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Hi, it’s Dozie,
Welcome to today’s From the Editor.
In today’s newsletter: I talk with Fatima Narvaez, Mylene Torres, and a group of amazing immigrant women about finding belonging in the Rockies.
Also in the news: Canada targets researchers and skilled workers; African countries gain ground among Canada’s permanent resident sources; IRCC publishes 10-step checklist to help applicants avoid processing delays.
Plus in today’s French in Canada: Nishant Anand answers which French exams you should take.
See past issues here.
“The Rocky Mountains made me feel like I belong”
A few weeks after arriving in Canada from Colombia, Mylene Torres went to the grocery store close by for lettuce. As she stood in the produce section looking at greens she had no names for, hunting for the one she had bought her whole life, she realized that a grocery store had never made her feel so out of place.
In Colombia, buying groceries was effortless. Here, the smallest errand was something she had to learn. She ended up going home without the lettuce.
The memory has stayed with her for more than twenty years. "It wasn't really about the lettuce," she says. "It was about realizing how many little things I no longer knew."
Fatima Narvaez arrived around the same time, in rural Manitoba, with her parents and brothers. They came in October, early enough to get ready for the winter everyone had warned them about. When it came, whiteouts were normal, and the temperature dropped past forty below and kept going.
Cabs were the only way to move without a car, so Fatima and her brothers walked or biked. One of her brothers was twenty-two, and that first winter he walked to his job at a steel plant every morning, a dark shape in heavy layers and a balaclava on days that hit thirty below. His wife was pregnant in the Philippines, waiting for their first child.
Fatima was twenty-five at the time and struggling too. She didn't think of it as a problem. For her, it was just what being new to Canada meant: everyone under one roof and each of them alone in it.
Years later, they would both belong to Women's Adventure Network (WAN), a volunteer-run community of women who hike and climb together, founded by Fatima. Mylene joined a beginner rock-climbing event in July 2025 and was hooked after the first one.
But neither of them set out to become a hiker.
Read about Fatima and Mylene’s accidental sojourn into mountain climbing, how it led to the launch of WAN, and more ⬇️
The First-Time Home Buyer’s Checklist | Alberta Edition
Buying your first home is one of the biggest and most exciting milestones of your life — and if you're new to Canada, it can also feel like the most confusing.
This guide walks you through the entire journey in plain language, starting at the very beginning: confirming you're eligible to buy. From there, we cover getting mortgage-ready, saving your down payment and deposit, the programs that put money back in your pocket, and everything from writing an offer to picking up your keys.
From our newsroom
Canada targets researchers and skilled workers. New research funding, faster doctoral permits, and revised Express Entry categories direct limited immigration spaces toward workers in sectors Ottawa considers essential to growth and public services. — Full article here
African countries are gaining ground as sources of permanent residents for Canada. Cameroon’s rapid rise reflects a broader shift in Canada’s immigration mix, partly supported by federal targets for French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec. — Full article here
IRCC publishes a 10-step checklist to help applicants avoid processing delays. The guidance covers forms, translations, family details, fees and deadlines. Applicants could still face delays caused by screening requirements and high application volumes. — Full article here
French in Canada with Nishant Anand
Q: Should I take the TCF exam or the TEF?
A: I’ll start with the famous it depends. And I say so because you’ll need to consider a few things, such as:
How fast do you need the results?
You can get your TEF exam results as fast as 48 hours. But on average, they take 4-5 business days. The results are sent to your registered email ID and can also be checked on the official portal where you registered for the exam. TCF takes between 7 and 12 business days. There have been cases where it took 3 weeks from the day of the exam to get the results.
Writing
TEF Section A is 25 minutes. You are given a newspaper heading and must write a news article of at least 60-120 words. You need to be creative, so if you don't read French newspapers or news, this will be the hardest part. Section B is 35 minutes of formal writing — a 200-word letter to a newspaper editor. It can be easy if you’ve been practicing.
TCF gives you 1 hour for the entire writing exam. Section A asks you to respond to a present-tense scenario in 60-120 words — giving directions, inviting a friend, etc. Section B asks you to write 120-150 words about a past event, like a vacation or birthday party. Section C asks you to summarise two short articles and give your opinion in 160-180 words. It’s not too difficult if you write French daily, even if you don't read newspapers.
Speaking
TEF has two sections. Section A: Given an advertisement, you ask 10 questions in 5 minutes. Section B: Given an advertisement, you hold a 10-minute conversation convincing a friend to do that activity — the examiner plays your friend.
TCF has three parts. Section A is a 2-minute introduction — basic questions about yourself, hobbies, city, likes and dislikes. Section B is a role-play where you ask questions in a given situation for up to 3.5 minutes— for example, asking about a gym membership. Section C gives you a debatable question and asks for your opinion, with reasons. For example, should schools allow internet access, and why?
Listening and Reading
TEF is difficult because of vocabulary and audio speed. You answer 2 questions per audio clip in listening and 2-3 questions per article in reading.
TCF gives you one question per audio clip in the listening section and one question per article in the reading section.
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So if you are someone who speaks the language in your day-to-day conversations, the TCF is easy; however, if you have studied French at a university level or completed a master’s, the TEF isn’t difficult.
Want more? Start your French journey with Nishant
Newsletter writer: Dozie Anyaegbunam
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