Stephane Carloni

This good sport from France is enjoying Alberta

Stephane CarloniIt pays to be a good sport. Just ask Stephane Carloni, whose knowledge of sports was one of the factors that helped draw him to his new home in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Carloni was familiar with the Edmonton Oilers as well as the Calgary Olympics. So when he decided to relocate to Edmonton in 2005 from the small town of Redange, France, his awareness of Alberta through its rich provincial sporting heritage was a familiar link that made him feel comfortable.

Yet Alberta's sporting ties aren't the only thing that excites Carloni. He is also a big fan of Alberta's economy. "I come from a country where it's very difficult, especially for young graduate to find a job," he said. "In Alberta, the job market is unbelievable. In France, everywhere you go, the signs say 'apply within'. In Alberta, I arrived June 24, and started my job on August 10."

Carloni, a 28-year-old French Business School graduate who is on a one year exchange program, arrived in Calgary and registered at the French Centre. "After that, it was easy," he said. They gave me lots of outplacement company addresses."

Carloni's strategy was to focus on a specific area of Alberta, which turned out to be Edmonton. He started to make contacts and schedule interviews in Edmonton, and found a job shortly thereafter. He is employed by Executrade, and works as a French desktop publisher at the Alberta Government's Learner Assessment Branch, as well as at the Provincial Archives, in the French Language Services Branch.

The deciding factor for Carloni to come to Alberta was a meeting in March, 2005 at the Canadian Embassy in Paris. Carloni met with Rachelle Langlois, an Immigration Officer who works for Economic Immigration in the Department of Economic Development for the Government of Alberta. Although there were other options, Carloni found the presentation about Alberta was very clear and easy to understand, and he was very impressed with Alberta's low unemployment rate. "I applied at the end of March, after the meeting in the Canadian embassy, and I receive my Visa five weeks later," added Carloni.

One of the things Carloni enjoys about his work environment is the camaraderie between employees. "The team spirit is something that I really appreciate," he said. He also noted that he finds the work he is doing very interesting.

Another positive for Carloni is the fact that Canada is a bilingual country. "I like the fact that I am able to converse in English as well as French. I have talked to many people here who speak both languages."

When it comes to Alberta's climate, Carloni says that the winter has been pretty mild, but when the thermometer does take a dip, the cold feels like a dry cold. "Where I come from, the average temperature is zero," he said, "but in Alberta, I recommend to wear a scarf, a hat, and gloves."

Carloni shares a house with five others, a mix of university grad students and young professionals. He's really enjoyed learning about his new surroundings with his new roommates, and has done a variety of activities, including attending two Canadian Football League games in August.

He's also done some travelling in the province, and has made visits to Jasper and Kananaskis. "The mountains were awesome," he said. "Compared to the mountains in Europe, it's different. Nature is so big, it is huge. All the rivers, all the lakes, you should see with your eyes. Unfortunately, I did not see bears yet, but I have seen moose."

And Carloni has some final words of wisdom for people from other countries who will be coming to Alberta. "I am enjoying my time here. It is an open book, a new experience. I just followed the advice that people told me: Gain my first Canadian experience, make contacts, see what happens next."

Date Updated: Nov 01, 2007
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