New to Canada?

1. You will need a home, clothing and food.
2. Moving will take a lot of work and expense.
3. You will need help or guidance.
4. If you do not know anyone here, organizations in Manitoba can help you.

Temporary housing

1. Refugees and immigrants can find temporary housing in the province.
• Even those who have been here for several years may need a safe place to go. Some could be turned away by relatives or by their landord.
• Some women may be running away from violence in the home.
• If you are in any of these situations, contact:

• Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM)
• Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council, Inc.
• Accueil Francophone
• Holy Names House of Peace (for newcomer women)

• Visit a settlement service provider when you arrive in Manitoba. They will look at your situation. They will check your needs and help you get the right services.

 
Those in regional Manitoba can go to:
Westman Immigrant Services in Brandon
South Central Immigrant Services (Regional Connections) in Morden, Altona and Winkler
Eastman Immigrant Services in Steinbach

Furniture and other houseware

1. You will need beds, kitchenware, tables and chairs, and other houseware. Centre Flavie-Laurent can help.
2. You can get slightly used, cheap items at:
• Salvation Army Thrift Stores
• The Goodwill Stores
• Value Village Stores

Here’s a list of thrift stores in Winnipeg: 14 best thrift shops you need to check out in Winnipeg.

Food

Staying healthy during your first few days is important. If you need food for yourself and your family, you can go to the following:

Food banks:

• Harvest Manitoba
• Riverwood Church Community
• Salvation Army

Soup kitchens

• Missionaries of Charity
• Lighthouse Mission
• Siloam Mision
• Union Gospel Mission
• West Central Women’s Resource Centre

You can also go to NorWest Co-op Community Food Centre in Winnipeg. They provide food and nutrition support.

Clothing

You will need winter clothes in Manitoba. You may also need to formal clothes for a job interview. For free or low-cost clothing go to:

• Dress for Success Winnipeg (formerly known as Clothes Closet)
• Siloam Mision
• Union Gospel Mission
• North End Women’s Resource Centre Up Shoppe
• Wolseley Family Place

You can also buy from thrift stores. The Salvation Army, The Goodwill Stores, and Value Village are good places to go to.

Healthcare

The stress of moving and adjusting to a new place can make you sick. If you need to see a doctor or nurse, you can go to this directory: Accessing care. You can also read our article Getting the right health care services to understand your options.

There is no shame in asking for help. We all need help sometime. Hard times are usually temporary. You can get through this period with the help of organizations and well-meaning people.

 
Article updated August 31, 2022.