CIES Mourns the Passing of Manmeet Bhullar

It is with heavy hearts that we recognize the tragic passing of Mr. Manmeet Bhullar, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary-Greenway, who passed away on November 23rd, 2015.

Mr. Bhullar became active in politics early on by helping Rick D. Orman, the first MLA for Calgary-Montrose, in his re-election campaign. ​Bhullar first sought public office in the 2008 provincial election in the constituency of Calgary-Montrose. At 28 years of age, he became the youngest member elected to Alberta's 27th legislature. He was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology on March 12, 2008, making him the youngest politician to serve as a parliamentary assistant or secretary in Canada at the time. More recently, in late 2013 Mr. Bhullar was promoted to the position of Minister of Human Services putting him in charge of the third largest ministry by expenditures in government and overseeing more than 4,000 employees.There he has been credited with fixing Alberta's child intervention system.He changed the law to empower families to speak up about their experiences with the system, made new investments in mental health supports for families involved in child intervention, hosted the first ever Alberta Minister's Forum on Child Sexual Abuse and began a campaign to find a mentor for every child in care in the province. Mr. Bhullar was one of only 10 Progressive Conservative MLAs who were returned in the May 5, 2015 provincial election that defeated the Prentice government. He sat on the opposition benches in the Alberta legislature until his death.

Mr. Bhullar was a distinct voice in Alberta politics and was known for his contributions to the immigrant community. A frequent visitor to our offices, Mr. Bhullar was involved in the planning stages of our Northeast Welcome Centre and was one of the supporters who helped bring the project to fruition with his focus and guidance. We have been honoured by his presence and would like to extend our sympathies and support to his family and those who worked alongside him.
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He will be sorely missed.

Community Investors: Series Launch December 2nd

The non-profit sector is an important contributor to the economic health and vitality of Alberta. Charities and non-profits throughout the province support the quality of life enjoyed in Alberta, addressing social needs, providing recreational and leisure opportunities, delivering arts and cultural programs and stewarding our natural environment. Many organizations also provide services essential to support the labour force, from settlement services and ESL programs for new immigrants like us here at CIES, to skills upgrading and the childcare and elder care programs that enable individuals to participate in the workforce.

As a part of a new weekly series, Community Investors, here on the CIES blog, we will be featuring a Calgary non-profit organization each and every week. The series will launch the first week of December and highlight the work of one non profit agency, telling their story and how one can find out more about the organization.

In the end, CIES very much believes the non-profit sector of Calgary is a family of caregivers, helping those who need it most, however and wherever we can. Each has its own story, its own passion and CIES will bring them to you over the course of this series. All of us here at CIES strive towards collaboration with our non-profit family, as in the end we are all here to help those who need it most, and by extension, help in making Calgary the best city in can possibly be for all who live here.

In the meantime, just to give one an idea of incredible scope and the undeniable importance of non-profits in Alberta, take a look at the numbers below. Many might be just a bit surprised by them,

CIES Attends 2nd Annual Make Dollars Make Sense

A burning question board members of non-profits face is “how will we fund our work?”  Sometimes however, as an afterthought they ask “how will we manage that funding once we get it?”

Last weekend, CIES attended the second annual Make Dollars Make Sense: Funding and Financial Management 101, in celebration of National Financial Literacy Month, and presented by Board Leadership Calgary. MDMS was a one-day learning event for current or potential Board members and staff of small non-profits, as well as members of community organizations and grass roots groups. It addressed questions related to funding and financial management, and showed to all those in attedence how important it is to learn about both!

CIES was happy to attend and learned a great deal throughout the day. Thank you to the organizers for putting on such a wonderful learning event and we will see you next year! For more photos CLICK HERE.

Calgary Jobs, Information and Training

CIES always does our best to stay plugged into the Calgary community. so you can be too. From Day one CIES has always believed that strong community partnerships are the best way to have both a meaningful and sustainable impact on the life of immigrants here in Calgary.  We are affiliated with a number of key organizations throughout the city and this expansive network allows us to stay informed on your behalf. Below is a list of upcoming opportunities for a wide range of skills sets and experience levels to improve your skills, network and submit resumes for employment. Click on the provided posters for more details.

