Lusine Harutyunyan
Armenian journalist reports her family’s move to Alberta is a “good news” story.
News broadcaster Lusine Harutyunyan is happy to report that her family is adjusting well to living in Alberta. She, her husband, Vahe, and their three children immigrated to Calgary four years ago from Yerevan, Armenia, and have been enjoying the “extreme beauty” of Alberta ever since.
“Vahe fell in love with Canada when he visited in 2002,” explained Lusine. “When he returned to Armenia, we began researching the immigration process and obtained an application from the Government of Alberta.”
Lusine worked as a journalist in Armenia for many years, and planned to continue her career in Alberta. But the road has not always been smooth. She contacted the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association and the Calgary Immigrant Aid Society for help finding a job in her field. The counselors there helped her understand that the language barrier was her biggest obstacle.
“To continue to work as a broadcaster in Alberta, I needed to not just learn English but master it, and then take a professional course so I could find a job in my profession,” she explained.
Lusine studied English and graduated from the broadcasting program at Calgary’s Mount Royal College in May 2009. She received funding through the Alberta government program Alberta Works to help with the cost of the program, and earned two scholarships: The Corus Radio Dave Rutherford Scholarship and The Canadian National Marketwire Scholarship for Top First-Year Student from the Radio-Television News Directors Foundation. Today, Lusine works as a broadcaster for Radio Canada International’s Russian Section, where she creates Russian programs and documentaries.
“There are many possibilities in Alberta for those who seek jobs and are eager to learn how to continue working in the profession they were trained for back in their countries,” said Lusine. “For me, there were bumps along the way but it has all been worth it.”
Vahe, a professional sculptor, teaches drawing and sculpture part-time with the University of Calgary’s Continuing Education department, and completed the English for Academic Purposes program at Bow Valley College. Their children, ages 10, 13 and 14, are enjoying the school they attend and all that Calgary has to offer. “Our children loved Calgary from the day we arrived, but they do miss the contact with their grandparents and other relatives,” said Lusine.
Before arriving in Canada, Lusine encourages others to do their research about the Canadian job market and the culture before making the move. “Newcomers need to be prepared for difficulties along the way when it comes to finding work and adjusting to living in a country where the majority of people speak a different language,” she said. “For us, having short-term goals, in addition to our long-term goals, helped make the transition easier.”
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Date Updated: Nov 25, 2009
RDP-828
