Point Of Entry

In this episode, we're joined by Rahima Paiman, Community Programming & Volunteer Coordinator at Romero House, to talk about how community, connection, and a simple game of soccer can help refugees feel truly at home. Through the annual Refugee Soccer Cup, Romero House brings residents, staff, and volunteers together on the same team, showing how sports can break down barriers, rebuild tru...

In this episode, we had the chance to speak with Francisco Vidal, Executive Director of Sojourn House, a Toronto-based non-profit that provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and comprehensive support to newly arrived refugees. Every year, the Ontario Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants organizes the Refugee Soccer Cup, and Sojourn House takes part. The 2026 edition came...

Dans cet épisode, nous avons le plaisir de recevoir Ophélie Lemieux, enseignante en francisation. À travers son expérience, elle nous plonge au cœur de ses cours et nous parle des défis qu’elle rencontre, mais aussi des réussites qui marquent son quotidien. Elle nous partage sa façon d’enseigner, de créer des liens et d’accompagner les personnes nouvellement arrivées dans leur apprentissage du fra...

In this episode, we had the chance to speak with Arzou, a student who is now a refugee, who came to Canada on her own to study at the age of 11. She looks back on her academic journey and her life in Canada, but also discusses the difficulties of being separated from her family and the challenges of settling in, as well as her feelings of guilt for having access to education when women in Afghanis...

In this new episode, we are delighted to welcome Basel Abu Hamra, Programme Facilitator for the ‘Rainbow Refugee’ programme at the Edmonton Newcomer Reception Centre and Vice-President of the Canadian Council for Refugees. Starting as a simple community initiative with just seven members, the Rainbow Refugee programme has grown into a genuine support network for over 1,500 members of the 2SLGBTQIA...

Dans cet épisode, nous recevons Josu Otaegi Alcaide , responsable du plaidoyer et des partenariats au Centre Communautaire LGBTQ+ de Montréal. À travers leur programme “La boussole LGBTQ+” qui accompagne les personnes immigrantes et demandeuses d’asile 2SLGBTQIA+, nous discutons des réalités vécues par les personnes et des nombreux obstacles qui jalonnent leur parcours vers la protection. Nous abo...

Découvrez notre nouvel épisode, avec notre invité Pascal Guay, ingénieur logiciel et expert en transformation par l'intelligence artificielle. Il partage sa vision de la technologie non pas comme une barrière, mais comme un formidable outil de confiance et d'émancipation pour les personnes réfugiées et demandeuses d’asile. Pascal revient sur son expérience d'accompagnement auprès de je...

In this episode, we welcome Yasmeen Leclerc, a video game producer best known for her work on South of Midnight. She reflects on her journey in an industry that is still largely dominated by white men and shares the challenges she has faced as a young Palestinian woman of color. She also highlights the importance of inclusive workplaces and initiatives that help people from underrepresented commun...

In this episode of Point of Entry into Screens and Realities, we welcome Syeda Bukhari Director of the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal. Together, we explore how independent cinema can serve as a powerful lens through which to reflect the complex realities of marginalized communities and challenge stereotypes. From her role as a professor at Concordia University to her upcoming documentary on...

Dans cet épisode, nous recevons Sophie Deraspe, réalisatrice et scénariste québécoise reconnue pour ses œuvres qui explorent les enjeux humains et sociaux. Ensemble, nous discutons du rôle du cinéma dans notre compréhension du monde, des inspirations derrière son film Antigone, ainsi que de la manière dont le septième art peut éclairer des réalités humaines complexes à travers des thèmes tels que...

In this episode, we welcome Katharine Stein, Director of Health Services at Head & Hands. Together, we discuss the importance of prevention and health education for young people, as well as the need for clear, inclusive, and accessible information. We also explore the hostile policies adopted in recent years and the serious consequences that limited access to healthcare can have on the health...

In this episode, Alice Alvarez Pereyre executive director at RIVO-RÉSILIENCE, discuss with us about an often dismiss reality of migration : mental health. Together, we explore the challenges refugees and refugee claimants face before, during and after migration, from experiences of war and displacement to the stress of navigating housing, legal uncertainty, racism, and access to care in Quebec. Th...

In this episode, Aladeen Tawfeek, actor, director, and stage director, reflects on his artistic journey across film and theatre, and the ways performance can both engage with and move beyond questions of cultural identity. He shares his approach to portraying a life shaped by hardship, while navigating a cultural context he is not personally rooted in. He speaks about the importance of working wit...

