New Canadians : Featured Stories

As a young girl in Kerala, Sharada Eswar loved hearing her grandmother recount Indian epics. Now, the Brampton resident is bringing those ancient stories—and more contemporary tales—to life.

For a Chinese-born economist, the difficulties new immigrants have entering the labour market are more than just theoretical. Maggie Chen's learned the obstacles firsthand. She's also learned about the resources available to help her.

The Riverdale Hub is a social innovation co-working space with a difference: its mission is to empower minority communities. Along the way, a renovation and a bold new presence on Gerrard Street in Toronto's Little India neighbourhood may help speed area's revitalization efforts and test a new funding model for non-profits at the same time.

As a classical Indian dancer, Iman Grewal has performed with some of the industry's major talents including Bare Naked Ladies, Apache Indian and Roach Killa. Two years ago, she decided to pass on the torch and her company Kama Entertainment is now ushering in the next wave of South Asian talent.

In 2001, after her four-year-old daughter was shot in the leg by corrupt Colombian officials, Liliana Angarita fled the country with her family. Now in Toronto she's devoting her life to human rights with her husband Mario Guilombo. Her efforts landed her in Canadian Immigrant Magazine's top 25 immigrants of 2011 list.

Jameson Avenue's 1960s apartment buildings, packed with New Canadians, are home to many stories on migration. But only one of its residents has won a $20,000 provincial prize for telling these tales. Meet Ryad Assani-Razaki, a Benin-born, Parkdale-based scribe on the rise.

Poverty and marginalization are persistent forces in the lives of Toronto's new immigrants. Carol Wilding and the Toronto Board of Trade put forward a series of strong recommendations in the 2010 local election. Where's the progress? And what still needs to be done?

University of Toronto's Citizen Lab has opened its arms to the private sector, working with companies around the world on human rights issues. The lab is also tapping into the University's diverse student population to help it do its global work.

Whether it's what to wear to work or the intricate details of consulting, volunteers with the Mentoring Partnership Program have something to say about it. Veena Balram is one of 3,800 mentors that have been part of 5,300 GTA matches over the past six years.