An educator from South Asia shares her journey from injury and fear to advocacy and hope. After a workplace accident as a night security guard, she struggled alone—unaware of her rights or available support. With the help of her union and WorkSafeBC, she found recovery and purpose. Now a childcare worker and union steward, she champions workplace safety education to protect others.
This story from City in Colour’s Safer WorkPlaces project shares a young Latin American woman’s courage. After a snowboarding accident broke her arm, she faced daily workplace abuse and feared losing her job. Despite threats, she found the strength to speak out. Her message: no one should live in fear. As a woman and immigrant, she demands dignity, safety, and an end to workplace violence.
A Latin American psychologist forced to start over in Canada, facing harsh survival jobs and systemic racism, shares a painful story of violence and exploitation on her first cleaning job. Her courage and heartbreak unfold in a letter to her mother, revealing the deep wounds inflicted by both the work and those who should have offered support.
A Latin American immigrant woman’s dream of a better life was shattered by a workplace injury that left her with lasting physical and mental scars. Facing neglect, gaslighting, and abuse from both employer and WorkSafeBC, she endured deep trauma yet found a fierce defiance to speak out for dignity and safety.
In this story, Marcia Lopez shares her powerful journey from a travel agent in Chile to becoming an electrical worker in Canada. Despite barriers tied to language, gender, and racism in the trades sector, Marcia builds a new path—finding strength in training, community, and union organizing.
A South Asian immigrant with banking experience faced discrimination and exclusion in her first Canadian job. Despite hurtful workplace gossip and feeling isolated, she found resilience through workshops and ultimately rebuilt her career in early childhood education—a space where she feels valued and empowered to support others.
This story follows an experienced physician from the Middle East navigating Canada’s health system—not as a doctor, but as a volunteer and cashier. Facing structural discrimination, health challenges, and a lack of workplace protections, she reflects on the emotional toll of starting over in a system that promised equity but often delivers exclusion.
This story follows a young South Asian mother as she navigates life, work, loss, and identity in a new country. From her first job in a Canadian restaurant to the heartbreak of losing her father back home, she shares her journey of resilience, grief, and growth with striking honesty and poetic power.
A Middle Eastern mother recounts her first job in Canada at a multinational company, where a workplace injury revealed harsh realities about worker safety and rights. Despite initial hope, she faced unsafe conditions, lack of support, and dismissive treatment — ultimately learning the vital importance of knowing and standing up for her rights.
A South Asian woman with a PhD shares her experience of deskilling as she takes a community kitchen job in Canada. Despite initial success bringing flavors from home and a sense of belonging, she faces unexpected job loss—highlighting the difficult realities many skilled immigrants face.
Liz, a Latin American immigrant working in childcare, shares her experience of injury and lack of workplace accommodation. Despite medical advice, her requests for changes were denied, and support from WorkSafeBC was cold and dismissive—revealing the harsh realities many immigrant women face in workplace health and safety.
