Francophone employers invited to learn about importance of immigrants’ work talents

During free lunch-and-learns

WELLINGTON, PEI – Oct. 29, 2013 – All French-speaking entrepreneurs and employers are invited to one of two free lunch-and-learns focusing on « The Importance of New Francophone Talents on Prince Edward Island » that will be offered during National Francophone Immigration Week.

The first luncheon will be held Tuesday, Nov. 5, in Le Bayou community lounge at the Carrefour de l’Isle-Saint-Jean in Charlottetown. The second one will be held Thursday, Nov. 7, in the RDÉE PEI Board Room at 48 Mill Road in Wellington.

The bilingual guest speaker at both luncheons will be Dottie Daly, an American who moved to PEI with her family in 2007. They became owners of a historic home in St. Peter’s Bay that they converted into a bed & breakfast named Tír na nÓg Inn.  Since the tourist season on the Island is fairly brief, they diversified their investments by opening a restaurant-pub called Cross Keys Bar & Grill, which is opened year round.

In addition to being a business person, Daly believes in the importance of local product and in supporting her community. In collaboration with the local 4-H Club and the high school’s biology class, she helped start a community garden. Daly is also outgoing president of Canadian Parents for French PEI.

These lunch-and-learns are being organized by the LIENS project (Linking economic immigration to our successes), hosted by RDÉE Prince Edward Island. They are delivered on conjunction with the Coopérative d’intégration francophone de l’Î.-P.-É.

« Immigrants arriving here from various countries, equipped with a vast array of talents, skills and knowledge that are now always available in large quantities here on PEI, » says LIENS project coordinator Catherine Rioux. « They therefore have lots to contribute to our economy and to our places of work: new ways of doing things, new processes, new methods. But to discover all of that, we have to give them the opportunity to speak to us about all of this and to show us how to do these new things. »

All those wishing to participate in one of these lunch-and-learns are asked to register in advance by contacting Catherine Rioux at (902) 370-7333, Ext. 404, or at catherine@rdeeipe.org. The deadline for registering for the Charlottetown lunch is Nov. 1 while for Wellington, the deadline is Nov. 5.

The LIENS project is funded jointly by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the province.

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CUTLINE: Dottie Daly will be the guest speaker at two lunch-and-learns organized on the occasion of National Francophone Immigration Week, in Charlottetown Nov. 5 and in Wellington Nov. 7.

For more information:

Catherine Rioux
Coordinator
LIENS project
(902) 370-7333, poste 404
catherine@rdeeipe.org.