A New Adventure
By Laura Turner- Voice of English-speaking Québec Newcomers Coordinator

In January 2009, Lori Godon Trewolla decided that she needed to make a change in her life. She had a successful career as a wife and mother and after her children left the house, Lori felt as if something was missing. In 2004, Lori had visited Québec and fell in love with all that the city had to offer. With fond memories of her trip, she decided that Quebec City would be the perfect location to have a new adventure and decided to come and live here for a year.

When she arrived, she signed a year lease for an apartment  in Old Québec, had $ 2000 in her pocket and a lot of faith.

Lori`s first priority was to learn French, so she signed up for classes at Centre du Phénix and was referred to Empoi-Québec. She also utilized the services offered through the FORT program and worked with the staff at the Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre to update her resume.

After spending the summer in Quebec City, Lori was now faced with a difficult decision: continue her adventure or return to Hamilton. The decision became very simple to make; not only was she offered a job greeting passengers off a cruise ship but she was making a life for herself in Québec. After having the opportunity to work in Quebec City`s tourism industry, Lori decided to put her French studies on hold and enroll in the Tour Guide Program at CEGEP Champlain- St.Lawrence.

In May 2010, Lori graduated from the program and is now a certified and licensed Quebec City tour guide.  She still recognizes how important it is to learn French and will enroll in French courses again in the off season.  She also takes every opportunity to participate in cultural events and recently volunteered at Carnaval where she was excited to carry the City of Quebec flag in the parade, right behind Bonhomme. Lori loves volunteering and is always looking for opportunities to give back to a city that has given her so much.

When she first arrived in Québec, Lori thought she had to immediately immerse herself in French in order to successfully integrate.  However, she quickly came to realize that she can integrate while staying connected to the English-speaking community. Lori would like to give a special thanks to the Voice of English-speaking Québec for providing various opportunities for her to do so.

Lori came to Québec for an adventure, but has found so much more.  She is now an active member of the English-speaking community, is in better mental and physical health than she was before arriving, and through her inner strength and determination she uses her experiences to inspire and motivate others.  Lori could not be happier with her decision to come to Québec and create a life for herself here.