“Community Champions” is a media campaign led by the South Okanagan-Similkameen Local Migration Partnership and supported by Castanet. We share stories that raise awareness of the contribution immigrants make to the community while showcasing the small businesses of young Canadians. A new immigrant who arrived in the middle of the pandemic found his footing in Penticton. Quoc Dung Pham, also known as Brian, is the owner and operator of EmoChoice – a printing company offering design and printing services in Penticton and the South Okanagan region. Brian and his wife and three children came to Penticton from Vietnam in July 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many immigrants, Brian and his wife chose to move to Canada to give their children a better future – better education, health care and environment. They chose Penticton because of its beauty and lifestyle. They wanted to live in a small community where everyone cares for each other. Brian ran a similar business for over ten years in Vietnam. One of the unique products Brian’s company exported to Sweden was reflective vests for adults and children. Brian hopes to introduce this product to Canadian customers as well. “I did a lot of research on this product and found that reflective vests for kids are usually just smaller versions of adult vests. My product is different. It is specially designed for children. It’s more comfortable, adjustable and easier to use,” Brian said proudly. The company name ‘EmoChoice’ comes from a combination of two words ’emotion’ and ‘choice’. The small company is quite busy and Brian often has to work over ten hours a day to keep up. But the situation is not caused by the large volume of orders, but rather by the lack of staff. Brian and one other member of staff currently run the entire store. Brian had been looking for a team member for several months, but it was very difficult. “I don’t know what it is,” Brian said. “Maybe because it’s a small community and there aren’t many people with the specific skills I need. Or maybe it’s because I’m a foreigner…During interviews I ask candidates what salary would make them happy and I offer them exactly that amount, but they still don’t accept the offers or come for a few months. I train them and then they leave.” “In Vietnam we used to travel a lot in the country and enjoy picnics in nature. I don’t have much time for it now, but when I have free time, the whole family goes to parks, hockey games and other events. I also take my kids to the Vietnamese Center to help them build relationships with other Vietnamese kids and learn about their home culture. I hope to go on a picnic with my family here too.” Recently Brian had a “newcomer” moment. His two sons love to fish. During their last fishing activity, one of the hooks got stuck in the weeds and the boys asked their father for help. Just then, an officer approached them and asked Brian to show his fishing license. “I didn’t even know I needed a fishing license,” Brian admitted with a shy smile. Brian’s advice to newcomers is to be flexible and adaptable. It’s important to do your research before moving to a new place, but don’t expect things to be exactly as you planned. You may need to acquire new skills and build your networks before things start working for you. The important thing is to stay positive. Learn more about immigrant services in the South Okanagan community online here.