INFORMATION SESSIONS

• Career Café: Have you ever thought about a career working with senior citizens? Come to the Central Branch of The Calgary Public Library on November 27 from noon to 1 p.m. 

SKILL BUILDING

• Intake for the CCIS 5th Class Power Engineering Training - Building Operator Program has begun! The program starts on February 29, 2016 and includes 18 weeks full-time training.  
• Attend the Retail Training Program, offered by the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association. Free Childcare to those accepted! 

Mayor Nenhsi on the Syrian Refugee Crisis

The City of Calgary has a passionate and whip-smart leader. Perhaps more than anything else, Mayor Naheed Nenshi seamlessly weaves the fabric of government and humanity into a palpable cloak of justness, and in doing so reveals the political spectrum as a force of good - something that is often difficult to do these days. Now Nenhsi will have to harness this synchronicity in the name of what has become the biggest humanitarian crisis the planet has seen since WWII.

Last week the second of two forums on the Syrian refugee crisis was held at the John Dutton Theatre. Nenshi firmly believes in both Canada's commitment to do what they can for the refugees of Syria and that Calgary is steadfastly prepared to do its part. His words remind us of who we are as a country and why the city of Calgary is amongst the greatest cities in the world in which to live.

Indeed we are all in it together and yes, we are ready...

CIES Attends CCIS Syrian Refugees Project Forum

As a project lead in Calgary, the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) was asked by the Government of Alberta to facilitate conversations about this issue by inviting community service organizations, public institutions, and other interested parties, to participate in two public forums and strategy forming sessions concerning the Syrian refugee crisis and its relativity to the city. Calgary is one of four ports of entry for all Syrian refugees entering Canada (along with Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver). The five cities assigned to take in refugees here in Alberta are Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Fort Mcmurray.

When it comes to our city, the aim of these forums was to provide context and information regarding the Syrian refugee situation at the international, national, and local levels; to mobilize community services and social infrastructure in preparing for the potential influx of refugees in Calgary and surrounding areas; and to identify best practices for addressing their immediate and long-term needs. Finally, a compilation of these strategies was forged into a comprehensive Task-force Plan, which was presented to all stakeholders.

Today, at the John Dutton Theatre in the Central Branch of the Calgary Public Library, was the second of two forums and revealed a working group of Task-force members who have been.charged with identifying best practices and a step-by-step plan for addressing the needs of refugees in the areas of: welcoming, initial settlement, housing, living expenses, employment, youth services and connections to other community services.

CCIS has been a community leader here in Calgary for nearly 30 years and all of us here at CIES are ready to support their efforts to facilitate and coordinate this truly important cause in any way we can. A thank you and congratulations to Fariborz Birjandian, Executive Director and CEO of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, for the outstanding effort he and his team have put forth. His many years of leadership across multiple disciplines, organizations and cultural backgrounds, along with the many years of experience CCIS has in serving the immigrant community of Calgary. shone through and no doubt will continue to do so. For more photos of the event CLICK HERE. 

CIES Receives FCL Community Investment Grant

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) is a multi-faceted organization that is based on the principles of co-operation. It is owned by 212 retail co-ops located throughout Western Canada. These co-ops are the "member-owners" of FCL. FCL provides central wholesaling, manufacturing, marketing and administrative services to its member-owners. FCL also profoundly contributes to the community with technical support, advocacy, lobbying and legal support for those in need. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Federated Co-operatives Limited for the great support in the CIES project, "Banking Options for Economic Stability." The project will assist increasing the financial literacy of both immigrants and citizens alike, with workshops, training sessions / counselling and information packages. We are privileged to receive your support. Once again a heartfelt thanks for helping us help others and for all you do for the community around us. 

CIES attends Rouleauville - Calgary’s French Connection

Rouleauville - Calgary’s French Connection is a fascinating presentation created by Ken LaPointe, local history researcher and primary English language educator of Calgary's Francophone history and heritage; a significant part of Canada's little-known history. CIES attended yesterday's very special event, presented by Le Bureau de Visibilité de Calgary (BVC), and hosted by The Fountains of Mission Retirement Residence in Calgary.

