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C4 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday. June 27, 2001 We rent the world's roomiest golf carts. Photo by Trisha Kuntz 0 ) n y o u r next golf weekend, give you r foursom e a little e lb o w r o o m in a fu ll-s iz e c a r fro m H e rtz. T h e r e 's ple n ty of tru n k space for c lu b s and bags. A n d you can even save so m e green. The LINC student choir sang "This Land is Your Land" as part of the graduation ceremonies. 263 Speers Rd. (at Dorval Dr.) (905) 842-3180 Hertz rents Fords and other fine cars. LINC helps newcomers get a better start in Canada By Mary Collett SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER The acquisition of language forms a crucial link to social interaction, acade mic success and economic prosperity. Thursday, Friday & Saturday Ju n e 28, 29 & 30 i now you can scratch 4 different ways! you could win your scratch & fashions, jewellery, housewares, furniture & more! 25- 50% scratch & 10- 25% kitchen electrics, china & m ore scratch & save an extra a huge selection of men's, women's & kids' fashion clearance off our already-reduced prices. 30- 60% A ll s a v in g s are o ff o u r regular prices, un less o th e rw is e specified. E xc lu d e s B ay Value, ju s t re d uced & special b u y item s. S election w ill v a ry b y store. check out these other great offers selected jewellery, linens, selected cookware, china, mattresses with free* delivery & m ore E x c lu d e d fr o m S c r a tc h & S a v e d is c o u n ts P u rc h a s e a m a ttre s s set, h a v e it d e live re d , a n d w e w ill g iv e y o u a d is c o u n t e q u iv a le n t to th e c o s t of s ta n d a rd local delivery. O akville Place 9 0 5 -8 4 2 -4 8 1 1 M o n .-F ri. 9 :3 0 -9 p m , S at. 8 :0 0 -6 p m , Sun. 1 1 -6 p m For those bom and raised in Canada, there is a tendency to take for granted basic com munication skills, along with principles of liberty, religious tolerance, peaceful coexis tence. and freedom from political persecution. But foj recent refugees and immigrants to Canada, many of whom were forced to flee homes tom apart by war and racial strife, this country represents the chance to start life anew, boundless opportu nity, and the bright promise of a better tomorrow for them selves and their children. That was the message delivered last week at the graduation ceremony for LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) students in Halton. held at the Halton Regional Building on Bronte Road. Political figures from all levels of govern ment, school board trustees, Halton Regional Police Service representatives, and community agency directors joined members of the Halton LINC Partnership to congrat ulate the 45 students of the class of 2001 on the success ful completion of LINC Level 5, in English instruction. The students comprised a colour ful international mosaic from a multitude of cultural back grounds and age groups. Halton LINC is a community-based program, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Classes are full-time/parttim e /e v e n in g s/w e e k e n d s with flexible options regard ing the timing of sessions. Childcare is available at some locations. The LINC program is offered at a num ber of sites throughout the Halton region and there is no fee charged for the program. A Home Study program is also available for those who cannot attend regular LINC classes. Oakville MP Bonnie Brown credited the education system for fostering the prac tice of a "classless society" in Canada, no matter how diffi cult that ideal may be to real istically maintain. "This is a land of opportu nities. Those who take advan tage of them, will definitely succeed," she concluded. Halton Regional Chair, Joyce Savoline knows first hand the importance of being able to navigate the confus ing and frightening terrain of a new and unfamiliar country. Bom to mixed parentage, a Russian mother and an Iraqi father, Savoline immigrated to Canada as a child. She recounted to the assembly that her mother deliberately chose Canada over the United States as the country of preference because Canada offered a bilingual culture. "Canada celebrates its diversity: it's wide and open and tolerant," said Savoline. She described her adoptive country as one "strengthened by the spirit of its First Nations, blessed by its pio neers, and enriched every day by its new Canadians." Savoline told the gradu ates to "use your gifts, get involved and seize the future with all the enthusiasm it deserves." Some of the students were also given the opportunity to have their say during the evening program. They did so with simple, yet graceful eloquence. When Viera Bankova first arrived in Canada, she felt like "a stranger in a strange land." Experiencing so much discomfort with the unfamil iar language, Bankova was afraid even in her dealings with her children's teachers. Overnight, she went from being a strong, independent woman to one almost totally reliant upon her husband. Her life began to change and open up when she enrolled in LINC classes at the Trafalgar Road location. Though she realizes that she will require more English skills training, today she is confident of suc cess in the next stage of her studies. "I'm looking forward to new challenges, meeting new friends and the possibility of a new career," Bankova said. Turkish native Adnan Dink infused his brief speech with an easy humour that had the entire audience laughing in appreciation. Comparing his graduation certificate to an Oscar win for best performance and himself to American actor, Tom Cruise, Dink concluded with a final comparison to "Joe" of beer commercial fame, proudly extolling the now famous words: "I am Canadian!" Boguslawa Kudukis has already used the LINC pro gram as a springboard to uni versity classes, hoping to one day return to teaching, her profession when she lived in Poland. Earlier in the day, at a potluck luncheon at the Halton Centre for Adult Education, graduating stu dent, Bogdana Matic recalled the difficulty of life in wartorn Croatia. Though she still occasionally misses her home, the conflict has scat tered her family across the globe and she has no plans to return to the land of her birth. "My husband and I wanted to come to Canada," she said. "We waited a long time to have our refugee status approved, and now we're very happy in Oakville." Matic found the LINC program to be "very, very good," providing a "great opportunity to improve in English and meet some new people." Venezuelan native, Antonio Gonzalez wasted no time in moving to Oakville upon his arrival to Canada. Having stayed here with friends on a visit five years earlier, Gonzalez said, "I liked it here and wanted to live here because it's very safe." Next month Gonzalez will begin a 12-month course of study at the Risk Management Program of the University of Toronto, hoping it will lead to a career as a stockbroker. Both Matic and Gonzalez agreed that one of the greatest assets of the LINC program is its teaching staff. More information on the LINC program can be obtained by contacting Sonya Trines-MacMurray at (905) 270-6000, ext. 238. or Judy Wedgewood at (905) 8753851, ext. 227.