American falls in love with Alberta, plans to move family north: ‘Overwhelmed by the love'
American Pamela Smith already made one trek across the continent in search of a better life for her family — and now, she feels she's found it over the border in Canada.
'Believe it or not it came through a dream,' says Smith with a smile of her vision of Calgary and Alberta. 'For some reason I dreamed that I came here and that I was going to lead other people from the USA here.'
'So I told my husband, 'I'm going to go up there, I'm going to spend a week there and just see.' And that week that I spent here, I was just amazed.'
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Click to share quote on Twitter: "So I told my husband, 'I'm going to go up there, I'm going to spend a week there and just see.' And that week that I spent here, I was just amazed."
But it was quite the journey to get to Alberta.
The married mother of five relocated to rugged Montana from tropical south Florida four years ago.
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American resident Pamela Smith and her husband on their ranch in Montana. Supplied to Global News
The family moved to a dream 46-acre property with incredible views and adorable animals.
But, Smith said they never felt welcome in the state directly south of Alberta.
In fact, she said they received angry messages from people pressuring them to leave.
'Our children, being African American, were getting a lot of stares in the store. And at some point that just became overwhelming,' Smith says. 'In four years, our children didn't make any friends and it was just very difficult for them. I was starting to see a real change in my children.'
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An undated photo of American resident Pamela Smith and her family. Supplied to Global News
Now, the Smith family is looking to make Calgary their home after being overwhelmed by the friendliness of the city.
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'It breaks my heart we have to make this move, but it's best for our children with everything going on in the United States.'
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Smith has been openly sharing her journey with thousands of followers in Instagram — many of whom have questions of their own about moving from America to Canada.
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American resident Pamela Smith in Calgary, Alta. Supplied to Global News
'I know not everybody can afford to make the move, but I would say look at Canada. Especially Calgary,' said says.
Smith said she is trying her best to let people know of the differences between the two countries so they can make informed decisions.
'People are friendly, people are nicer — as well as our U.S. dollar goes a little further here.'
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Click to share quote on Twitter: "People are friendly, people are nicer — as well as our U.S. dollar goes a little further here."
2:00
Why some Americans are interested in moving to Canada
Conversely, she also talks about the realities she's experienced in America to those seeking to move south of the border.
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'I've spoken to a lot of Canadians and I don't think they understand what's really happening in the USA.
'I would caution them about going to the USA. Especially if they are a person of colour, it is really difficult down there right now.'
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Click to share quote on Twitter: "I would caution them about going to the USA. Especially if they are a person of colour, it is really difficult down there right now."
American resident Pamela Smith and two of her children in Calgary, Alta. Supplied to Global News
In Calgary, the diversity of the population, abundance of parks and activities for kids are all big draws for Smith.
But it's also the small acts of kindness from strangers and fellow children befriending her kids that truly makes her want to move for good.
'People speaking to you in the stores. People saying hello. Children playing together in the park, and I just loved it and decided this is where I want to stay.'
Smith home-schools her three youngest children. She is in Calgary with them, while her husband remains five hours away in Montana. For now, she travels back and forth on a tourist visa but is exploring how to apply for and secure permanent residency.
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Strangers offering to help with her move, provide her kids with toys and just an overall sense of community have overwhelmed this American who one day hopes to call herself Canadian for good.
'Everyone has been so kind. I am overwhelmed by the love I am receiving in Calgary.
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Global News
5 hours ago
- Global News
American falls in love with Alberta, plans to move family north: ‘Overwhelmed by the love'
American Pamela Smith already made one trek across the continent in search of a better life for her family — and now, she feels she's found it over the border in Canada. 'Believe it or not it came through a dream,' says Smith with a smile of her vision of Calgary and Alberta. 'For some reason I dreamed that I came here and that I was going to lead other people from the USA here.' 'So I told my husband, 'I'm going to go up there, I'm going to spend a week there and just see.' And that week that I spent here, I was just amazed.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "So I told my husband, 'I'm going to go up there, I'm going to spend a week there and just see.' And that week that I spent here, I was just amazed." But it was quite the journey to get to Alberta. The married mother of five relocated to rugged Montana from tropical south Florida four years ago. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen American resident Pamela Smith and her husband on their ranch in Montana. Supplied to Global News The family moved to a dream 46-acre property with incredible views and adorable animals. But, Smith said they never felt welcome in the state directly south of Alberta. In fact, she said they received angry messages from people pressuring them to leave. 'Our children, being African American, were getting a lot of stares in the store. And at some point that just became overwhelming,' Smith says. 'In four years, our children didn't make any friends and it was just very difficult for them. I was starting to see a real change in my children.' View image in full screen An undated photo of American resident Pamela Smith and her family. Supplied to Global News Now, the Smith family is looking to make Calgary their home after being overwhelmed by the friendliness of the city. Story continues below advertisement 'It breaks my heart we have to make this move, but it's best for our children with everything going on in the United States.