Our Story
In 1998, Jemie Liwanag and her husband founded a telecommunications company that operated a chain of nine store locations. Ten years later, they were awarded the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year by Entrepreneur Magazine Philippines. In 2013, she decided to move her family to Canada to take on a new challenge. It was quite an adventure as they were not aware of any acquaintance or family in Manitoba to be able to assist them upon arrival. Not having anyone to even welcome them in Winnipeg, they had a cab take them out of the airport, and a Greyhound bus to bring them to their final destination that is the city of Brandon. And did they tell you that Jemie was six months pregnant during that move, her son was nine years old and they had five oversized luggage in tow? Getting to Brandon was not the end of their ordeal as getting an apartment had its own complexity. At a very low city vacancy rate, they had to get their name on a list of tenants vying for a slot to get to an apartment. The absence of character references and Canadian credit history did not make it any easier. And the list was a rather long one. Staying in a hotel for months would have cost them a fortune. One fortuitous stroke of luck happened one morning when they made some small talk with a city bus driver. After revealing the difficulty they were having in getting a more permanent accommodation, the lady bus driver took them in. She lived alone with her dog in a trailer home. A good two months and a half later, a landlord finally accepted their tenancy application. Seven years later, with a degree in Immigration Consultancy under her belt, Jemie is paving the way to make immigrants' transition to Canada a little less painful. This is their story.
Why Canada?
Canada is one of the most diverse countries in the world. Its multi-cultural communities is home to clean and friendly cities, world-class universities and exemplary businesses and abundant job opportunities. Its strong and stable economy with a high quality of life make it one of the best places in the world to live. Its health care system is admirable. It has one of the quickest pathways to permanent residence and citizenships. If you have decided that Canada is for you, use our online tool for a free assessment.