Presentations from the 2022 edition of the Canada Day CCBC Online Festival showcase Canada’s diverse potential for those wishing to study in the country
By Sérgio Siscaro
July 1st is the day on which the Constitutional Act of 1867 was signed, establishing the formation of Canada. To celebrate this date, the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CCBC) gathered its partners to discuss, study and work opportunities in that country during this year’s edition of the Canada Day CCBC Online Festival – an event held annually by the Chamber, aimed at discussing topics of interest to both countries and whose main purpose is to strengthen bilateral relations. Thus, the Brazilian public had the opportunity to learn more about the operation of one of the most sought after educational structures by students from all over the world.
By opting to conduct an immersion in the Canadian educational system by means of webinars in this year’s edition of its Canada Day CCBC Online Festival, CCBC promoted an enriching discussion on the advantages of attending higher education institutions in Canada. To this end, it gathered in ten panels, held between June 28 and 30, representatives of several colleges and universities in Canada, in addition to also opening space for the Desjardins financial cooperative and the airline Air Canada.
This year, the program of discussions around the theme of education in Canada had a “warm-up” on the 27th, when a virtual round table was held, mediated by Beatriz Alvarenga, a specialist in higher education abroad from Fundação Estudar. On the occasion, representatives of four of the institutions that would participate in the Canada Day Festival on the following days presented some of the topics that would be addressed, such as opportunities to access scholarships, language-related issues (English or French) and the main characteristics of the education structure in Canada, among other issues. The presentation can be checked here.
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Diversified program
On its first day, the Canada Day CCBC Online Festival featured a special presentation by the Consul General of Canada in São Paulo, Heather Cameron. “For the past sixteen years, Canada has been the number one destination for Brazilian students. Canada and its provinces offer a world of opportunity and a high standard of living in a safe and multicultural environment,” she said. She added that in 2021 alone, about 11,000 Brazilians were studying in the country.
The panels that followed provided an overview of three distinct regions of Canada: British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta. Entitled “Technology and Innovation in Vancouver”, the first presentation provided general information about job opportunities on the Canadian west coast, and a description of University West Canada, located in Vancouver. The second presentation, “Study and work in the heart of Toronto”, focused on the opportunities offered by Niagara College in Toronto. Finally, “Study and Immigrate to Alberta” explored the potential of that region – which makes up Canada’s prairie provinces – and introduced participants to NorQuest College, located in Edmonton.
The next day, a province little known by Brazilians was the focus of one of the panels. In “Discover the best of Manitoba”, representatives of Red River Polytech, from Winnipeg, talked about the characteristics of the region and the advantages offered to students. Then, in the panel “Get a professional degree in Montreal”, the Lester B. Pearson Boarding School was presented, and the potential of the job market in the Quebec region was addressed.
The small town of Sault St. Marie, located near the border with the United States, was the subject of Sault College’s “Sault St. Marie, visit it and fall in love” panel – featuring a live appearance by Mayor Christian Provenzano. Next, “Montreal, a university city” was presented by representatives of the Université de Montréal. Closing the event, the panel “Student experiences at Trent University” brought testimonials from Brazilians who went through that educational institution, located in Toronto.
Support services
In seeking to offer the most complete panel possible of the possibilities that Brazilian students have when opting to study in Canada, CCBC could not leave out two aspects: the management of personal finances and transportation to the country. For this reason, the program of the second day of the Canada Day CCBC Online Festival was initiated not by an educational institution, but by the Desjardins cooperative, which, on the panel “Opening an account for students in Canada”, explained the peculiarities of the Canadian financial system and presented the services it makes available to those who intend to study in an educational institution in Canada. Likewise, on the following day Air Canada presented the benefits extended to students on their flights to the country on the panel “Air Canada: we connect you to your future”.
