By Stephanie Waddell
It’s a story that’s not all that new to Canada: Immigrants arriving here looking for a better life for their families.
In this case, it’s a glimpse into the lives of a small number of Filipinos who have moved to the Yukon in search of a better life and contributed to the territory many now call home.
Cold Paradise will have its world premier Feb 6 at the Yokon Arts Centre during the Yukon Film Society’s available Light Film Festival being held Feb 4-10, 2013.
Director Warner Walcher the director behind River of Life about the Paddlers Abreast team began working on the documentary in 2011 for Omni TV. It’s anticipated the channel will show the 44 minute piece sometime in the summer.
As it’s described on the film festival’s website (http//yukonfilmsociety.com/alff):
“Many Yukons only know the Filipino community through the community’s annual Canada Day tent and the White horse businesses that employ temporary foreign workers.
“This film introduces us to the pioneers of the community who moved to the Yukon 20years ago, and offers a rare insight into the lives and hardships temporary foreign workers and immigrants from the Philippines face when they leave behind young children, and other family members to live in a culture and climate very unfamiliar to them “
In an interview, Walcher said he came up with the idea for the documentary when he noticed more and more Filipino workers in the territory .
Initially, he said he thought they came into the territory, made their money and then left as soon as possible.
As he delved into the possibility of making the film, he learned some very important stories about those coming here.
Many arrived under the Yukon Nominee Program which has businesses sponsor workers who come from the Philippines to work here.
Omni TV was receptive to the idea. With a mandate to do present pieces in the languages of Canada’s immigrants, that presented the first challenged for Walcher because it meant he had to get the stories in the Filipinos language of Tagalog.
Welcher said he soon contacted Yvonne Clarke, the president of the Canadian Filipino Association of Yukon about the film.
“She opened a lot of doors for us” he said.
Overtime he and others working on the film were able to build a trust with those they were interviewing.
It’s something not easy to tell their story”, he said.
Over time, he learned about their lives and experiences, including many who waited years to have their families come to Canada after they were here.
Walcher found many would come out of their shell as they relayed their experience in their native language over when they would share their experience in English.
Others, who had been in Canada for years, would find themselves mixing English into their Tagalog and would joke they now spoke “Tenglish”.Along with interviewing those who have come from the Philippines to work and live in the Yukon, Walcher interviewed others, such as the owner of the Canadian Tire Store and then mayor Bev Buckway.
As he was filming, he said he heard some negative comments, with some arguing the immigrants are taking jobs from locals.
As local business owners have noted though, they couldn’t find locals wanting to fill positions at their businesses, leaving them to go through the nominee program to find staff.
And over the years, a number of the Filipinos who came here have worked their way up through the ranks to take on other positions.
“It’s interesting if you look at Canadian Tire, for example, Walcher said.
Some workers there who started out cleaning floors are now heading up departments, he noted.
Walcher said he hopes the film will give a voice to those who have come here looking for a better life and show what they have gone through to be here.
“I think it gives people a totally different perspective,” he said. Audience members were laughing and crying during the late 2012 private screening as stories were shared.
While the film festival will mark the world premier of the documentary, those involved with it were treated to a private screening.
Clarke noted it was an eye opener for even her children, who were born in Canada, and she expects it will be the same for those attending the screening next month.
“This will give them a little bit of understanding of why (Filipinos come here).”said Clarke, a Filipino who came to Canada 18 years ago, said.
Like Walcher, Clarke said it’s her hope Yukoners see that the Filipino population in the territory is more than just the cleaners, nannies, service workers and so on that they may see on a daily basis, that they are able to get a glimpse into their lives.
As Clarke noted, while its impossible to get a full picture of the situation in just 45 minutes Walcher did a good job at providing that glimpse.
Clarke noted many in the Filipino community were excited to have their stories showcased.
“Everybody wants to be part of it, she said of the film and the reaction she got when she queried people about being involved with it.****
