Neepawa rallies behind newcomers

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This article was published 16/09/2022 (1189 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEEPAWA — A fire in Neepawa that made 10 immigrants homeless last Friday has highlighted the challenges Filipino newcomers face when they come to Canada, local stakeholders say.

But it has also shown how members of that close-knit community and Neepawa residents have come together to help newcomers in a time of crisis.

As reported by the Sun Tuesday, a century-old home located at 281 Mill St. burned down on Sept. 9, with the local fire department removing the entire top storey of the house with a backhoe to control the blaze.

The 10 newcomers, all from the Philippines, originally came to Neepawa to work at the HyLife Foods pork processing plant, located just outside of Neepawa on the Yellowhead Highway.

Criselda Hedley, who immigrated to Neepawa from the Philippines, is part of the supportive, tight-knit Filipino diaspora in the community that is trying to help the displaced newcomers with anything they might need, from donations of clothing and money to helping secure new housing.

“They were devastated by what happened,” Hedley said. “I hope they’re OK. The mental and emotional [stress] for them is really hard.”

Neepawa and Area Immigrant Settlement Services (NAISS) has worked closely with the newcomers to ensure they have access to services such as financial planning, counselling and housing.

Neepawa fire Chief Yves Guillas has noticed the confusion some newcomers encounter when they arrive in town, but he doesn’t blame them. He told the Sun earlier this week that there is a lack of affordable housing in the area, and companies that bring the immigrants to Canada for work don’t always prepare the newcomers for life in a new country.

Although she has been in Neepawa for five years now, Iris Lagria, who works with NAISS as a Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program co-ordinator, said she remembers how difficult it was learning all the rules and regulations for Canadian renters.

“I remember when we first got here and we were just renting, I didn’t check if there was a fire alarm in my room,” recalled Lagria, who also immigrated from the Phillipines. “Most of us don’t know that there has to be one in every room.”

But it’s not just the issue of learning a new community’s safety rules that some Filipino newcomers find confusing. Cultural differences also run deep, Lagria said, especially when it comes to emergency response.

“Calling 911 isn’t automatic to us. It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when something like this happens,” she said. “The first thing that comes to mind … is to ask for help from neighbours or your family, because there is this general feeling that you can’t rely on the authorities.”

Lagria said she believes that’s why the renters impacted by the recent fire first called the homeowner, who lived with them but was not home at the time, instead of the fire department.

Now, she’s calling for more education for newcomers so they know what to do in a crisis.

“We need to do a lot more information sessions around this kind of stuff,” Lagria said.

The response from the town, especially Guillas, has been a very supportive and positive one for the newcomers affected by the fire, Lagria said. Guillas and representatives from the town have held several meetings with the newcomers, she noted.

Neepawa’s Filipino community has also rallied around the people whose home burned down, collecting money and providing donations for their basic needs, and even getting in touch with landlords who could have rental properties available.

“The Filipino community here in Neepawa is behind them,” Lagria said. “They’re providing all the support they can. They’ve been wonderful.”

As of Thursday, two of the former home’s renters — a mother and daughter — have already found new accommodations, and Lagria said the Town of Neepawa has paid for the others to stay at the Neepawa Motel for seven days, with HyLife paying for an extra a week after that.

HyLife “immediately rallied” behind the newcomers following the fire by working with the town and social services, paying for temporary accommodations, purchasing household supplies and offering mental health resources, said Stacey Ashley, the company’s public relations and communications manage, in an email Wednesday.

“Our company is committed to ensuring our newcomer employees successfully transition through full settlement sessions with police, fire, public health, finance and other stakeholders,” Ashley wrote, adding that HyLife recently invested in Howden House, a brand-new housing complex in Neepawa scheduled to open in the next few weeks.

“This will be home to new temporary foreign workers as they settle in. Our leadership also continues to proactively work alongside the Town of Neepawa to ensure safe housing is accessible,” Ashley wrote.

On Thursday, Ashley provided further details on the company’s efforts to prepare newcomers for a life in a new country. HyLife prioritizes a “multifaceted” approach to helping new employees, Ashley said. This involves presentations by first responders, public health and mental wellness experts, the Neepawa Settlement Office and town representatives.

“Our We Care team, a group of leaders dedicated to supporting employees, is also available for check-ins, answering questions and helping with additional resources,” Ashley wrote in an email.

Despite the programming that currently exists, Lagria said there are still some gaps.

“I’m not sure about exactly what information [newcomers] are given when they get here. For us at the settlement office, we try to provide as much information as we can.”

NAISS has, up until recently, been mandated to only offer assistance to permanent residents. That changed this spring, Lagria said, when the organization, which is funded by the federal government, received permission to also offer services to temporary foreign workers.

“They need a lot of information about financial literacy, about learning how to drive, about housing,” Lagria explained. “You want to be able to give it to them, and now we’re able to do that with the temporary foreign worker program.”

Donna Calamba came to Neepawa from the Philippines more than eight years ago and she’s been an integral part of the town’s Filipino community’s relief efforts for the newcomers who lost their home, Hedley said.

“It’s not only me. It’s a lot of people in the community helping each other to help those victims of the fire. I don’t want to get the credit — everyone’s helping,” Calamba said. “I’m just doing this because I had nothing too, and I was helped by the community when I first arrived.”

Most of the newcomers’ material goods, such as clothing and basic necessities have been met. Now, Calamba said, they need non-perishable foods and financial help for things such as medication.

Calamba has organized several fundraisers for the newcomers, including “Zumba for a Cause” at the Neepawa Flats on Saturday and a darts and table tennis event, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the victims of the fire.

It’s not just the Filipino community in town that has shown their support for the victims, Calamba added. Neepawa residents from all backgrounds have come out to offer help, too.

“They’re a loving people,” Calamba said. “The acceptance for these new Canadians is just great. It’s overwhelming.”

Financial donations can be brought to St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church, located at 416 First Ave., or Prairie Alliance Church, located at 155 Main St. West.

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