Immigrant-Owned
Remembering & Reflecting.
There are a lot of things when you immigrate that you must choose to either leave behind… or, to bring forward with you.
In 2015, when I first packed my three suitcases that carried here, it was all too easy to reach for the material things that I thought I would need: clothes, shoes, toiletries, and a few picture frames that held memories to keep me rooted.
It was all too easy, for a second, to get caught in the excitement of picking and choosing what will come with you to this new world, this new life, this new you. It still strikes me that after all these years, I find myself missing the non-material moments and habits from not a life before, but from the people who made that part of my life so meaningful, and who live so far away now. I miss seeing my dad at the neighbourhood coffee shop after running into him in our family home’s hallway, god do I ever miss my mother’s homemade cooking, I miss the presence of my twin brother’s weird habits and dark jokes, and I crave the traditions that once felt automatic and obligatory… that I now quickly realized weren’t an automatic or obligatory thing at all. They were the products of a culture that created our very own ecosystem ~ one that resulted in community. Needless to say, that sense of home was not something I anticipated needing to carry in my suitcase.
I do love my new environment. I have been in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada for over 9 years… and I feel very me here. Lately though, I have been overtaken by a new feeling — I find my bones being torn between two homes separated by seas, the sweet and sticky desert air that made me, my two parents who embody me, and the cool, crisp ocean breeze that now holds me.
I still sometimes struggle to reconcile and process the journey that immigration is but I’m proud to have done it.
Right Now-ish ~ 9 Year Anniversary of Coming to Canada
It’s fall of 2024 and I stood, waiting to pick up a friend from the Schwartz Bay Ferry Terminal at 9pm, on my 9 year anniversary since coming to Canada. I took a deep breath of that fresh, quick, clean ocean air and watched the warm street lanterns become bold in the fading sunset, their glass glowing soft in the condensation that starts to overlay them.
I still remember the boat that brought me to Canada. It and the ocean carried me across the no man’s land that existed somewhere between where I come from and where I was going.
I’ve been here for 9 years, had my small business for 4 years, and as of this year, I received my Permanent Residency status (aka a form of second-class citizenship). I have adored the trails and triumphs that What’s Good has brought me so far; and, I consider myself very lucky to have learned, grown, connected, created + collaborated with so many incredible individuals. I’ve felt a deep sense of purpose in doing this work—in getting to content create, organize, problem solve and story tell.
Something that has been heartbreaking however, invisible to the greater society, and infuriating above all has been the extra barriers that can come from the immigration process itself, let alone being an immigrant-owned business.
Immigrant-owned businesses often face obstacles to creating an economy for themselves… and yet, they persevere. Resilience is a beautiful thing, and it is made even more meaningful when it is done in an effort to not only represent hope, but to bring in new cultures, worlds, people, products, and services together. Immigrant-owned businesses heavily expand our consciousness and bring in great opportunities to collaborate and create with something that may be new to you.
Below is a lil’ list of the immigrant-owned businesses for you to discover:
Freyja — The Croissant Story
is located in Campbell River, BC and brings a unique story of flavour and freedom. Owners ~Emese & Geza~ are originally from Hungary and share a background in Professional Marketing. Hoping to find an English-speaking country where their children could thrive, they first had their sights set on a corporate job in Vancouver or Toronto… but after struggling to find work and needing to secure their immigration status, they started to look into the BC Provincial Nominee Program’s Regional Pilot.
At that time, “Campbell River was the only city in a sea of recruitment for mining, transportation, and lodging that was also interested in restaurants and food manufacturing. We were big time foodies in Europe, but neither of us were in hospitality. We contacted the original owner of Freyja in Budapest ~a favourite of ours for their quality and taste~ and organized a deal to let us open in Canada under the same name and branding, with the same base recipe, but not as a franchise. In March 2022, after our work permits and temporary residencies processed, we dove into a whirlwind three months — unbelievably managing to open Freyja on July 1, 2022. Our journey has been challenging — moving from one continent to another, starting a new business, all with two babies in tow — but it has also been filled with generosity, settling slowly into a new country, and meeting so many people.” — Owners, Emese & Geza
So, what makes these pastries so damn exceptional? Their traditional Danish recipe showcases Scandinavian minimalism and perfection. With 27 layers of perfection loaded into each and every croissant, each pastry is rooted in quality, filled with seasonal local ingredients, and never sacrifices flavour!
weaves together two continents, communities and cultures together with their handmade, woven basket offerings. Co-founder Acheampong was born and raised in Techiman, a community not too far away from Bolga, where all the baskets are handmade. In 2017, he met Marina in Ghana, who would later become the other co-founder, along with being his wife! Upon coming to Canada to begin this beautiful venture, Marina’s sister Rhyanna joined as the third co-founder of the business. Explore the stunning variety of woven artisan creations at Ansah Co.’s physical location in Langford on Station Avenue or shop online!
brings the delicious and authentic taste of Mexico to Cook Street Village’s Foodie scene. Offering gluten free and vegan options, this food truck holds within it the tastiest of treats! I personally frequent this churro truck a lot and it with great pleasure that I am always so surprised by how many people join me… and who have never had a churro before! Businesses that bring new things into our community create an opportunity to share the wonderful experiences of other places and gives us a chance to try something new, learning about another culture, and connecting with someone you may have missed otherwise.
is a one-stop shop for startups and is specially to designed to support immigrants, newcomers, and marginalized groups aiming to make their business operational, cost-effective, and sustainable within the Canadian economy. Immigrant-owned and operated, Founder Shourav Mahbub knows the trials and tribulations of starting a business and is a fantastic resource to help you work your way through to success!
What’s Good YYJ
is an immigrant-owned business. Entrepreneurship was not always the plan and so learning how to ‘do it’ didn’t always look as posh as I might have hoped. As an immigrant, I would go through what felt like these invisible phases and exist in these unknown spaces that included things like intense, unexpected systemic barriers and actively being gatekept from large parts of the economy. Despite being eternally grateful to finally be a Permanent Resident after 9 years, I know firsthand the feeling of overwhelm that can exist from a process such as Immigration. Getting to help other immigrant-owned and minority-owned businesses share not just their story, but their offerings with the community is one of the business practices we conduct most that makes me feel so, wildly human and connected.