Those in attendance included recently elected Calgary Skyview Liberal MP Darshan Kang, Alberta Finance Minster and Calgary Fort MLA Joe Ceci, Ward 8 city councillor Evan Woolley, and all was recorded live by Shaw TV Calgary for future broadcast during Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF) 2016, an initiative of the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue. The event was planned and coordinated by Shaw TV and Hello-Bonjour Alberta Access Producer and Calgary super volunteer Suzanne de Courville Nicol.

This special event (presented in English) entertained and informed all in attendance. The exciting visual journey led the audience through historic events to modern times celebrating Calgary’s Francophone roots and heritage. CIES was privileged to attend and sends out a special thanks to Suzanne for all her hard work and dedication, not only in making this event possible, but in her efforts to promote and improve the community of Calgary. For more pics of the event CLICK HERE.

Demos With Donna Volume IV

The Calgary Immigrant Educational Society continues its Video Series Demos with Donna with Volume IV. Donna Clarke, a teacher of English as a second language for more than 15 years, including the last 6 with C.I.E.S. shares her experiences with the adjustments clients have to make to the Digital Narrative of modern Canadian society. With many clients arriving with little to no experience of living online, it is a challenge, but amongst the most important lessons to be learned upon arrival in a hyper connected and technological savvy country like Canada. 

Volunteer ESL Teachers Wanted

A great way to learn about different cultures and help others is to volunteer with an organization like CIES. We are currently looking for volunteer teachers for our Drop in ESL program in our SE location.

The benefits of volunteering work both ways and often it is the volunteer who gets more out of donating his or her time and effort. Volunteering means establishing great connections, building your career, and supplies a sense of purpose. Additionally  Psychology Today even claims that those who  regularly volunteer live longer and healthier lives.

The position would involve teaching English to adult immigrants at a pre-basic, basic or intermediate level. We currently need volunteers for Timings would be from 1:30~4:00 pm time slot, as little as once a week. No lesson planning is needed as all the materials will be prepared and supplied to you. We are happy to train those with no experience and supply training workshops to volunteers about 4-6 times a year.

Contact Melissa at melissamckinnon@immigrant-education.ca or give us a call at 403-235-3666 if you're interested in joining the CIES team.

CIES Pays Tribute to its Founding Father

In honour of our founding member Mr. Salim M. Sindhu, the Calgary Immigrant Educational Society marks the one year anniversary of his passing,  on this 10th day of November, 2015. From our humble beginnings back in 1988, he worked tirelessly and as a result of his dedication CIES grew from 5 volunteers in a single office to an employer of nearly 90 dedicated staff members and over 100 volunteers.

CIES now operates and is in full ownership of both our main office building in Calgary’s SE Forest Lawn district and our branch building in Calgary’s NE Whitehorn district. Since its inception, CIES has assisted nearly a quarter of million clients to strengthen their identities as members of Alberta society, offering services valued at tens of millions of dollars. And even though Mr. Sindhu served as the Executive Director of CIES for more than quarter century, he also consistently found time to volunteer around the city of Calgary as a public speaker, ambassador, and committee member.

Salim left much behind on the day of his passing and we here at CIES will continue the mission he set forth more than 27 years ago -  to provide immigrants and economically challenged individuals the tools to be successful and active participants in the Calgary community. Below CIES president M'Liss Edwards recounts the history of the Society and the life of Salim M. Sindhu - as they are one in the same.

Who We Are - Let the Contest Begin

As a follow up to our previous post, this coming Monday, November 9th, CIES will launch its "Who We Are" Contest. The contest's overall objective is to have clients understand and express the overall mission of CIES, while familiarizing staff and arming them with the best ways to describe what CIES does as an organization.  All classes will participate as a group and the top class from each building will receive a prize. A third group will receive a prize for most original / unique project.  There are no strict guidelines in place, as the project could come in the form of writing, photos, or both, a video, a presentation or even a play.  The only must is that whatever the project may be, it captures who we are and what we do. To help you with your focus, a summary of CIES, with our mission, goals and vision has been supplied to you.  When working on this project, always ask yourself if the work  being produced comes back to what you read below.

