Resources for new Canadian designers

FAQs

What do I need to know about Canada while working/living there?

Indigenous peoples & history resources
 

1. Indigenous Peoples & History

• Residential Schools History by the Canadian Encyclopedia / NCTR / Govt. of Canada / Indigenous Studies of UBC
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan
• Stories from the Land: Indigenous Place Names in Canada
• #IndigenousReads Reading list for Children / Young Adult / Adult / Poetry
• Watch Indigenous-made films on Indigenous Cinema by NFB
• The Indigenous Learning Series
  • More general information can be found here
• Hope for Wellness helpline for Indigenous folks across Canada
• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation + YouTube Channel

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports + 94 Calls to Action (PDF) + Summary of the Final Report (PDF)

Healthcare pages

2. Healthcare 101

• Introduction to Canadian Healthcare
• List of community health centres
• Healthcare basics by province 

Housing links

3. Housing sites

• REW
• Realtor.ca
• Subsidized and affordable housing is available per many municipalities, here are a few examples:
• Subsidized Housing & Housing Benefits
• BC Housing Affordable Rental Housing
• Alberta affordable housing programs

4. More tips on housing rights and help here:

• Affordable housing programs across Canada ; Housing benefits ; Moving 2 Canada : Finding accommodation in Canada ; Accorn Canada: Uniting Communities for Justice

Where can I meet other designers in Canada?

• RGD DesignThinkers
• RGD Events
• Slack
• Community news at RGD

What are some common job requirements for design work in Canada?

• Accessibility knowledge (RGD links):
• Ethics
• No spec resources
• Government of Canada links:
  • https://www.canada.ca/en.html
  • For new immigrants: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-immigrants.html
  • Prepare for life in Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-immigrants/prepare-life-canada.html

How do I join the Canadian design community? 

• Slack
• Community news at RGD
• Volunteer with RGD! 
• Other volunteer organizations include: https://payitfwd.design/about-us; https://www.designgigsforgood.org/

Where can I read more about Canadian designers/design?

• RGD word

Where can I find design jobs in Canada?

1. RGD job board
2. LinkedIn
3. Indeed
4. Glassdoor
5. Government of Canada
6. Job-Specific Resources:

• Accessibility document
• RGD Handbook
• Billing
• Forms
• Ethics
• D&I Resources
• Government Jobs Canada:
• Federal Internship for Newcomers program:
• Employment Ontario
• Employment Quebec
• Employment British Columbia
• Employment Manitoba
• Employment Yukon
• Employment Nunavut
• Employment Alberta
• Employment Saskatchewan
• Employment New Brunswick
• Employment Newfoundland and Labrador
• Employment Nova Scotia
• Employment Prince Edward Island
• Employment North West Territories
• Additional private organizations like WoodGreen Community Services and World Education Services offer guidance on credential recognition, job searching, and professional integration. 
• Volunteer with RGD! 
• Other volunteer organizations include: https://payitfwd.design/about-us ; https://www.designgigsforgood.org/ 

What kind of benefits should I expect from working as a designer in Canada?

• Ethics

• Creative earners
  

How can I connect with other student designers in Canada?

1. Student Committee

2. Mentorship

3. More

4. Student-Specific Resources:

   • Study as an international student

   • Study permit

   • Learn about student life in Canada

   • RGD Student Design resources

   • Ethics

   • Internships

   • D&I Resources

Full Index

Essentials!

Best translation tools:

• General translation tool 1

• Website translation 

• Accessible translation tool

• General translation tool 2

• Great for documents

• Great for documents, can also use this a Chrome extension to automatically translate websites

• App translator

• App translator specifically for Japanese, Korean and Chinese–scanning tool

Healthcare 101

• Introduction to Canadian Healthcare

• List of community health centers 

• Healthcare basics by province

Rental sites

• Zumper

• Padmapper

• Kijiji (mixed results but wide-reaching) 

Housing Sites

• REW
• Realtor.ca
• Housing for Ukrainians Costi
• Subsidized and affordable housing is available per many municipalities, here are a few examples:
  • Subsidized Housing & Housing Benefits
  • BC Housing Affordable Rental Housing
  • Alberta affordable housing programs
• More tips on housing rights and help here:
  • Affordable housing programs across Canada ; Housing benefits ; Moving 2 Canada : Finding accommodation in Canada ; Acorn Canada: Uniting Communities for Justice

Government of Canada links:

• https://www.canada.ca/en.html
• For new immigrants: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-immigrants.html
• Prepare for life in Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/new-immigrants/prepare-life-canada.html

Indigenous Peoples & History

• Residential Schools History by the Canadian Encyclopedia / NCTR / Govt. of Canada / Indigenous Studies of UBC
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan
• Stories from the Land: Indigenous Place Names in Canada
• #IndigenousReads Reading list for Children / Young Adult / Adult / Poetry
• Watch Indigenous-made films on Indigenous Cinema by NFB
• The Indigenous Learning Series
• Hope for Wellness helpline for Indigenous folks across Canada
• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation + YouTube Channel
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports + 94 Calls to Action (PDF) + Summary of the Final Report (PDF)
• More general information can be found here

Student-Specific Resources

• Study as an international student
• Study permit
• Learn about student life in Canada
• RGD Student Design resources
• Ethics
• Internships
• D&I Resources
• For Ukrainian Students

Job-Specific Resources

• Accessibility document
• RGD Handbook
• Billing
• Forms
• Ethics
• D&I Resources
• Government Jobs Canada:
• Federal Internship for Newcomers program:
• Employment Ontario
• Employment Quebec
• Employment British Columbia
• Employment Manitoba
• Employment Yukon
• Employment Nunavut
• Employment Alberta
• Employment Saskatchewan
• Employment New Brunswick
• Employment Newfoundland and Labrador
• Employment Nova Scotia
• Employment Prince Edward Island
• Employment North West Territories
• Additional private organizations like WoodGreen Community Services and World Education Services offer guidance on credential recognition, job searching, and professional integration. 
• Volunteer with RGD! 
• Other volunteer organizations include: https://payitfwd.design/about-us ; https://www.designgigsforgood.org/ 

Community Resources

• Slack
• Community news at RGD

For The Ukrainian Community: 

• Ukrainian Canadian Congress
• Canada Ukraine Foundation
• St Voloydymyr Institute
• Canadian Immigrant Aid Society

What would you like to see us (RGD) provide? Please email us at community@rgd.ca