Newcomers get to know City Hall – Grand Forks Gazette

An organization many know for promoting literacy in southeastern B.C. wants to let everyone know it’s also here to help people coming from other countries with settling in. 

Members of the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) were talking about the services at a workshop with Grand Forks City Hall administration late last November, taking people on a tour of City Hall and meeting city administration.

Dirze Candia Castillo, settlement worker for the Boundary Region, explained CBAL is well-known for children’s literacy programs, but a large component of it is getting newcomers feeling comfortable in the community.

Learning English is more than learning how to read, write and speak, she said. It’s also learning how Canadian institutions and culture works so they can easily navigate it with minimum disruptions. 

This is why their students took a tour of City Hall. They had a chance to meet the people who work there, offer services and even ask about differences they’ve noticed about Grand Forks’ culture and lifestyle.

“For some of those newcomers, it was the first time being in City Hall and even meeting the Mayor (Everett Baker),” she said. “The Mayor showed us around City Hall, went to the offices and explained what they do here and what you come in here for.”

He also explained more civil and legal aspects of City Hall and administration, such as how taxes are charged, collected and what city services they pay for. Mayor Baker also explained his role as a mayor, which Castillo said is part of helping newcomers understand the differences between Canadian political and civil offices and the institutions from their home countries.

It was also a chance for newcomers to ask questions about city services, or why the city doesn’t have certain ones like public transportation. That was an important cultural topic, Castillo said, as many people come from places with accessible public transport, but now need to get driver’s licences. 

“It’s important for them to get a licence because some of them live far from the city, or get to their jobs, shop in the city,” she said. “Everything is new for them and I think it’s important they get involved in the community: new culture, new language, new holidays. Our job is to help them enjoy Canadian life.”

Some of the services the organization offers include English courses and services like resume writing and job interview skills, as well as either group classes, or on-on-one sessions. They try to help everyone, no matter where they come from, because they all share one common experience: they are all learning something new, said Castillo.