For many newcomers, Kamloops (Tk’emlúps) is the first taste of Canada. As they overcome the stumbles and tumbles of immigrating to a new country — learning to drive, understanding a new language, gathering documents, attending appointments, getting a couch — Kamloops Immigrant Services (KIS) stands to provide support.
Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) student population alone is nearly 20 per cent international. While this contributes to an influx of newcomers, Kamloops overall is home to 9,335 immigrants according to the 2021 census, nearly 10 per cent of the total population.
Many of these newcomers are clients of Liza Ferris, who has been with KIS going on 13 years. Currently working as the program coordinator for KIS’ Achieve Program, Ferris helps guide clients through the complications of landing in Canada.
“I work with a very vulnerable population, with complex issues and multiple barriers to accessing services in our community,” she says. “I help these clients with goal setting and building life skills so that they can succeed in our community and become productive members of Kamloops and British Columbia.”
Among those complex issues, Ferris sees clients who have fled their home countries and landed here as refugees, experienced violence, substance abuse and financial issues. She also works in crisis management. In a nutshell, she describes the work KIS does as “enhanced settlement support” for highly vulnerable populations.
The programs are vast and specialized. Kate Chung, a settlement counselor with KIS tells The Wren every client comes in with different needs but the goal is the same.
“Our final goal is to successfully navigate the resources in the community and help to live in the area independently,” she says. “Yeah, that’s the goal.”
Community Connections
One program vital to the success of that goal is the Community Connections program, which offers moments of belonging. Events last all year, but in December alone KIS organized wellness events like snowshoeing and a cooking class on how to make a Tourtière, a French-Canadian meat pie.
Community events such as the Tapestry Festival, a multicultural event in Kamloops, help KIS collaborate with other organizations and bring together the multitude of communities they work with.
“Tapestry is a multicultural event where we showcase cultures from different countries,” Chung explains. “We have a lot of people attend these events where they can see, ‘OK, my country or my culture is here and I can still feel it.’”
Smaller, more intimate community connections events include a chess night, Christmas potluck, LGBTQ+ Newcomer Pride group and more.
“The basic needs when a newcomer comes is housing, employment and language learning,” Ferris says. “Attached to that is making sure that there is a building of a feeling of belonging, and that’s where our Community Connections program comes in place.”
The feeling of belonging is particularly important in the first two years of immigration, which Ferris describes as the hardest in terms of cultural shock.
Language barriers and even weather can make the transition to Kamloops challenging, she says. A sense of belonging can help buffer the impacts from isolation and dramatic change.
“We don’t want to stay in a place where we don’t feel welcome, and we don’t feel like we have a support system in place where we have people who are on our side,” Ferris says.
Volunteer Opportunities at Kamloops Immigrant Service
There are many chances to contribute to KIS, and Ferris says the best way to find the perfect fit is to visit their website. Currently there are a few closed positions until January, but there are still ways to contribute.
Additionally, a guide is available to help prospective volunteers get started.
“We were always looking for individuals with expertise in say, housing, employment, those popular topics in our community, and I’m looking for volunteers for gift wrapping,” Ferris says. “There’s always an opportunity to help.”
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