Do we install it in the back? The answer comes a little late. The parents seem speechless. And for a good reason. The night before, this family of four arrived from Colombia.
The twelve-year-old stares into space, his black cap pulled tight over his head. Surely he would have preferred to sleep longer. But that’s not possible this morning.
Quebecois Isabelle Généreux has a whole program planned for her first real day in Quebec. A kind of bureaucratic sprint by the newcomer.
Social security number, bank and telephone account opening, internet connection, library card. The essentials to start a life in Quebec.
It lays out all the administrative procedures to integrate and start working, explains Isabelle Généreux, Talent Acquisition Advisor at Drummondville Economic Development Corporation (SDED).
We open a bank account that you will quickly fill with money! jokes Isabelle Généreux, trying to reassure this couple who left everything to find themselves in such a different environment.
It is very important that they are well received and that they have a good experience when they arrive. It’s also a win for employee retention, she explains.
Haydee Harranda and her son Sébastian on the balcony of their new Drummondville apartment.
Photo: Radio Canada / Yanik Dumont Baron
Repeated receptions
This family is one of thousands of foreign workers who come to Quebec each year. Single men or families, the vast majority have temporary work visas for two or three years.
Last year, Drummondville welcomed 200 people. This year more than 300 plan to settle in the region. “It’s a very big year,” confirms Isabelle Généreux while driving.
A solution used by a growing number of companies to meet their immediate workforce needs. Not just in Drummondville, but all over Quebec.
The Legault government is already helping companies select the most qualified foreigners. This week the prime minister confirmed that he would like to welcome more economic migrants who already speak French.
Immigration is no longer used to meet seasonal needs. Many are looking for people willing to settle in the area. Therefore, the bureaucratic rounds that Isabelle Généreux so often leads are important.
She is leading the Colombians through a deserted shopping center this morning. She stops at a mobile phone kiosk and calls the employee. You would like a little plan. Do we do it as usual?
He recognizes Isabelle, jokes with her a little before suggesting his most favorable plan. The transaction is done quickly, young Sebastian has no time to go into the video game trade…
The Grajales family buys a mobile phone plan with Isabelle Généreux from SDED.
Photo: Radio Canada / Yanik Dumont Baron
We have many questions
The family also does not have time to stroll through the mall. It is necessary to chain the appointments to come back so that the little one can take a nap on her bed.
Do you see this store? During the drive, Isabelle Généreux shows the parents other places they should know: the pharmacy, the stationery, the cheap shops.
The parents nod and make notes in their heads. But there are so many novelties that you probably won’t remember everything. “We have a lot of questions,” confirms mother Haydee Harranda.
We are so far from home, both geographically and in terms of style and quality of life. She wants to know the opening hours of shops and churches that she can visit.
The parking meters make Sebastian curious and wonder what they are for. The father wonders about license plates with certain names that the owner of a vehicle has chosen.
You have to think a lot about a change of country, explains Isabelle Généreux. Often we do not know how it works and what administrative procedures to do.
So it’s important to have a guide, someone local who knows what you need to know. Having someone by your side to take those steps is golden! introduces Isabelle Généreux.
Quite a service paid for by the employer who hired Cristian Grajales. The father discreetly assures us that he greatly appreciates the help he is receiving. I don’t think we could do it without them.
Daniel Cloutier, one of the co-owners of Usiflex. The Drummondville-based company hired six temporary foreign workers, including Cristian Grajales.
Photo: Radio Canada / Yanik Dumont Baron
We want you to feel safe with us
Cristian Grajales’ employer has taken on five more foreign workers in recent months. Parts machining company Usiflex traveled to South America to look for workers they couldn’t find here.
And the bosses don’t regret the experience at all. It’s even better than I thought! founds Daniel Cloutier, one of the co-owners. The integration is going very well.
The two bosses are so keen to make employees who travel from afar feel welcome that they even meet them when they step off the plane in Montreal.
In fact, it goes beyond that, emphasizes Daniel Cloutier. Despite the housing shortage, Usiflex found an apartment large enough for the family. And the bosses set it up.
We want them to feel at home when they arrive, where they can cook quickly and sleep well.
We want you to feel safe with us. Recent experience has shown Daniel Cloutier that these new recruits still have many adjustments to make.
The goal of Usiflex is clear. When the bosses invest so much energy and money in these foreign employees, it’s not as if they will retire after their contract expires in two years.
We don’t have a large staff turnover, we try to do our best for our employees. So that you feel comfortable here.
The company plans to offer French lessons during working hours. English and translation tools cannot fix everything, especially off the factory floor.
At a Latin American grocery store, Haydee Harranda finds products she thought she would have to give up when she moved to Canada.
Photo: Radio Canada / Yanik Dumont Baron
Support from a growing community
All the challenges that moving to another country brings are felt when the Grajales family does their first grocery shopping at a large grocery store.
Isabelle Généreux planned this stop at the end of the day. She knows how different things are here in the companies. And how important food is for well-being.
She takes her time in the aisles and suggests inexpensive brands and substitutes for Colombian products. We also need to help them decipher the prices, which are sometimes displayed by weight, sometimes by unit.
The mother had a mango in her hand, she thought it was two dollars a kilo. No, it’s two LA mango dollars. It was a shock to her. And there will be many more similar shocks.
But these shocks can be quickly absorbed. Especially since Drummondville is welcoming a growing number of Latin Americans.
A few steps from their new apartment, the Grajales discover a Latin American grocery store. The shelves are full of products from Colombia, the owner’s country of origin.
Haydee Harranda scans the shelves and her smile widens. It’s the love of the land, all those flavors! She pauses, her eyes spotting another product she thought couldn’t be found here.
Coincidentally, the owner of this small shop is from the same region of Colombia as her. German Blanco settled here more than 15 years ago. This is the best place to work! he throws.
Cristan Grajales’ work permit is valid for two years. His family therefore has time to settle in and make their own decision. For now, it’s better to go back and rest a little.
All four look tired, their heads are still full of questions. But they are also reassured. We’re fine, starts Cristian. Happy Happy Happy! Haydee completes before closing the door of her new apartment.