2017 Embracing Diversity Full Report

The Job Market: Ahmad’s Story
Ahmad * came to Canada from Saudi
Arabia in 2013. He joined his family in
Huron County, but after two and a half years
he has recently resettled in Perth County.
In Perth, finding work was easier and there
were more opportunities to meet friends
and have a social life. While Huron County
remains a beautiful place, Ahmad felt it was
better suited for retired people. To be young
with hopes of full-time work above minimum
wage and a social circle that included more
then going to the local bar and playing video
games, he had to move a larger centre with
more young people.
Upon arriving in Huron County, Ahmad
needed to pursue language studies.
Unfortunately, he was the only person
requesting language training in that area at
the time and he ended up having to drive
to Stratford to take classes. Eventually, he
got to know a few other students who were
travelling to Stratford to learn English and
together they were able to arrange to have
classes offered in Huron County.
He worked at a couple of different jobs
while living in Huron—at a restaurant and
at a locally owned transportation company.
However, both of these jobs were part-time
and minimum wage and were good while
he was studying, but there was no future in
them for him. A friend of his from Columbia
found him a better job in Stratford. And
while the Employment Ontario programs in
Stratford are very supportive, Ahmad didn’t
expect that it would be so hard to find a
good job that you could stay with for a long
time. When he did find one, he had only two
weeks of holidays so getting back to Saudi
Arabia to visit family was challenging. He
explains that the rules here are different.
And while it is lonelier in Stratford without
family, it is easier to live there. The weather
is cold, but the people in the community
are very kind, polite and appreciate him. It
is still hard to make friends—it takes much
longer in Canada than in Saudi Arabia. Still,
Ahmad has made friends with his “Canadian
family” who treat him like a son and he
feels very fortunate for it. He loves to cook,
and although food is not cheap he can find
everything he needs and saves money by
eating at home.
The biggest barrier he faces is being Muslim.
People get scared when they find out he is
Muslim and is part of the reason making
friends is so difficult. Islamophobia paints
everyone with the same brush, “I am a good
person and just want to have a good life here.”
*Name changed to protect the privacy of the respondent.
38 Service Providers and Supporting Organizations