Organizational Summary

The Calgary Immigrant Educational Society (C.I.E.S.) is a non profit registered charitable organization established in 1988 with one primary goal: to provide Calgary immigrants and economically disadvantaged individuals with a solid foothold in Canada and afford them the opportunities to grow into productive, confident and contributive Canadians.  C.I.E.S. is governed by a Board of Directors made up of devoted community minded volunteers and operates through funding from both government and private organizations. From our humble beginnings, C.I.E.S. has grown from 5 volunteers in a single office to an employer of about 90 dedicated staff members and over 100 volunteers. C.I.E.S. now operates and is in full ownership of both our main office building in Calgary’s SE Forest Lawn district and our branch building in Calgary’s NE Whitethorn district. Since its inception, C.I.E.S. has assisted nearly a quarter of million clients to strengthen their identities as members of Alberta society, offering services valued at tens of millions of dollars.

Mission Statement: Provide immigrants and economically challenged individuals the tools to be successful and active participants in the community

Goals 

• To provide English as a second language classes to newcomers 
• To assist newcomers and low income Canadians to be more sufficient through employment 
• To provide fair access to newcomers to existing services and organizations by helping them overcome various barriers 
• To promote mutual understanding and respect between the mainstream and the ethnic communities on cultural issues 

Objective / Vision: To help newcomers and economically challenged Calgarians become productive and successful members of society

**Deadline for all entries is December 9th, 2015**

Calgary Jobs, Information, and Employment

CIES always does our best to stay plugged into the Calgary community. so you can be too. From Day one CIES has always believed that strong community partnerships are the best way to have both a meaningful and sustainable impact on the life of immigrants here in Calgary.  We are affiliated with a number of key organizations throughout the city and this expansive network allows us to stay informed on your behalf. Below is a list of upcoming opportunities for a wide range of skills sets and experience levels to improve your skills, network and submit resumes for employment. Click on the provided posters for more details.

HIRING EVENTS and JOB OPPORTUNITIES 

• Hi Flyer Foods is hiring cashiers and cooks for their KFC and KFC-Taco Bell locations. Youth aged 15-24 can come to the Youth Employment Centre on November 6 from noon until 3 p.m. for an on-the-spot interview.
• CO-OP Hiring Fair on November 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Centre for Newcomers.  
• Cert Logistics is hiring for a variety of Warehouse Worker roles! Recruiters will be conducting on-site interviews on November 12 and November 17 from 4 p.m. to  8 p.m.  

SKILL BUILDING

• Directions for Immigrants is offering a no-cost Study Group for Internationally Educated Pharmacists to prepare for the Pharmacy Board of Canada Evaluating Exam.  Group will meet on Wednesdays from February 3 to June 29, 2016 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m..  

CIES attends TESL Conference in Lake Louise

The Alberta Teachers of English as a Second Language (ATESL) is a professional organization that promotes the highest standards of teaching and English language program provision for all learners in Alberta whose first language is other than English. CIES staff has been affiliated with ATESL for many years and encourages our team's involvement in what is an invaluable organization in the ESL community.

The 2015 TESL conference was held in beautiful Lake Louise, Alberta this past weekend and several representatives of CIES were in attendance, including conference presenters Kerry Howard, Jana Ciobanu, Patricia Sandurska and Tayabeh Shalmani.  All in attendance describe the event as a great success and a wonderful experience. Jana and Kerry were kind enough to give us to the link to their presentation (seen below) and for photos of the weekend event simply CLICK HERE.

CIES - Who We are, What We Do

November 9th The Calgary Immigrant Educational Society will launch a competition for clients and staff to come up with ways to best describe who we are and what we do as an organization. CIES in fact does so much, it can be a challenge to come up with the best possible description. Are we a school? Are we an information centre? Are we employment centre? Who are our clients? Why is it important to serve them? Who benefits?

Competitions are about a lot more than great prizes and having fun. They allow participants to learn and show their skills. Creativity is the mandate for this contest and your ideas can be demonstrated with words, images or both. Prizes will be awarded to the top entrants. More details coming soon.