Rogers Arena welcomed newcomers to Canada last week to partake in a celebration of community and what is truly Canadian: a skating party.
Amidst the glistening expanse of Rogers Arena's ice, a diverse group of 50 women, men and children gathered for their First Canadian Skate.
The refugees were from all over the world, including Ukraine, Syria, Kenya and India, and some had been in Canada as little as five days. There were some tears, some were cautious, and some were raring to go, ready to learn to lace up their skates and take the ice. By the end of the skating session everyone came off the ice with a big smile.
After working up an appetite on the ice, they enjoyed several traditional Canadian refreshments including a poutine station, cedar planked salmon bites, and Nanaimo bars.
The event was hosted by Michael Magee, Director of Nch’Kay Development Corporation, who has been hosting the event since 2015. He was inspired to start the initiative by the 2015 European migrant crisis, wanting to help people feel welcome coming to a new home in traditional Canadian style.
Magee works with the Immigration Services Society of BC who brings organizes bringing the newcomers to the skate and the City of Vancouver Parks and Recreation provides the skating equipment for the evening.
Sammy Alsadad, 32, is from Syria and has been in Canada for three weeks. He was a refugee living in Jordan, where he had lived the past 12 years.
“It's been overwhelming but super exciting at the same time. There’s a lot of paperwork to do, but it’s absolutely fine. I've been waiting for this moment for the past 13 years now,” he said.
He was taken aback walking into Rogers Arena seeing the arena for the first time. Getting his gear on was an adventure and he felt wobbly when he stood up, but he couldn’t wait to get out onto the ice.
“It’s unreal! I've always seen this on television, but this is my first time being present in an arena and it’s such an awesome place.”
He had such a great time he was one of the last few off the ice and he can’t wait to go to a Canucks game in the future.
“It was beautiful, I loved it,” he said.
Kuol Ruai is from Kenya and brought four of his children with him to the skate. For three of them, it was their first time on the ice. Ruai and his oldest son got to experience skating at Rogers Arena for the first time in 2020, and when he told his three younger children they were going to get the chance to skate they couldn’t wait to try it.
"They were so excited, and they asked the elder brother what it was like and he told them ‘Yes, Rogers Arena is a very nice place and you guys will enjoy it’,” Ruai said.
He laughed because there was so much anticipation the month leading up to the skate, but his younger brothers and sister were a little nervous at first when they got to the rink.
Ruai came to Canada in November of 2019 with his oldest son while his wife and other three children were in a refugee camp in Kenya. He and his wife were separated by the war in South Sudan in 2013, she was in the Northern part of Sudan and Ruai in Uganda. In the application process to leave Africa, the UN said they would bring them to Canada separately.
Due to the pandemic in 2020, his wife’s arrival with three of their children was delayed until April of 2023. Since his wife came to Canada, the couple has welcomed another child just one month ago, and they named their daughter Maggie after Magee’s late mother.
Ruai met Magee at newcomer's skate four years ago and they forged a friendship. While Ruai was getting settled in a new country, he was a single parent, enrolled in college and working to make ends meet. He would ask Magee for advice on how to streamline his day-to-day processes.
“Mike has done a lot for my family since we met in the Arena,” Raui said. “He has been following up on how I’m doing and whenever I have a few challenges that face me. He has also contributed to the job that I'm doing right now.”
Ruai, who worked in supply chain management in Kenya, recently graduated with his diploma in supply chain and international trade and through his new job is gaining North American experience in his field.
Coming to Canada and starting a new life hasn’t been an easy road, but it’s a little easier having found a community that embraces and supports them through the journey.
