Ahhh June, the gateway to summer. A time of extended daylight, warm evenings, floating down the Bow, the Calgary Stampede, trips to the Zoo, picnics in the park. What is your favourite thing about summer? Tell us on our facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ESLCoop/

I drove by two middle-aged men standing on a sidewalk in Calgary.  They were kissing each other on the cheeks and my first thought was, “They must be gay.”  I took another look and I remembered seeing similar looking men greeting and kissing each other in Ukraine.

The kiss in the ancient world was both a friendly sign of greeting and an emotional symbol of farewell.  A common salutation in the East, kissing occurs in the Old Testament as a sign of affection between relatives, an expression of love, or lust, or as a token of respect.  The kiss was a common courtesy greeting amongst the Rabbis.  In the early Christian church, it became a holy, or consecrated, kiss.

In one congregation a variation of this practice got a little out of hand …

Dr. Sidney Jourard sat in coffee shops all over the world and counted the times he saw one person touching another.  His results were startling.  In Puerto Rico he counted 180 touches in an hour; in France 110; in the United States, only 2.  In England, none.  Touch can bring emotional healing and communicate acceptance to another.  It breaks down barriers.  It's almost impossible to feel at odds with someone you are touching.
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We are pleased to announce that Sandy Baldwin will succeed his wife, Janelle, in this role on July 1^st,  leading to a seamless transition and more great work with our newsletter, website, social media and printed promotional material.  Thank you, Janelle, and welcome, Sandy!

Introducing Our New Resources Coordinator 
We are pleased to announce that starting in July, Darlene Penner will:

• Establish and build our relationships with churches by developing and maintaining our contacts database and coordinating the consultation we provide for ESL/cross-cultural ministry start-up and development.
• In collaboration with our team, compile and develop our website content, links and resources to download and/or purchase from our website.
• Work with our Communications & Marketing Coordinator by providing content, editing and proofreading our website, monthly newsletter, social media and promotional materials.
• Strengthen our income by applying for grants.

Canada is often referred to as a land of immigrants because millions of newcomers have settled here and helped to build and defend our way of life, starting with settlers from France and England. 

In 1937, John Buchan, the 1st Baron Tweedsmuir and Governor General of Canada (1935-40) said immigrant groups “should retain their individuality and each make its contribution to the national character,” a philosophy that is carried forward in Canada’s Multiculturalism policy.

Did you know…

• In 1604, the first European settlement north of what is now Florida was established by French explorers Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain, first on St. Croix Island (in present-day Maine), then at Port-Royal, in Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia).
• The Acadians are the descendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604.
• Most French speaking Quebecers are descendants of 8,500 French settlers who arrived in the 1600s and 1700s.
• The Loyalists came to Canada from the United States in 1776, to escape the American Revolution.  They were of Dutch, German, British, Scandinavian, Aboriginal and other origins and from Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Jewish, Quaker, and Catholic religious backgrounds. 
• When Canada became a country in 1867 our first Prime Minister was, of course, an immigrant.  Sir John Alexander Macdonald, was born in Scotland on January 11, 1815, and he came to Upper Canada as a child.  
• Dominion Lands Act was the 1872 piece of legislation that granted a quarter section of free land (160 acres or 64.7 hectares) to any settler 21 years of age or older who paid a ten–dollar registration fee, lived on his quarter section for three years, cultivated 30 acres (12.1 hectares), and built a permanent dwelling. 
• Between 1901 and 1914, over 750,000 immigrants entered Canada from the United States. While many were returning Canadians, about one–third were newcomers of European extraction—Germans, Hungarians, Norwegians, Swedes, and Icelanders—who had originally settled in the American West. 
• Before 1914, some 170,000 Ukrainians, 115,000 Poles, and tens of thousands from Germany, France, Norway, and Sweden settled in the West and developed a thriving agricultural sector. 
• Between 1928 and 1971, one million immigrants came to Canada through Pier 21 alone. 
• By the 1960s, one-third of Canadians had origins that were neither British nor French, and took pride in preserving their distinct culture in the Canadian fabric. 
• Today, most immigrants come from China, Philippines and India. 
• The proportion of foreign-born Canadians was 19.8% in 2006. 
• 24% of Canada’s population speaks languages other than English and French. 
• Since the fertility rate in Canada is only 1.68 children per female, the majority of Canada’s population growth is due to immigration.

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/archives/backgrounders-2011/facts-canada-immigration-history.html