I’d lived like this before in Edmonton, in a dorm as an international student. Chasing dreams as an immigrantI had left India when I was 20, chasing the stories that Canada was a place where everyone was welcome and the belief that hard work would be rewarded with stability. This faith was tested on my first night in Edmonton as an international student at the University of Alberta where I didn’t even have a pillow to sleep on. I didn't want to explain how an international student from India ended up working at a call centre in Canada. (Pari Mokradi)In a Canada that can increasingly feel unaffordable and unwelcoming, those small acts gave me more than shelter.

Source: CBC News February 08, 2026 12:04 UTC