（日本語訳要旨）
今回は、TNC（Toronto New Comers Clubトロントニューカマークラブ) について、主宰者のNancy McFaddenさんにご紹介いただきました。TNCは、外国から赴任してきてトロントで新生活をスタートした人、また、仕事の理由で外国に長期滞在し帰国したカナダ人が集まり、様々な活動を通して友人を作り、互いに助け合い、現地に馴染むのをヘルプするグループです。

様々な国出身、異なる バックグラウンドを持つ人々が参加しており、「外国生活」にありがちな不安や苦労、孤独感、また、新しい発見などの楽しみをお互い共有しながらトロント生 活について学び、ネットワークを広げることができます。また、カナダ国外で得た体験や文化を維持していく機会でもあります。

映画や食事に出かけたり、英語またはフランス語での会話グループ、市内の散策やネイバーフッド巡り、ボランティア活動参加などのアクティビティもあります。広報委員のデグルート紀久江さんもTNCの活動に参加し、トロントの魅力や興味深い場所の数々を知り、現地での新しい暮らしをより楽しめるようになったといいます。

TNCは、National Newcomers Association of Canadaのメンバーで、ニューカマーの多くが知りたいこと、たとえば保険に関する情報、プログラムやテクノロジーについて、今回のパンデミックを乗り切るための生活や働きかたなど様々な疑問に関する情報交換を行っています。

ご興味のある方は、好きなアクティビティを選んで２回体験してみてから、入会を決めることができます。会費は50ドル。詳しい情報は tncmembership@gmail.comまでお問い合わせください。

“A Stranger is Just a Friend You Haven’t Met Yet”

Moving to a new city is exciting but it can also be intimidating and a little overwhelming. Friends, extended family, a job and familiar routines are left behind. You face the prospect of settling your family, setting up your new home, discovering your neighborhood and then finally addressing a big issue: “What about me?” The need to connect to others is very real. The Toronto Newcomers Club invites you to meet others who have had the same experience. “I moved to Toronto without a familial support system. Discovering the Toronto Newcomer’s Club was like coming home to comfort food and a good night’s sleep.” (Kamila Bilwani: from Pakistan, artist, teacher, mother)

The isolation and loneliness of a long-distance move transforms into a feeling of being connected to Toronto: to its natural beauty, to its distinct neighborhoods and ethnic diversity, to its art galleries and museums, and to restaurants and coffee houses. Most importantly, we connect to each other as friends, fellow enthusiasts pursuing favorite pastimes and colleagues running the activities and business of our club. “At TNC you will find other women who are masters at reinventing themselves. Everyone in TNC knows what it is like to stand at a doorway to straighten your shoulders, take a deep breath, turn the handle and step over the threshold into something new. At TNC we will help you to see who you can become in this new place.” (Jennifer Eng: originally from Alberta; moved from Hong Kong)

TNC consists of two major groups: expats moving to Toronto for the first time and Torontonians who have lived abroad, in some cases for most of their careers. Expats from over thirty countries are interested in meeting others and learning more about their new city. “Everyone in the club knows exactly what it is like to be new to the city and to not know anybody. “The club helped me to discover many interesting places in Toronto and made my new life here more enjoyable.” (Kikue de Groot: from Japan, a teacher of both English and Japanese)

The Torontonians, while happy to return ‘home’, are enthusiastic to keep their international experiences alive. After living in California, New York and London, Linda Hodgson now enjoys friends from over forty countries thanks to this “always renewing group of kind, diverse and interesting women.” Yvonne Tagoe, a Canadian journalist originally from Ghana comments: “My network in Canada shrunk while I was working abroad, but the Toronto Newcomers Club helped me grow it with new connections.” This combination of first time and returning residents produces a dynamic culture that is warm and enriching.

We are a diverse, multilingual group happy to challenge your mind, stimulate your taste buds and help exercise your body while having fun and meeting new people. An informative monthly newsletter provides you with all the details. Select from a wide array of activities:

Book and movie groups
Special Events involving partners
Conversation groups: French and English
Foodie tours, coffees, lunches and food/wine pairings
Games: bridge, canasta, mah jongg, bunco and trivia
Neighbourhood tours and scenic walks
Broad range of volunteer opportunities

An international flavour pervades. “Members come from, or have lived in, so many countries and we all benefit and learn from this diversity of traditions and experiences. Whether participating in a book club discussion, watching a documentary, sharing a bottle of wine or exploring the city, I am always reminded of how TNC softened the landing of moving to a new city through friendships I will always cherish.” (Linda Broyd: originally from the UK, moved from Florida)

Volunteers organize TNC activities and manage club business. This gives you the opportunity to join in and then only when you are ready and willing, step up and help. “The TNC made my family’s journey here so much more exciting, colourful and memorable. The openness, warmth, friendship and help I experienced also as a board member were wonderful.” (Kristin Zillman-Schulz: from Germany, banker, mother)

Our social club has become more socially conscious. As we connect to some great causes, we also bond with each other. “I’ve met great friends and forged lifelong connections through TNC. I also love that I have discovered ways, through our club, to give back to the community and expand my professional teaching skills by becoming involved with organizations such as, New Circles, Roots of Empathy and The Out of the Cold program. Joining TNC really has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!” (Susan Cuthbertson: from Scotland, educator, mother )

The Toronto Newcomers Club is a member of National Newcomers Association of Canada. Participants compare notes on longstanding common issues such as insurance, programs and technology as well as unusual circumstances such as functioning during a pandemic.

If you are interested, we invite you to two activities before making your decision. Consider a welcome coffee or any activities that appeal to you. The membership fee is $50. If you want more information, please email our Membership Chair at tncmembership@gmail.com. “TNC, which I joined in my second year in Toronto and Canada, is like home to me. My integration into the country and the culture has become a smooth and fast one thanks to my friends in TNC, all welcoming, all loving, all caring. (Zeynep Iskenderoglu Onel: from Turkey, translator, teacher, mother)

We welcome you to TNC. Feel valued as a friend, a participant and a colleague as you immerse yourself in this warm and enriching community. “Newcomers have become my anchor in the city. A great multicultural group with great initiatives and always open to make your life better” (Amaya Perez Villante: from Spain, teacher who now works with engineers, mother)
We look forward to meeting you.