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It breaks my heart we have to make this move, but it's best for our children with everything going on in the United States." Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Smith has been openly sharing her journey with thousands of followers in Instagram — many of whom have questions of their own about moving from America to Canada. View image in full screen American resident Pamela Smith in Calgary, Alta. Supplied to Global News 'I know not everybody can afford to make the move, but I would say look at Canada. Especially Calgary,' said says. Smith said she is trying her best to let people know of the differences between the two countries so they can make informed decisions. 'People are friendly, people are nicer — as well as our U.S. dollar goes a little further here.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "People are friendly, people are nicer — as well as our U.S. dollar goes a little further here." 2:00 Why some Americans are interested in moving to Canada Conversely, she also talks about the realities she's experienced in America to those seeking to move south of the border. Story continues below advertisement 'I've spoken to a lot of Canadians and I don't think they understand what's really happening in the USA. 'I would caution them about going to the USA. Especially if they are a person of colour, it is really difficult down there right now.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I would caution them about going to the USA. Especially if they are a person of colour, it is really difficult down there right now." American resident Pamela Smith and two of her children in Calgary, Alta. Supplied to Global News In Calgary, the diversity of the population, abundance of parks and activities for kids are all big draws for Smith. But it's also the small acts of kindness from strangers and fellow children befriending her kids that truly makes her want to move for good. 'People speaking to you in the stores. People saying hello. Children playing together in the park, and I just loved it and decided this is where I want to stay.' Smith home-schools her three youngest children. She is in Calgary with them, while her husband remains five hours away in Montana. For now, she travels back and forth on a tourist visa but is exploring how to apply for and secure permanent residency. Story continues below advertisement Strangers offering to help with her move, provide her kids with toys and just an overall sense of community have overwhelmed this American who one day hopes to call herself Canadian for good. 'Everyone has been so kind. I am overwhelmed by the love I am receiving in Calgary.
Winnipeg Free Press
13 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A Minnesota man's biking dream is cut short in Iran as he flees the Israel-Iran conflict
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ian Andersen was biking through Iran last week when Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and the country's military leaders, drawing Tehran's swift response with barrages of missiles. The 32-year-old from Minnetonka, Minnesota, said he did not expect to get caught up in what looked like a real war zone. He fled to neighboring Azerbaijan on Monday. 'The bombs started falling,' Andersen said Wednesday, speaking to The Associated Press over Zoom from a hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital. 'It was extremely scary.' Andersen was on a yearslong, personal mission to cycle across all seven continents. He had been touring Iran with a local guide, which is a must for U.S. visitors to Iran, and sharing videos of his journey with tens of thousands of his social media followers since the beginning of the month. On Friday — 'the day the bombs started falling' — they were on the road from the town of Chalus, on Iran's Caspian Sea coast, driving south to the capital of Tehran, where Andersen hoped to apply for a visa to Afghanistan, with the goal of crossing into Central Asia and eventually Russia. 'It was really just, like, the worst timing possible,' Andresen said. They sheltered in place and decided to speak Spanish so no one would suspect Andersen's American identity. He saw long lines of cars on the road fleeing Tehran. Family, friends and social media followers were worried for him. Eventually, the U.S. State Department sent Andersen an email advising him to leave for Azerbaijan or Turkey. With his VPN blocked, a friend in Los Angeles applied for an Azerbaijani visa on his behalf, which was granted with emergency approval from the U.S. Embassy in Baku. Andersen said the circumstances made him abort his biking plan — at least for now. To have kept going would have been 'a little nutty,' he said. 'I was crazy for going in there in some people's eyes in the first place,' Andersen said. 'And then getting out I think was the safe, smart choice at that point.' For now, his plans are up in the air as he considers what to do next. Some time ago, he'd traded his job back home, working as a project manager at a construction company, to bike the world. Biking was his dream, his escape, Andersen said, adding that he had struggled in the past with addiction and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 'Maybe I was a bit naive,' he said but added that he doesn't regret the trip. He has had dangerous moments before, recounting how in 2023 in northern Kenya, a tribesman threatened to throw a spear at him while he was biking through a rural area. 'There's always going to be a risk, and you have to accept it,' he said. Andersen said he plans to take a ferry across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan, and then bike east into Uzbekistan. 'But I don't know where to go from there,' he said.
Global News
13 hours ago
- Global News
Montreal bicycle rental company sets new records during public transit strike
Montreal's main bicycle rental company says it smashed past its all-time record during the recent public transit strike. BIXI Montreal says its bicycles made more than 80,000 trips a day during seven of the nine strike days, including more than 98,500 on June 11. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The strike by 2,400 transit maintenance workers reduced bus and metro service between June 9 and June 17, with full service on the weekend. BIXI spokesman Pierre-Luc Marier says the company's bicycles made about 10,000 trips per hour during rush hour on the busiest days, with about three bicycles rented each second. He says the company brought in extra docking stations and staff to help ensure renters found a steady supply of bicycles to rent and places to park them. He's optimistic that many of the people who tried the service for the first time during the strike will embrace cycling and BIXI on a longer-term basis.
