Canadians Abroad - the hub of the Canadian Community in L.A.
The most populous city in the most populous state in the US is Los Angeles. This megatropolis is also known as the city with the largest Canadian population outside of Canada. Estimates place the number to be between 300,000 and 1 million. In speaking with people both in L.A. and to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the number is probably close to 500,000. However, no matter how you look at it, there are a lot of Canadians in that city. At the heart of this community is a group called Canadians Abroad, a social organization that grew from a small number of people back in 1997 that were invited by the then Consul General in L.A., Honourable Kim Campbell to hold a literary salon event at her home. The group now boasts a membership of over 2000 individuals and is still growing.
The Canadian Expat Association recently had the opportunity to speak with Jane Figueiredo, the current president of Canadians Abroad. Jane, a Cancer Epidemiologist and Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at University of Southern California is the fifth person to hold that position since the group incorporated in 1998.
Since its inception, Canadians Abroad has grown to the point that it is truly the hub of activity for the Canadian Expat community in and around Los Angeles. A quick look over their website (www.canadiansabroad.com) reveals an incredible number of events held by and for Canadians. For October alone 19 events were listed as of publication of this article. While not all the events are organized by Canadians Abroad it is clear that any event organizer wanting to get the word out about a function they are holding L.A. would be foolish not to get involved with this organization. Functions that are organized by the group are quickly becoming known as “must attend” events. At a recent charity golf tournament even George Stroumboulopoulos made the point of showing up.
Individuals currently living in L.A. or anyone thinking of moving there would be advised to take a serious look at becoming a member. With an annual fee of only $40 for an individual or $60 for a household membership, this could be the best investment you make all year. “The Goal is to provide a social network for Canadian Expats, keep them informed, facilitate business connections, and work with universities, business organizations and the Consulate General”, says Jane.
Moving to larger cities like L.A. can be daunting and quite lonely without a social network like Canadians Abroad. With the population of Canadians in this huge city reaching half a million, the need for an organization like Canadians Abroad to help everyone stay in touch with developments in Canada and to create opportunities for Canadians to meet has never been more important. Congratulations Canadians Abroad for all the work you have done for the Canadian Community in Los Angeles and we look forward to seeing a lot more from you in the future.
If you are already a member of Canadians Abroad - Register with the Canadian Expat Association by October 21st and your name will be entered into a draw to win two tickets to the LA Kings Game & Tragically Hip Concert on October 29th:
Goto to: http://www.thecanadianexpa
Click Register:
Enter your information but in the Country field enter: Canadians Abroad L.A.
by registering you also will recieve our monthly newsletter
For more information contact visit the Canadians Abroad website at: http://www.canadiansabroad.com
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