L-R: Volunteers Veronica Chirino and Maryam Ali man the welcome table at the Canadian Immigrant Fair at the Radisson Hotel on Friday, July 10. Photo: Graham McDonald/U Multicultural.
The Canadian Immigrant Fair was held at the Radisson Hotel in Winnipeg on July 10, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair’s webpage presented the fair as an event meant to connect newcomers with information about what it called the “three pillars” of immigrant success: careers, education and settlement.
The fair’s webpage presented the fair as an event meant to connect newcomers with information about what it called the “three pillars” of immigrant success: careers, education and settlement.
The fair was put on by Canadian Immigrant, an organization with the same parent company as the Toronto Star, in partnership with Manitoba Start.
It included many exhibitors such as 432 Health Group, Assiniboine College, the City of Winnipeg, the Community Legal Education Association, Opportunities for Employment, and the Manitoba Ombudsman among others.
An official with the Canadian Immigrant Fair, Laura Jackman, explained that the fair is an annual event and that it has been running in Winnipeg for over a decade.
“We’re a division of the Toronto Star and we do these all across the country,” Jackman explained.
“We started in May in Halifax and then we go to Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and then another one back in Ontario.”
A welcome table was set up near the exhibits and volunteers Veronica Chirino and Maryam Ali gave out swag bags with copies of Canadian Immigrant magazine, a booklet about the IELTs English language competency test, and a pamphlet about a webinar for foreign-trained lawyers looking to practise in Canada.
The day also included speaker sessions aimed at preparing newcomers for employment in Canadian workplaces.
Medina Puskar, the Project Coordinator for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Manitoba Start, gave a speech about equitable hiring practices and accessibility in the Canadian workplace.
During her presentation, Puskar explained how legislation such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Manitoba Human Rights Code protects workers and shapes Canadian workplaces.
Puskar said many times newcomers will put off learning about their rights as workers, since often their overriding goal upon arriving in Canada is just to land a job, regardless of the working conditions.
“If I need to be treated nicely or if I need a paycheque because I’ve got people who depend on me, I’ll suck it up and do this until I find something better,” Puskar said, explaining the attitude many newcomers take when it comes to finding their first job in Canada.
Even when workers are cognizant that their rights might be being violated, they often don’t have the time or resources to learn how to deal with it.
“I wouldn’t say they’re necessarily ignorant. I think it’s not their priority,” Puskar said.
Although Jackman said most attendees come looking for job leads, the fair also includes a popular resumé writing workshop.
“It’s mostly jobs, we do have hiring companies here,” Jackman said, “but we also offer resumé critiquing. It gives a chance for someone who’s an expert to look at the resume and help you find a job.”
Jackman said attendees also get opportunities to network more broadly and to connect with organizations that help make them aware of the Canadian legal environment for workers and immigrants.
“We want them to have skills that they didn’t have before. It’s an excellent opportunity for people to network with other organizations that are like-minded.”
“They might be coming here for career information, but they’ll also get experience with other companies within Winnipeg that can help them.”
Since 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has introduced caps on international student applications and has set a general target of reducing Canada’s temporary resident population less than 5% of the population by 2027. Jackman said that although this has affected the employment landscape for newcomers, determined newcomers are coming to the career fair, nevertheless.
“It’s affected us in all walks. There have been a lot of service providers who’s funding has been cut,” Jackman said.
“Hiring is few,” Jackman said.
“Some of the international student funding has been cut. It’s affecting everyone all around, but today shows that we’re still able to do it and can bring in these newcomers who are wanting to stay in Winnipeg.”
Jackman explained that Canadian Immigrant’s mandate is broader than just the annual career fair and that they offer services to newcomers throughout the year.
“Canadian Immigrant is a national platform. We have a website; we do online webinars throughout the entire year for people to join anywhere within anywhere in Canada and we do these fairs across Canada. We’re really trying to provide free services for newcomers and help them succeed here.”
Despite a more difficult hiring environment and recent changes to Canada’s immigration system, hundreds of newcomers attended Friday’s event seeking employment opportunities and settlement support.
Graham McDonald, U Multicultural Journalism and Media Arts Centre