Malgorzata is an incredibly strong, passionate, and selfless woman. She came to Canada as a political refugee from Poland in April of 1983. While she had her husband and twin daughters by her side, finding her place in this new world proved difficult at first. Malgorzata’s English was limited when she first arrived, however that did not stop her from venturing out and exploring her new home.
Staying at the York Hotel in downtown was Malgorzata’s first memory of Calgary, yet it was not exactly a pleasant one. The hotel was old and seemed inappropriate as the first home for refugees in Calgary. Malgorzata helped change that in 1986 when she and the group of 12 employees who worked with the non-profit organization known as CCIS, the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, established the Margaret Chisholm Resettlement Centre. This Resettlement Centre became the first home for refugees arriving in Calgary, and it was the only facility of its kind in the country. In her 36 years of working at the Resettlement Centre, Malgorzata aided in the resettlement of over 11 000 refugees from all over the world, and she was involved in creating vital programs to ease their transition into life in Calgary. One such program was providing field trips to grocery stores so that newcomers could be shown where to find the ingredients they need, ensuring that they can have confidence and independence while grocery shopping. Another example is connecting the Resettlement Centre with local food markets and ethnic restaurants to provide meals and ingredients to the refugees that would give them a taste of home. Malgorzata has touched the lives of thousands of refugees and immigrants arriving in Calgary, and her work, and that of the Margaret Chisholm Resettlement Centre, is nothing short of extraordinary. Interviewed by Sam (Sarah) McMillan, Barat (Bab) Binish, and Daniele Orsini,
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Introduction to Margaret
Our Lady Queen of Peace Polish Roman Catholic Church
Polcan Meat Products & Delicatessen
Margaret Chisholm Resettlement Centre
Safeway Story
The York Hotel Story
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