Canoo member Monique Brown came to Canada from Jamaica with her children in 2012. She received her Canadian citizenship in January of this year. She chose this country because, “Canada is well-known for a good quality of life, especially for families.”

After moving to Canada, Monique was able to fulfil her dream of returning to school and becoming a Registered Nurse. Now, in her spare time, she enjoys exploring with her children and volunteering. Monique is proud to be a new Canadian citizen and is excited to vote in the upcoming federal election later this month.

Monique has used her Canoo app for a family adventure to Montreal, using her VIA Rail discount to take the train to the city and her app to receive free admission at cultural locations.

“I used the Via Rail discount to travel to Montreal. It was a fantastic adventure!” says Monique, “We visited Mont Royal and Montreal Science Centre, [which] was spectacular. I was very surprised that Canada has a wonderful location like that and hasn’t really promoted it. My children and I had a lot of fun. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it considering that I am an adult. Initially, I thought the location was more geared towards children… [but] I learned a lot in my short visit there. We wanted to visit again but time did not permit.”

Monique enjoys visiting cultural locations, such as science centres, with her children to learn about Canada. “I believe cultural places play a role in building social inclusion by creating a safe place for persons from various backgrounds to congregate without feeling discriminated,” says Monique, “Also, it is my opinion that cultural places help to foster a sense of identity, local pride and positively impacts the social determinants of health.”