Meet Canoo member Prabuddh Dixit!

Originally from India, Prabuddh moved to Canada from India over 10 years ago. Prabuddh officially joined the Canadian family in November 2019, and now lives in Toronto with his wife and two children. He chose Canada because he always felt included and that he belonged here. He values inclusion and the many freedoms of being Canadian which to him are “the acceptance of one’s religious, political, sexual and personal beliefs.”

One of Prabuddh’s favourite things about Canada is the fresh air, which he and his family have made an effort to take in as much as possible all across the GTA. He has explored almost all of the Credit Valley Conservation Areas on the Canoo app, but there is only one that his family has visited time and time again and is their clear favourite – Island lake Conservation Area. “We’ve been to this conservation area three times. Once in summer, once in fall and once in Winter. The kids liked the 8km hike and many, many small bridges and the scenic trails in the fall. Walking on the frozen lake was the best part during our winter hike.” Over the past year, Prabuddh and his family were able to discover new activities and places that they wouldn’t have discovered without Canoo. In this time, their family bond was strengthened, the most important thing being “that we were able to build memories which our kids will hopefully remember for a lifetime.”

Prabuddh believes that arts and cultural places play a role in fostering inclusion and belonging, saying that “Cultural places give you a chance to belong and they build a feeling of community. It works as an extended family that stays with you during the good and the not so good times.” Prabuddh believed that active citizenship is important, and to him it means “giving back to the community which accepted us and made us feel like we are home.” Despite the challenges of the past year during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dixit family used Canoo to help them safely explore their city and spend quality time together. “Canoo served as a saviour for our family’s mental health during COVID. It gave us a chance to explore those places where we’d not been to before. It helped us strengthen the family bond.”

Up next is a spring hike, since Canoo has helped the Dixit family discover their new favourite family activity – hiking! He and his family look forward to planning more excursions and discovering all there is to know about Canada using the Canoo app.

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Canoo gives new Canadian citizens and their families access to more than 1400 arts and culture spaces and parks across Canada. While Canoo is free to use, it’s not free to operate. As a charity, we rely on donations to help keep Canoo available and free for new citizens. With your generous support, we can help thousands of new Canadians and their families feel like they belong. Give the gift of Canoo! Become a monthly donor today.