Originally from Pakistan, Sajeela became a citizen in December 2019 and now lives in Ontario’s capital city of Toronto. Sajeela has been in Canada for over 5 years now, making time to explore, admire nature and connect with Canada’s diverse people. Although she lives in a big city, after travelling around the province, Sajeela has decided that her favourite place so far is the town of Tobermory, a quiet harbour village on the Bruce Peninsula.

Sajeela is very fond of museums, a love that she shares with her sister. They often visit Canoo venues together, and enjoy being able to share these experiences with one another. One of their favourite outings was a trip to the Royal Ontario Museum in downtown Toronto. Sajeela believes that cultural places like museums play an essential role in building social inclusion, as they “propagate an understanding of different cultures and provide safe spaces to ask questions.” Sajeela says that in a multicultural country like Canada, this is especially important in building social inclusion because it helps make Canada’s population more tolerant and understanding of differences: “It reduces the fear of the unknown and builds common understanding among people from different cultural backgrounds.”  

Being a Canoo member has made Sajeela feel more connected to her surroundings. Knowing that she is part of a greater community has cultivated in her a strong feeling of inclusion where she feels encouraged to be herself and to let her distinct identity shine through. Apart from Sajeela’s attraction to Canada’s natural beauty and tolerant people, for her, immigrating was a decision motivated by her admiration for Canada’s multiculturalism as well as its inclusive society. She considers Canada to be a country that “appreciates talent and hard work” where, she says, she feels “part of a bigger whole”.

As the city of Toronto begins to open up in time for the long-awaited summer weather, Sajeela and her sister look forward to discovering new places using the Canoo app.

Would YOU like to be featured in our next newsletter? This month only, fill out this questionnaire about your Canoo journey to be eligible to be featured in our July Canoo Spotlight and to win a $20 gift card to Amazon. Deadline to enter is June 14th. Winners will be contacted by email.

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.