How a newcomer fair is connecting recent immigrants with services

A new one-day fair in Winnipeg is hoping to help newcomers feel more welcome and connect them with important services.

Shakib Mahmood arrived in Canada in December after leaving Afghanistan with help from NATO forces.

"So I had the privilege to adjust quickly because I know the language and have familiarity and have some friends as well here which are very close to me," said Mahmood.

Mahmood considers himself lucky, as not all newcomers have the luxury of knowing Canadian culture before coming.

Julia Yevzhenko arrived in Canada from Ukraine on June 8 to flee from the Russian invasion.

So far, she says the help she's received has made the transition much easier.

"Actually, there were a lot of volunteers that helped us, so we didn't get such situations yet. So everything is perfect," she said.

Assistance and help are key components of the Newcomer Welcome Fair and Multiculturalism Day celebration held in Winnipeg on Sunday.

The event, put on by several partner organizations, hopes to help connect newcomers, many from Afghanistan and Ukraine, with important settlement services.

"When people come to a new place, they need a lot of help to find housing, to find employment, create a resume. Those kinds of things and just general assistance navigating the system," said Emily Halldorson, Ukraine response coordinator for the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations.

The fair also acts as a way to welcome newcomers to the country and hopefully make them feel a little more at home.

"An event like this will mean so much to them because hopefully, we're able to let them feel that they are welcome, that you know, we embrace them as a community," said Perla Javate, co-chair of the Ethnocultural Council of Manitoba.

A sentiment Yevzhanko and her family have certainly noticed since arriving in Winnipeg.

"They really help [with] finding a job, finding a place, an apartment where to live, so it's huge help actually," said Yevzhanko.