St.Thomas, ON
Immigrant
Ecuador
30-39
Mabelen
Mabelen arrived from Ecuador to Canada in 2010, first lived in Toronto for one and a half years before moving to St. Thomas. Mabelen is currently working as a Catholic School Supervisor Assistant.
On Orange Shirt Day (September 30), I went to City Hall with my ESL classmates and got to learn about the history of the residential schools in Canada. It was the first time that I got to meet with Indigenous people in Canada, face to face. I first heard about the residential schools in Canada through Ecuadorian news. It was very sad to hear and learn about the history. My goal is to work as a settlement worker and help newcomers.
Jumbo the Elephant was a circus animal that died in St. Thomas in 1885. It has a sad history that is commemorated for visitors to learn about. Before I moved to St. Thomas, I heard a little bit about the history and knew that it is an old place. It is important when I arrive at a new place, to know about the local tourist attractions. When I first arrived in St. Thomas, I looked up places and saw that everything was near where I was living. Jumbo was a six minute drive away.
We went there to have coffee and to enjoy the sunset while we were sitting near Jumbo. It is an open place that we can park and visit. We enjoyed the nice flower decorations and for newcomers to see the history and take pictures. My daughter likes animals and she likes to see the sunset and nice views of the hills, trees, and homes. In St. Thomas, everyone knows about Jumbo and when I first came, people also told me to go visit Jumbo. When people first shared information about the city, the first thing was about the elephant.
 On Orange Shirt Day (September 30), I went to City Hall with my ESL classmates and got to learn about the history of the residential schools in Canada. It was the first time that I got to meet with Indigenous people in Canada, face to face. I first heard about the residential schools in Canada through Ecuadorian news. It was very sad to hear and learn about the history. My goal is to work as a settlement worker and help newcomers. |  There is a railway station in St. Thomas that is for freight. During the summer, I saw that it carries people. In Ecuador, I lived in a small city, about 3-5 hours from a bigger city. I like to live near places and in St. Thomas everything is near. When I lived in Toronto (Maple), there was more traffic. But here, transit is slow and comes every 45 minutes. I do not use the buses and I use a car to go around. It is very different from Toronto. Toronto is beautiful but St. Thomas is more quiet. |
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Since 1863, Pinafore Park has all year round activities to do. When we visited, it was an awesome experience because we saw a Classic Cars Exhibition, water splash park, playground, picking area, and beautiful green areas. The sound of the waterfall is amazing and relaxing and there is music in the park during the summer. There is also a lake where people can fish and enjoy. During Christmas, there are nice decorations where the firefighters put up lights and decorations around the park.
 The YWCA provides programs and all types of help for newcomers in St. Thomas. I consider the YWCA like 911. If I need help, I can contact them for help with taxes, legal guidance and things like that. I was very interested when I saw that they offered a program online called “Kids Creative Cuisine” for my daughter. They provided stuff for cooking and it was a nice experience. When we are starting a life in a new place, it is nice to receive help from the YWCA. I feel welcomed in St. Thomas. |  There is a Memory Tree at Pinafore Park. It commemorates those who have passed away. It costs about $300 to pay to the city which can be returned in taxes. To write the name of the family, to remember people. To me, the tree shows me that the city is growing up. I never saw something like that before. |  During the summer, there is an exhibition in the park where many people come to see the cars. My impression is that people in St. Thomas are rich and that everyone grew up together. It is very nice to see the classic cars. It is free. To see cars like this, you would have to pay in Toronto. I see different kinds of people and newcomers here. There are other newcomers from Syria, India, and other Spanish speaking countries. I like to share and learn about other cultures. But many are shy. |
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There is a lake that has beautiful colors. We saw this animal for the first time in our lives. There are different birds in the park and we spend most of the time in the green areas. I like to go to the parks to enjoy nature.
When I moved to St. Thomas, many people asked me about Ecuador. I want to share with others and I feel very happy to explain about what Ecuador is about. I feel happy that people get to know more about my country even though it is really far away. It is important for my daughter to know where her parents are from, to read, write, and understand Spanish. I want to teach her about both Canada and Ecuador. We celebrated the Ecuador soccer team's win against Peru/Bolivia at the park!