived …

A Truly World Class College

Large, colourful maps of China, Vietnam and India are attached to walls in Jim Whiteway’s office at Loyalist College. They’re plastered with arrow-shaped stickers, directing the eye to cities in those countries where the college has partnerships. Also, a small globe on his desk has been punctured with pins, each attached to a country Whiteway has visited to build the …

From Montego Bay, Jamaica to the Bay of Quinte

After more than 20 years of living in the busy Toronto area, Lorna and Dennis Jarret wanted to find a new place to call home. They found one in the Bay of Quinte region, a place they would soon find has some similarities to their native country of Jamaica. “We came here to get rid of the (big) city life,” …

Luisa (Italy)

Helping Others Find Their Way When Luisa Sorrentino remembers her first few weeks in Canada she wishes that she had someone that would show her how to get the most out of life in the Bay of Quinte. Now, she’s helping others find their way. Luisa vividly remembers her first winter in Canada. “It felt so cold,” she said. But it …

Martin (UK)

Getting into the Swing of Things Martin Whitebread has lived in many places around the world but has settled nicely into his life as an entrepreneur in the Bay of Quinte region. Martin moved to Canada half a decade ago to work for an international aerospace company. When the Canadian division of that company was shut down, Martin started looking …