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by CK May is the month of flowers not just in the Philippines but also here in Calgary. A lot of my neighbors have done their spring cleaning and unfortunately I cannot cope up with them. I remember that during this time of the year my husband, Hank gets busier day by day. He takes care [...]
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Red Deer Reports: Diaspora

Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Ravelo

As the first “early settler” of Red Deer, Gaetz’s soul is certainly welcoming Arnold as the “latest settler” (landed immigrant) to the city of hope, happiness and dreams…

“Welcome to Red Deer!”

That was our warmest longed-for greeting to my sister-in-law’s husband, Arnold Ravelo, upon his arrival here in Red Deer, Alberta just recently.

Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada.

It is located on the Red Deer River after which it was named; and near the midpoint of the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County.

Red Deer is Alberta’s third-most-populous city—after Calgary and Edmonton.

According to its 2013 municipal census, the City of Red Deer’s population is now 97,109, with an immediate regional population of 152,546 as of 2011.

Arnold is already a part of the “Filipino diaspora” who settled as permanent resident with his wife, Natasha Lansangan-Ravelo, in the first world country, Canada—particularly here in Red Deer.

Canada is called the Land of Opportunities.

It is the land of hope and dreams!

For the people like us, we Filipinos, who are law-abiding citizens, hard workers and industrious, Canada would be our haven and paradise for better life.

It is our hope.

It is where we can find the realizations of our dreams…

“Leave out all your worries from where you came from and Red Deer will surely take care for you and your future,” we tried to mollify Arnold.

We know, as a newly landed immigrant, he has some worries and bloodcurdling moments.

As I experienced when I just landed here in Red Deer, I can feel what he felt—even though he reunited with his benevolent and affectionate wife.

As a newly landed immigrant, there are lots of things to worry about: what will be his life and future in this first world country he chose to live in?

We tried to give him some historical and demographical sketches of the city where he landed to.

The city is now a major center for oil and natural gas extraction and related industries, and also for agriculture and agricultural services.

It is also a regional center for administration with a courthouse and provincial building.

It is also well served with all major stores in malls such as Bower Place, Southpointe Common, Parkland Mall and many other locations.

Nearly ninety percent of residents spoke English as a first language while 1.7 percent spoke Spanish and 1.6% spoke French.

The next most common languages were Tagalog (Filipino) at 1.1 percent, German at 1.0 percent, and Chinese at 0.8 percent, followed by Dutch at 0.6%, Ukrainian at 0.4 percent, and Vietnamese at 0.3 percent.

About 4.4 percent of residents identified as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.

“Don’t worry with the wonderful people here in Red Deer,” we said. “They are very friendly, accommodating and helpful, especially the Filipino community…”

Red Deer is home to almost 1,800 recent immigrants (arriving between 2001 and 2006) who now make up just more than two percent of the population.

About sixteen percent of these immigrants came from the Philippines, while about 14% came from Colombia, 8% came from India, 7% came from the United States, about 5% from each of South Africa and the United Kingdom, and about 4% from El Salvador.

“If you are not very fastidious with any kinds of jobs, entwined with your unprecedented diligence, you will become successful here,” I advised Arnold when he asked me what could be his possible job here in Red Deer.

Before Arnold joined his wife, Natasha, here in Red Deer, he graduated Culinary Arts at the Royal Brunei Institute.

A native of Silang, Cavite, Philippines, he worked as a Chef for six year at Renyi’s Cafeteria, a Filipino Restaurant in Brunei.

He is a very hard worker, and if possible, he doesn’t want to waste his precious time.

“There are lots of hotels and restaurants here in Red Deer,” I said. “You can apply to any of them. Being a good chef, that would be your advantage…”

I told him also some other jobs for him to apply to, including the oil-ridge.

“But for the meantime, you have to enjoy while you don’t have jobs yet,” my wife told him. “You and Natasha should go to tourist spots here in Canada, like in Banff, in Drumheller where you can find the remnants of the dinosaurs, to Sylvan Lake and even in Edmonton Mall…”

He arrived two days before my birthday last August, and we found our time to bond and acquaint with each other.

Even for the first meeting with him, I found him as a loving, kind, happy and responsible husband.

An ideal man’s excellent attributes that a wife, in-laws and relatives looking for—so that a certain smallest unit of society would be blessed and successful in the future.

As a Leo (his zodiac sign), he celebrated his ‘nth birthday here in Red Deer on August 19.

As her birthday gift to Arnold, my sister-in-law took him to the Banff.

Arnold adored the beautiful sceneries in Banff, including the Lake Louis, and other places in the rocky mountains of Central Alberta.

They took lots of pictures and videos as remembrance.

“Very beautiful places,” he exclaimed.

In his Facebook timeline, he posted all their pictures.

His friends and relatives who see and read his Facebook timeline know very well Arnold is in good hands, and right place to seek for his future and his family.

As their older brother and sister here in Red Deer, my wife and I gave him some advices and pointers, especially in applying for his possible job/s.

As of this writing, he handed already his resume to some of the companies, including the Oilfield Companies.

The city is also located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills that is subject to oil, grain, and cattle production.

It is a center for oil and agriculture distribution, and the surrounding region is a major center for petrochemical production.

Thus, oil is one of the major and richest products of Alberta.

And as one of the foremost oil-producing provinces of Canada, any of the Central Alberta’s oilfields is one of Arnold’s target and potential job for him.

The salary in the oilfield company is much higher and better compared to other workplaces.

“I know some Filipinos who are working with the oilfield companies,” I said. “Most of them are rich, have their own beautiful houses, luxury cars and everything…”

“The only problem is, if your salary is higher, your taxes are also in the ceiling,” my wife said. “But the best thing, here in Alberta, you have all the best benefits. Your Alberta Health Care alone is one of the best. It is truly very beneficial if you are already a member. Whatever sickness you have, even you will undergo for major surgery, you and your family will not worry where you’ll get the money for hospitalization. I tell you, Arnold, you’ll be rich here in Canada…”

I agree hundred percent.

Currently, while waiting for the bigger opportunity, Arnold is working as a chef at the Red Deer Lodge.

IN my mind, the soul of the late Rev. Dr. Leonard Gaetz must be very happy for Arnold in selecting Red Deer as the city where he will raise his family and future siblings.

Gaetz was the founding father of Red Deer.

As the first mayor of Red Deer, he was memorialized in the name of Red Deer’s major thoroughfare, the “Gaetz Avenue.”

As we all know, Gaetz was a strong promoter of the area, founding the Westerner show grounds and annual “Westerner Days,” akin to the Calgary Stampede.

And lastly, as the first “early settler” of Red Deer, Gaetz’s soul is certainly welcoming Arnold as the “latest settler”(landed immigrant)to the city of hope, happiness and dreams…

Again, to Arnold: “Welcome to Canada, Kapatid!”—O

Red Deer Reports: Diaspora

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