Before moving to Canada in December 2014, our family made three exploratory visits, leaving behind Manila’s “cool” 28°C for Edmonton’s “brutal” -28°C winter. We arrived with new and  hand-me-down jackets, encouragement from loved ones, and the hope for a better life for our children, a life where education and healthcare are accessible to all.

 

Living in Edmonton was far different from visiting. The moderate cold winter of -5°C to -15°C that seemed harsh to us were ordinary to seasoned Albertans. But over time, we learned from every season: Winter taught resilience, Spring taught alertness, Summer taught celebration, and Fall taught reflection. Through it all, a song I sang in elementary school, “Fill the World with Love,” stayed with me, reminding me to lead a life guided by care and generosity, a life I still aim for as I journey toward my senior years.

 

Immigration doesn’t end at the border; it begins there. Every challenge shapes us. We asked

ourselves: must we lose our identity to belong, or can we share who we are and celebrate differences together? The support from our community showed us we didn’t have to choose; we could still be ourselves while finding our footing. That sparked our commitment: to help others navigate their own journey and to pass the kindness on.

​

A decade later, our children are thriving, from law school to hockey, and even our youngest, who has autism, is making wonderful progress with inclusive school support. These milestones weren’t luck; the journey was wasn't smooth either. We learned that the people we rely on can either lift us or break us. Canada’s extreme weather became a metaphor: we slipped through freeze-thaw cycles, learned to adapt, grow, and find warmth again. These lessons taught us the value of planning, sticking together, and staying anchored in our values while pursuing a better life.

I know how it feels as an immigrant, the leap from the life I once had back home to the life I live now. I chose to struggle, leaving my comfort zone, carrying fear as both baggage and motivation.  I’ve also seen how the immigrant journey can leave people stuck or unsure of what comes next.

 

Our story is a reminder that with honesty, resilience, and grounded optimism, we are called to share our own experiences so others can learn from these and discover better ways to visit, study, work or live in Canada. Along the way, I’ve gained the wisdom to know who can help and who can’t, guiding every decision we make at AHI. At Align Horizons Inc., we don’t see people as transactions. Immigration shouldn't be a numbers game. It’s about building futures of both temporary and permanent immigrants to benefit Canadian communities.