This is part 3 in our series Welcome to Saint John, where we share stories of immigration as it grows and shapes the city. In previous stories, we’ve looked at how newcomers will fuel key sectors, including health care. We also profiled a cardiovascular surgeon at the New Brunswick Heart Centre who says his journey from India helped shape his life.
At the age of 29, Ophelia Maestrado made the most difficult choice a mother could make: leaving her husband and three little boys aged two, four, and six in Bayugan, Philippines, to chase a dream in Canada.
Thinking back to her childhood, she remembers the struggle and the strength it gave her.
“We (would) pick any fruits from our trees and just sell them in order to have money,” she said.
“Even if we are poor, the upbringing is, I would say, solid.”
While she was educated and trained in accounting, the field couldn’t open doors in Canada. So, she made a bold pivot and trained as a caregiver — a profession in demand.
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From Singapore to Hong Kong, she cared for other families’ children and seniors, while also juggling part-time jobs to make ends meet.
It was a chapter that would stretch over several years, until the day her greatest wish came true.
After nearly a decade apart, her family joined her in Canada, a moment that made every sacrifice worth it.
“I’ve been away many years from them. So, I’ve missed all kinds of important stages of their lives, of my children. Now I get to enjoy them, it’s been 10 years that we’ve been together,” she said.
The family now calls New Brunswick home, and she’s since rebuilt her career as an insurance agent and a seasonal tax preparer.
But her dream was never just about a job.
“Because Canada gives me opportunity for myself, even not just for myself but also for my family, for my children,” she said.
“Better education, they can choose whatever they want to be, and health care here is free.”
What stands out most to her? The kindness she found in strangers. It’s a reminder she shares with others.
“Just be nice, be kind. Do not be judgmental right away because you see that I am Black or different colours, or I can’t speak English. No, just be nice.”
— with a file from Rebecca Lau
For more on this story, watch the video above.
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