Henry Onyango is looking forward to having 3,000 of his closest friends help him study for an upcoming exam when he sings along with the Canadian national anthem at an upcoming Kamloops Blazers game this winter.
“I’ve become quite a hockey fan since moving here a few years ago. I love watching the playoffs with my neighbours and going to cheer on the Blazers. Canadians really do love their hockey,” said Onyango, a Senior Accountant with Dawson Civil.
For the next two years, Henry and his wife, Grace and their youngest daughter, Natasha, will be studying many details and the history of Canada, as they apply for Canadian citizenship.
The Onyango’s new curriculum is a result of recently achieving permanent residency, a significant step for the family, as they become integrated in the Canadian community.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya (14,100 kilometres from Kamloops), their journey to Canada started in 2019 when Grace enrolled at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) to continue her education with a post baccalaureate degree in marketing. In July 2021, Natasha moved to Kamloops to be with her mother and to complete her high school diploma at NorKam Secondary School. That December, Henry flew across the Atlantic after obtaining a Spousal Work Permit and promptly secured a job before making his way to Dawson Civil on Aug 8, 2022. When their oldest daughter Sumi joined them and also enrolled at TRU for a post baccalaureate in business management in 2023, the family reunion was complete.
“If you asked me five years ago if I was going to be living with my family and working in Kamloops, there’s no way I would have believed you. I hadn’t even heard of Kamloops before my wife began looking into studying at TRU,” said Onyango.
As a chartered professional accountant in Keyna, Henry knew that eventually he would need upgrades and different certifications in Canada if he wanted to continue that career, both of which are more difficult to obtain without permanent residency. To achieve that, he needed an employer to prove to different levels of government that he was a current, valuable employee with a future in the company.
When learning about this requirement, Dawson Group moved swiftly to help their new employee.
“At Dawson Group, we support our employees. Henry’s case was not a common one, but we understood that he wanted to work at Dawson and wanted to give his family the opportunity to continue to live and work in Kamloops, so we ensured we did what we could to support him through the Provincial Nominee Program,” said Nicole McIntyre, Director of Human Resources, Communications and Marketing.
This past July, Henry found out that his wife, Natasha and himself were granted permanent residency.
“It was a great relief for our family. Now, we can become further integrated into the community. Educational opportunities for myself and my daughters will become easier and we are one step closer to becoming Canadian citizens,” said Henry.
“I cannot thank Dawson Group enough for their efforts in this process. The government doesn’t accept every application, but Bill Pohl (Chief Financial Officer) and our HR team did everything possible to give me the best chance possible. At Dawson Group, their Core Values are everything: People First, Integrity, Excellence and Respect. To actually see those in action, making an impact in your life and to have other employees really care about you and your family is something very special and we are truly grateful for their efforts.”
These days, the Onyangos are loving life in Kamloops. They enjoy the cozy, small-town feel, moving from a city with more than six million people with the never-ending rush hour traffic, all while learning about the wonderful features that makes Kamloops and Canada a great place, live, work and continue to raise a family.
If you wish to work for a company that deeply cares about their employees, then please visit our Careers Page for all our latest job postings.