The CCCA / CIES Cultural Forum 2016

Do you want to further advance your career? How to find the fine balance between technical skills and interpersonal skills? How to make your boss notice your contribution and ability? How to break the glass ceiling while facing industry downturn and cultural difference?

Canada China Commercial Association (CCCA), together with Calgary Immigrant Educational Society (CIES), are hosting the 2nd Cultural Forum to help you advance your career in Canada. At the forum, experts will provide you with practical skills and techniques to concur the barriers in your career, and successful Chinese immigrants will share their experiences and stories.

CCCA is a registered non-profit organization in Alberta dedicated to the promotion and facilitation of trade developments, business investment, innovation and technology exchange between Canada and China. CCCA’s principles include resource sharing, strength complementary, mutual benefit and cooperative development between all company and individual members. CCCA hosts different seminars, workshops, conferences and networking events according to its member’s requests.
Tickets are free for current CCCA Members. Please send an email to info@ccca88.ca to register your membership. For non CCCA Members early bird prices (Before September 30) are $10, before October 22 prices $15 and tickets at the door are $20.

For more details on the event and to purchase your advice tickets visit the CCCA website. 

AAISA Introduces One-Stop Shop for Information on Refugee Resettlement

 CIES has been a proud member of the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) since its inception and all of us here would like to congratulate AAISA on the launch of their new website - www.refugeealberta.ca. The website is funded by the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and serves as a one-stop shop for refugees to access information on settling in Alberta and services to support them in their new life.

Following one of the largest resettlements of refugees in Canadian history, the website’s launch responds to a significant need across the province. Another wave of Syrian refugees is set to arrive in the province this fall. Service providers, such as our valued members, offer a variety of programs and services across Alberta.  AAISA has designed this website to help support refugees as well as to build the capacity of organizations that serve them with vital information related to their resettlement journey in Alberta. The website has the following features:

AASIA also recognizes that in order to support the successful resettlement of refugees in Alberta, building the capacity of the organizations and community members working with refugees is vital. With that in mind, two additional aspects of the website will launch this fall.

I am an Organization is a portal that will support organizations, such as AASIA members and I Want to Help, will support community members, whether they are private sponsors, donors or prospective volunteers with information on what they can do to help.
Resettlement Assistance Program providers. The website will provide information related to professional development and resources relevant to resettlement as well as settlement and integration practice. The second portal,

Once again CIES offers our congratulations on a job well done and we look forward AAISA's next phase of what is an important project for the provinces entire settlement sector. 

Antyx Community Arts Gets Eyes on the Ave

Formed in January 2010 (when All Nations Theatre and Urban Youth Worx (ANT/UYW) merged and began operating as a single organization),  Antyx Community Arts is a community arts company that uses the arts and community development processes to create opportunities for youth to become more engaged in their community and experience increased community connection.  Their community arts strategy involves developing collaborative community arts projects that engage youth and communities. Projects are planned with community partners and direct input from youth. Past projects have included: community murals, performances of plays reflecting community issues, video and music projects.

This summer Antyx Community Arts helped youth learn how to take a variety of perfect pictures and revealed how photography can transform community through its Eyes On the Ave Initiative. Antyx joined forces with local photographers and community leaders to engage youth ages 13-18 in using photography to make positive social change.  The camp culminated with the completion of a large scale photography exhibition that is now featured on International Avenue at what has become the heart of the Forest Lawn Community Arts and Development, the ArtBOX.  For a quick peek of how it all went down take a look below.

CIES Expansion Continues With First Calgary Financial Grant for Entrepreneurial Financial Literacy Project

First Calgary Financial has long been a champion of community investment here in Calgary and CIES is pleased to announce their support and funding for our Breaking the Economic Barriers for Immigrant and Low Income Earning Calgarians project. The overall goal of the project is to improve the standard of living of immigrants / low income earning Canadians in Calgary, by removing barriers to entrepreneurial success.

Goals aside, the purpose of the project is to equip immigrants with knowledge and skill to start a new business by providing adequate information and offer financial literacy education offered by different financial institutions in the city. Improving their knowledge and understanding about the Banking System / New to Canada Banking Program, graduates will be equipped with entrepreneurial skills and knowledge required to start small businesses on their own. CIES will organize financial literacy education in both Orientation on Banking Services for Newcomers to Canada and Entrepreneurship Development Training.  

CIES would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to First Calgary Financial for their support and for more information on the project give us a call at 403-291-0002.

National Read-A-Book Day

Today is September 6, so pour yourself a cup of tea, find a nice place and curl up with a good book because it's National Read A Book Day.

Research has shown that reading can have several health and social benefits. Frequent readers tend to have lower stress levels than non-readers. In addition, reading can stimulate brain activity and improve memory. Socially, reading can reap a lot of benefits - well-read people tend to be more empathetic and aware of social issues and differences.

Although e-books are more common than ever, research shows print books are still more popular than digital books among Canadians, but a book is a book! Regardless of your preference take the time to read, find out more about your favourite author, visit your local library or anything that lends itself to our ever-present option to learn, grow, go on an adventure or just have fun! 

Labour Day Was Canada's Gift to the World

When people think of Labour Day today, fairs and festivals, and the last long weekend of the summer come to mind. It's original intention was a very historic one however - a heartfelt celebration of workers, their rights  and their families.

In a time when the news of labour "problems" are dominated by disputes between millionaire athletes and billionaire owners, a historical look back on the origins of Labour Day  provides some much needed perspective on a time when working people had to fight to work less than 12 hours a day. The "Nine Hour Movement," began soon there after. Today, we take paid holidays, we have safe work places, unemployment insurance, medical benefits, fair hours, overtime pay and a weekend to ourselves.

Labour Day is celebrated around the world, but the first ever Labour Day celebrations originated in Canada, beginning on April 15, 1872. This was only five years after Confederation and speaks to how the Canadian progressive approach as a nation was there from day one. On that historic day the Toronto Trades Assembly, the original central labour body in Canada, organized the country's first significant worker's strike. A demonstration was organized to protest poor working conditions and although the short-term effects were very damaging, as many lost their jobs, the long-term effects speak for themselves. After 1872,  nearly all union demands,  including the nine-hour day / 54-hour work week, were met.  Thus the Toronto printers pioneered the shorter work week for all of North America. Campaigns for an eight-hour day were already growing, and eventually took hold as well.

In the end, April 15th, 1972 was a defining moment in Canadian labour history, opening the door to what eventually became the Canadian labour movement, leading the way for what is now an annual workers' holiday around the world. In Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia it is known as "May Day" - or International Workers' Day - and it is celebrated on May 1. In New Zealand, it is held on the fourth Monday in October, and in Australia the date varies from state to state across the country.

Countries and dates aside, it remains a day that acknowledges the hard work and the dignity of those people that do so everywhere. And this remains one of the key reasons Canada continues to stand as a beacon of fairness, respect and hope to people around the world. And so, from all of us here at CIES, have a great Labour Day weekend! 

Happy Birthday Alberta!

Alberta, once a district of the Northwest Territories, officially became a province on Sept. 1, 1905. Celebrating the 111th anniversary of the founding of the Province of Alberta, the creativity, ingenuity and hard work of successive generations of Albertans have become our hallmark.  So from all of us here at CIES.... Happy Birthday, Alberta and here's to 111 more!