Gaston Mabay: "Canada is a country of opportunities but opportunities will not come to you. You have to go and seize them.”
Gentle and soft-spoken, Gaston Mabaya is a person who knows his worth and clearly understands the value he brings to any situation, whether academic, industry, church or social.
With a Ph.D. in Fibre Optics from Belgium, and as the Dean of the Engineering Faculty at the University of Kinshasa, Gaston had travelled widely.
“I did my studies in Belgium, and I know Europe well,” says Gaston. “I have been to the USA many times, but I felt that the peaceful and accepting nature of Canada was the best thing for my family.”
He applied directly through the Canadian Embassy in Kinshasa and, in 1999, he and his family arrived in Canada.
“It was fortuitous,” says Gaston, “that at the very same time I obtained a one-year opportunity at the University of Toronto, I was able to take a sabbatical from Kinshasa University.”
For the Mabaya family, however, the move was not without difficulty.
Gaston remembers how hard it was to commute by bus, especially in the winter. With French as their primary language, the Mabaya children were lost at first, having to learn English to succeed at school. They also missed family and friends, the food, music and social events.
With a Ph.D. in Fibre Optics from Belgium, and as the Dean of the Engineering Faculty at the University of Kinshasa, Gaston had travelled widely.
“I did my studies in Belgium, and I know Europe well,” says Gaston. “I have been to the USA many times, but I felt that the peaceful and accepting nature of Canada was the best thing for my family.”
He applied directly through the Canadian Embassy in Kinshasa and, in 1999, he and his family arrived in Canada.
“It was fortuitous,” says Gaston, “that at the very same time I obtained a one-year opportunity at the University of Toronto, I was able to take a sabbatical from Kinshasa University.”
For the Mabaya family, however, the move was not without difficulty.
Gaston remembers how hard it was to commute by bus, especially in the winter. With French as their primary language, the Mabaya children were lost at first, having to learn English to succeed at school. They also missed family and friends, the food, music and social events.
Gaston, however, today says he feels vindicated about his decision to come to Canada, as his children have all graduated from Western University and are successful citizens of this country.
Gaston himself has contributed immensely to his adopted country.
He is the President and Founder of the Canadian-Congolese Cultural Association, former Executive Director of L'Association Canadienne Française en Ontario London-Sarnia (ACFO) and a member of several Boards of Directors, including Carrefour Communautaire Francophone de London (CCFL), Pillar Nonprofit Network and a member-at-large on the London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership.
In addition, Gaston is a permanent Deacon at St Michael's Parish and in 2011 was recognized in the Mayor's New Year's Honour List for outstanding contributions to Diversity & Race Relations in the City of London.
Yet, what he is most proud of is the fibre optics and laser diode component he designed when he worked at 3M in the early 2000s, which is still in use today in the Canadian telecom industry.
When reflecting on the sacrifices he made, Gaston says, “For the kids, there was a big sacrifice because of the language barrier and leaving friends and family, but the main sacrifice was by my wife and myself, because we had to make sure that this decision worked at any cost.”
Today he tells his children that they should take their responsibilities as Canadian citizens seriously.
“Canada is a country of opportunities,” says Gaston, “but opportunities will not come to you. You have to go and seize them.”
“Peace has no price,” Gaston adds.
As a Canadian, he cherishes the idea that he and his family live in a country to which they all feel truly connected.
Gaston himself has contributed immensely to his adopted country.
He is the President and Founder of the Canadian-Congolese Cultural Association, former Executive Director of L'Association Canadienne Française en Ontario London-Sarnia (ACFO) and a member of several Boards of Directors, including Carrefour Communautaire Francophone de London (CCFL), Pillar Nonprofit Network and a member-at-large on the London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership.
In addition, Gaston is a permanent Deacon at St Michael's Parish and in 2011 was recognized in the Mayor's New Year's Honour List for outstanding contributions to Diversity & Race Relations in the City of London.
Yet, what he is most proud of is the fibre optics and laser diode component he designed when he worked at 3M in the early 2000s, which is still in use today in the Canadian telecom industry.
When reflecting on the sacrifices he made, Gaston says, “For the kids, there was a big sacrifice because of the language barrier and leaving friends and family, but the main sacrifice was by my wife and myself, because we had to make sure that this decision worked at any cost.”
Today he tells his children that they should take their responsibilities as Canadian citizens seriously.
“Canada is a country of opportunities,” says Gaston, “but opportunities will not come to you. You have to go and seize them.”
“Peace has no price,” Gaston adds.
As a Canadian, he cherishes the idea that he and his family live in a country to which they all feel truly connected.