Community Interviews

Amarinder (he/him) Interviewer: Bhavpreet Singh Arneja Interviewee: Amarinder Singh Sandhu In this interview, Amarinder, a final-year MSc Computer Science student at StFX, shares his journey since moving from Ferozpur, Punjab, India to Antigonish in August 2023. Currently on a study permit, Amarinder talks about the challenges he faced, especially finding accommodation and securing a job during the summer of 2024. His younger brother, who is also in Canada, helped him find a

Norah Quirk Interviewer: Tavneet Kaur Interviewee: Norah Quirk In this interview, Norah Quirk, a young community member who grew up in New Glasgow and moved to Antigonish for university, shares her experiences. Norah is a final-year student at StFX, majoring in History and minoring in Fine Arts. Norah enjoys photography and filmmaking, which fuel their creativity. Accompanied by a special guest, Norah's therapy cat Tiki, Norah reflects on how the town has changed for the bett

Pavithra (she/her) Interviewer: Bhavpreet Singh Arneja Participant: Pavithra In this interview, Pavithra, an MSc Computer Science student from Chennai, India, shares her experience as an international student at StFX. She moved to Antigonish on August 28, 2023, on a study permit and initially knew little about the town. Through research, she discovered that Antigonish is a peaceful place. However, Pavithra faced challenges, including the lack of public transportation and expe

Neeti Bhatnagar (she/her) Interviewer: Tavneet Kaur Participant: Neeti Bhatnagar In this interview, Neeti Bhatnagar, a community member originally from India, shares her journey to Antigonish. Neeti moved to Canada in 2023 to join her husband, who had arrived in 2021 to work at NSCC in Port Hawkesbury. After spending a year there, they decided to settle in Antigonish. Neeti, a chef by profession, had a catering business in India and did some catering work in Port Hawkesbury b

Nadeeka (she/her) Interviewer: Tavneet Kaur Participant: Nadeeka In this interview, Nadeeka, a 45-year-old permanent resident of Canada, originally from Sri Lanka, shares her journey to Antigonish. She moved to Canada in April 2022 with her husband and two young kids, following a recommendation from her husband’s Canadian friend, who lives in Antigonish and introduced them to the town. Nadeeka graduated with a Bachelor of Education from StFX in May 2024. She recounts that she

Asad Ali (he/him) Interviewer: Bhavpreet Singh Arneja Participant: Asad In this interview, Asad Ali, a 25-year-old international student from Pakistan, shares his journey from Dubai to Antigonish. After spending 19 years in Pakistan and five years in Dubai for his bachelor's degree, Asad moved to Canada on August 23, directly settling in Antigonish. He met the StFX recruitment director at a conference in Dubai, where they discussed Asad’s plans to move to Canada, and the dire

Patrick (he/him) Interviewer: Bhavpreet Singh Arneja Participant: Patrick Patrick, a final-year student at St. Francis Xavier University, shares his journey from Nigeria to Antigonish. He moved to Canada in stages, first arriving in Vancouver on August 30, then Halifax, and finally settling in Antigonish on September 1. Growing up in the southern part of Nigeria, in a small but capital city where the community was tightly knit, Patrick draws parallels between his hometown and

Anik Das (he/him) Interviewer: Tavneet Kaur Participant: Anik Das Anik Das moved from Bangladesh to Antigonish in September 2021 to pursue his Master’s in Computer Science at St. Francis Xavier University. In this interview, Anik shares his journey, reflecting on the challenges he faced and the support he received from professors during his program. Although he finds Antigonish to be a quiet town, he appreciated the academic environment and the opportunities it offered. Since

Cohen Wang (he/him) Interviewer: Tavneet Kaur Participant: Cohen Wang In this interview, Cohen Wang, a first-year student at St. Francis Xavier University, shares his experience as a newcomer to Antigonish. Originally from the north of China and currently on a work permit, Cohen has been living in Antigonish for only a few months. He reflects on his transition to life in this small town, the challenges and opportunities he's encountered, and how he is adapting to both the aca