Regina Open Door Society class hosts Governor General of Canada visit

The Regina Open Door Society had a very special guest in one of their classes on Tuesday morning.

The Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, is currently on an official visit to Saskatchewan. She made a stop to see the mural painted on the exterior of the Open Door Society building, and meet the artist who painted it.

Following that, she joined some newcomers who were taking part in an English language class offered by the organization.

Tatiana Zotova, the director of language, employment & daycare services at the Regina Open Door Society said it was an amazing opportunity to put a face to the title.

“We don’t always have an opportunity to do that. I think our clients, as newcomers to Canada, it’s very important to them to participate in Canadian life, to understand the levels of the government and here to have this first hand experience, it was really amazing,” she said.

Her Excellency spoke with the class about what it means to be Canadian and heard some of their stories.

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For those at the Open Door Society, this visit was both a memorable and educational experience, according to Ricardo Arisnabarreta, the manager of language services.

“Many of them eventually will try to get their Canadian citizenship. They will need to know how the government works and operates, and to see the representative of the king right in front of them, it’s the experience of a lifetime but also it helps them engage with the learning materials,” Arisnabarreta said.

Her Excellency commended the class on their efforts to learn a second language, citing her personal experience of learning French over the last two years.