It was a top-class dance performance. That evening, half a dozen seats in the Maisonneuve Theater on Place des Arts were filled by newcomers from Quebec. They were entitled to tickets as part of an exceptional program aimed at introducing newly arrived residents to local culture.
A way of saying: This is your home. We roll out the red carpet for you. And here are works that may give an insight into the mentality, the morals of your new home.
“I see it as a very beautiful gift from the country that welcomes us,” said Marina Melteva, one of the audience members who attended Kidd Pivot’s Assembly Hall show this week.
This mother from Bulgaria came to Montreal with her daughter five years ago. Thanks to the Canoo app, intended for newcomers, she was entitled to excellent tickets at the Maisonneuve Theater. This program offers every new Canadian citizen or permanent resident the opportunity to reserve free or low-cost tickets to 1,500 cultural venues across the country – museums, concerts, professional sports, national parks – as well as discounts for travel within Canada via Via Rail and Air Canada.
This initiative was launched in 2010 by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), an independent organization founded by former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and her husband John Ralston Saul. The majority of the program is funded by the federal government. Private donations foot the rest of the bill.
Curb disillusionment
“We want newcomers to the country to feel welcome,” says Roberto Alvarez, director of partnerships at Canoo.
Recent ICC research exposes a persistent myth about immigration to Canada: Yes, the country is perceived as an oasis of peace and “quality of life,” but a significant proportion of newcomers are disillusioned after immigrating.
“The disillusionment [des immigrants] Towards Canada increases. Access rates to citizenship have fallen by 40% and 30% since 2001. [d’entre eux et elles] “Under 30s plan to leave Canada after less than two years,” states the ICC.
The rise in housing costs, discrimination in the workplace, culture shock, the language barrier and the difficulty of building a new knowledge network are among the barriers to retaining immigrants, explains Roberto Alvarez.
Moved by the Cowboys
Marina Melteva, the mother of Bulgarian origins met at the Maisonneuve Theater, confirms the ups and downs of immigration. Their skills in early childhood education needed to be recognized. Develop friendships. And perfected her French, which she learned in Bulgaria. It now expresses itself perfectly in Quebec’s official language, but its integration has caused moments of unease.
“Fortunately, Quebecers are open-minded. All nationalities are represented in Montreal,” she says. As a sign of undeniable adjustment, Marina Melteva was touched by the death of Karl Tremblay. When she saw excerpts from the Cowboys Fringants concert on the Plains of Abraham on social media last summer, she said to herself that she had missed a unique opportunity to get to know this legendary group from her country.
A small consolation: she liked the performance in the Assembly Hall in the Maisonneuve Theater. This piece by choreographer Crystal Pite and playwright Jonathon Young combines dance and theater. In a dark and surreal atmosphere, the eight characters embody fans of medieval role-playing games. We see knights killing each other. A princess who has lost her lover. The scenes oscillate between dream and reality. It is wonderful. And sometimes funny too.
Marina Melteva was fascinated by the show. She loves contemporary dance. Thanks to free or discounted tickets from the Canoo app, the mother and her daughter are also regulars at the Museum of Fine Arts and the Space for Life, which includes the Biodôme, the Insectarium, the Botanical Garden, the Biosphere and the Planetarium.
Encourage discoveries
Sara Ennasri, who arrived from Morocco three and a half years ago at the beginning of the pandemic, also had the pleasure of visiting the auditorium. “Especially for students, it’s really good to have free or discounted tickets,” says the 30-year-old speech therapist, who is studying to have her skills recognized. She also works in management in the social sector.
It’s really good to have free or discounted tickets, especially for students
“Cultural trips help me discover Montreal and get to know people,” says the young woman. She and her aunt Sofia, also from Morocco, love the atmosphere of festivals. “Culture is everywhere. Montreal is an open-air museum. »
The only downside is that Sara Ennasri saw a much more extensive selection of excursions in Toronto on the Canoo app. The organization is working to offer more activities in Montreal, assures Roberto Alvarez.
Place des Arts affiliated presenter Danse Danse has been welcoming newcomers to its shows since 2018. The organization offers very good tickets in categories A and B. No fewer than 66 spectators from other countries must attend the performance in the Assembly Hall this Friday. According to Claire Olivier, head of inclusion at Danse Danse, more than 350 places have been allocated to new or permanent residents this season.
“I personally benefited from the program when I arrived in the country. It enabled me to take responsibility for the city and its cultural institutions. And I felt welcome,” says the manager of French origin.