In this episode, Rahul Varma, founder and artistic director of Teesri Duniya Theatre, reflects on the power of theatre as a tool for social and cultural justice. He discusses representation on stage, the resistance intercultural storytelling once faced, and why creating space for marginalized voices remains essential today. This conversation also explores Teesri Duniya’s current theme, “The Season...

Dans cet épisode, nous explorons les questions de culture et d’identité québécoise avec Eva Gracia-Turgeon, directrice des relations gouvernementales au Québec au Centre de réfugiés. Ensemble, nous discutons du paysage politique actuel dans la province, de la montée des discours anti-immigration et du rôle que peuvent jouer l’histoire, la mobilisation communautaire et l’action collective pour répo...

In this episode, Ruby Abutaleb discusses the barriers to and importance of preserving history. This discussion focuses on “The Trinity of Fundamentals,” a book that follows the story of 22-year-old Kan’an during his nine years of hiding from the occupation between 1982 and 1991. This episode explores questions of accessibility to history and the role of history in Palestinian liberation.

In this episode, Parker Mah from the Jia Foundation joins us to unpack the often untold stories behind Montreal’s historic Chinatown. Moving beyond what we see on the surface, Parker shares the multigenerational histories that have shaped the neighbourhood – stories of migration, resilience, community-building, and cultural continuity. We explore the ongoing fight to preserve Chinatown in the face...

Pour souligner les 10 ans du Centre de réfugiés , nous sommes rejoints par celles et ceux qui ont contribué à imaginer et bâtir l’organisation telle qu’elle existe aujourd’hui. Depuis une décennie, le Centre accompagne les personnes réfugiées, les demandeurs d’asile et les nouveaux arrivants grâce à un soutien global, humain et ancré dans la communauté. Dans cet épisode, nous revenons sur l’un des...

We’re kicking off the year and the Centre’s 10th anniversary with a special conversation between former Executive Director Abdulla Daoud and incoming Executive Director Kinan Swaid. As co-founders of the Centre, they reflect on what motivated them to start this work ten years ago, how shifting political and social realities have shaped the Centre along the way, and the moments that have stayed wit...

Dans cet épisode de  Point of Entry , Camille s’entretient avec  Alphonse Ndem Ahola , directeur général de  Francophonie Albertaine Plurielle (FRAP) , pour explorer le rôle de la langue comme véritable pont d’intégration pour les nouveaux arrivants en contexte francophone minoritaire. Au fil de la conversation, ils abordent la réalité des communautés francophones en Alberta, les attentes linguist...

Dans cet épisode, Camille Fournel s’entretient avec Esther Veilleux et Annah-Ève Frigon, deux enseignantes en classes d’accueil à Québec, pour explorer le rôle central de l’école et de l’apprentissage du français dans l’intégration des jeunes nouveaux arrivants. Elles discutent de l’évolution des classes d’accueil, des obstacles à l’enseignement du français, des défis vécus par les élèves, notamme...

🎧 In this episode, Alina Murad sits down with Julie Chamagne, Executive Director of the Halifax Refugee Clinic, and legal counsel Thiago Buchert to explore the history – and ongoing challenges – of legal aid in Halifax. They share how this vital support can mean the difference between a smooth settlement and a system full of barriers. Their conversation reveals how critical needs are often constr...

Dans cet episode, Camille Fournel s'entretient avec Gabrielle Thiboutot, co-présidente de l’AQAADI, pour discuter de l’accès limité à l’aide juridique et de l’impact direct que cela a sur le parcours d’installation des personnes nouvellement arrivées. Elles explorent les barrières structurelles, les réalités de celles et ceux qui restent en marge des services essentiels, et le rôle du projet de lo...

In this episode, Alina Murad sits down with Faiz Abhuani, director of Brique par Brique, to unpack what it truly means to build spaces rooted in justice and community. Faiz speaks to the urgent need for institutions that address one of our most basic needs: housing. In the face of systemic discrimination in the rental market and the growing inaccessibility of housing, collective action becomes ess...

In this episode, Alina Murad sits down with Rachel Schleifer, Advocacy and Engagement Project Coordinator at Le Depot, to explore the complex realities of food insecurity and its intersectional impacts. They discuss how community-based organizations are creating solutions that go beyond temporary fixes - tackling the root causes and harnessing collective power to drive real and effective change.