Growing up in the fast-paced environment of China, Flora keeps her busy lifestyle going even after moving to her new home in London. Between attending English-language classes, expanding her knowledge of computers, gardening, and various other activities, Flora dedicates her time to teaching Tai-Chi and exercise to seniors as well as volunteering at multiple centres across the city. “I’m very happy. It feels like sometimes you can do charity and donate money but I said that I have no money to donate, so I can just volunteer.”
Flora is thankful for all the help she received from the community, and observes, “I thought I can give back and this is my way to give back to people. It’s very important for me.”
Flora explained that listening and speaking English was totally different than reading and writing. People speak fast, which makes it hard for her to catch on. She has been studying the English-language for over four years, and every day still offers opportunities for learning. Flora’s advice to newcomers is to participate in community programs, especially ones that allow them to practice speaking English.
Though Canadians may speak fast, they are never in too much of a rush to lend a helping hand. Flora says she appreciates the care that the community has for each other. “When I came here I thought the people were so good. They help you and they care about you and if I am cycling on the street and fall down, a car will stop to try to help me but I wave to say ‘it’s ok.’ Everybody cares about you.” Flora explains she is pleasantly surprised by this, as she is so used to people in China being too focused on their jobs to care. Part of the reason she moved her family to Canada was to allow her son to focus on other activities in school besides education. “Everything is focused on school and not on other activities, just how much schooling they get.”
Flora is happy to be able to learn, grow, and give back to the people who gave her the opportunity.
So what does being Canadian mean to Flora? “To be Canadian means, to me, loyalty, honesty, kindness, and peace.”

Once a childhood vacation spot, Alberto never thought he would be raising his family in Canada. But after 11 years here, Alberto couldn’t be more proud to not only call this place his home, but to be a leader in his community.
Trial and error is what got Alberto to where he is today. He began by starting his own coin laundromat, which was robbed three times. Then he opened a Latin bakery, which wasn’t all he had dreamed it would be, leading to serious economic difficulties. He then moved on to delivering newspapers, pizza, and even driving a school bus. However, the profession that impacted him the most was driving for Para-transit. “I was in contact with people who have several disabilities, and spent a lot of time with their families. It was in that moment that I found the meaning of real love, and family.”
Alberto went back to what his heart knew. He attended Fanshawe College to obtain a diploma in business insurance and eventually the licenses that allowed him to work in the insurance industry, as he used to in Colombia. But it was never easy. During the job search process, Alberto usually received one of two answers: “At entry level jobs they told me I had too much education and experience to be applying and when I applied for jobs according to my education level, the problem was that I didn’t have enough ‘Canadian’ experience or education.” Finally in September 2011, after almost two years searching for a job,  Jim Sutherland, owner of JC Sutherland Insurance Brokers, today SutherlandElliott Insurance Brokers, gave Alberto the opportunity to come back to the field that he knows, the insurance market.
Alberto says that patience was key in his success. “Things will come, but you have to take them step by step.” Alberto is now one of the leading insurance brokers in his field. But this is not the only thing he is proud of; Alberto is proud to be Canadian. Facing his first winters, he realized the empathy between people in Canada. “If you see someone on the street who has a car problem or is walking in the winter, you will help. You help, because you understand that at any given time that could be you at some point or another.”
What does being Canadian mean to Alberto?
“I am very proud to be Canadian, because here you learn to cherish and value other people.”