Author: wichan@m5.ca

Our In-Country Operations team has returned to the UK for the month of September, and we have been spreading the word about living and working in Newfoundland and Labrador.  We are continuing to promote the province as “Canada’s Happy Place”, and the message is reaching far and wide!

We have been attending some of the largest job and recruitment fairs in the UK and meeting people in search of quality employment and new opportunities abroad. With 16,000 – 20,000 attendees per event, it’s been a great opportunity to connect talented individuals who may have not considered Newfoundland and Labrador as a place to thrive. Minister Stoodley joined us in Milton Keynes in helping to engage potential newcomers to find opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador. The people we are meeting have experience in a broad spectrum of industries – healthcare, engineering, construction, information technology, and education just to name a few. The diversity of interested individuals is inspiring.

So far this month, our team has attended job fairs in Manchester and Milton Keynes with another two-day show in London to finish off the month of September. If you’re in or near London, we encourage you to come see Minister Stoodley and us at the job show being held at Westfield Stratford City from 11am-5pm Friday September 27th and Saturday September 28th. You can preregister at www.londonjobshow.co.uk/stratford.

We have been providing public seminars at the job shows to further promote the province to attendees, and even getting some local radio and media attention. It has been incredibly busy so far, with no slowing down in sight.

Through our engagements, we are also providing details on our provincial immigration programs, and doing plenty of follow-up engagements with individuals and families from our previous visits in the spring and summer of 2024. The response to our presence here in the UK has been overwhelming and we are engaging with new contacts every day. 

In other news, our boys from Barrow AFC continue to punch above their weight and the wins keep on coming! Sitting now in first  place of the League Two competition, the Bluebirds have also moved onto the third round of the Carabao Cup beating Championship division stalwarts Derby County in a shoot-out late last month! This has been a truly stellar start to the 2024-25 season; as their next opponent in the Carabao Cup will be the world-class side of Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge in the heart of London. The magnitude of this game cannot be understated, and the excitement is palpable!

As the front of shirt sponsors, the Newfoundland and Labrador logo will be proudly displayed on the Bluebirds jerseys under a global spotlight. The game will be televised, streamed, and talked about globally from soccer fans in every corner of the world. It’s been a wild ride, and the train keeps rolling!  Go Blue Birds!

Moving along and looking ahead we wish the Barrow boys all the best. At the same time, our work continues here on the ground as we meet more individuals and families who are excited to learn about what we have to offer in our special province. 

Let’s show our support for the Bluebirds and encourage them to give Chelsea a solid competition for the next round advancement in the EFL Cup! Let’s go Barrow!

We will keep you updated as our scope expands in the UK. There is plenty more hard work to do, and our team is always up to the task!  

Sheldon O’Neill 
In-Country Operations Manager

Hello United Kingdom and thank you for such a warm welcome upon our arrival!

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s In-Country Operations Team have been incredibly busy since landing in the United Kingdom on Friday, August 9^th. We arrived in in Manchester and immediately commuted to Barrow-in-Furness to meet with senior staff at Barrow Association Football Club (Barrow AFC).

The crew at Barrow were incredibly welcoming, and we immediately felt at home. We brought along some www.HomeAwaits.ca fan supporter items, and were delighted to see so many of the new kits around the stands with the Newfoundland and Labrador logo emblazoning the front of the shirts! The Barrow club gave us a tour of the SO Legal Stadium on Holker Street and we were fortunate enough to attend the home opener on Saturday afternoon where Barrow AFC secured 3 points with a 1-0 win to start their 2024-25 campaign! The Newfoundland delegation also had a quick chat with the Media Manager Ethan Thatcher, which is posted here.

The BBC Cumbria interviewed our In-Country Operations Manager to discuss the sponsorship agreement and the activities of our team while we conduct business throughout the UK. The interview can be viewed here.

Upon our return to Manchester over the weekend we immediately got to work meeting with individuals interested in learning more about living and working in Newfoundland and Labrador. We met individually with twenty people across greater Manchester and throughout northern England. We also delivered virtual meetings with those who could not travel to our location.

Tuesday after work we commuted back to Barrow to support our team in their Round One EFL Cup match vs. Port Vale. Once again the Bluebirds were victorious with a stellar comeback to advance to the Second Round where they will face Derby County at home at the SO Stadium on Tuesday, August 27^th.

This evening we will depart Manchester for Birmingham where we will set up a home base until August 21^st. Anyone who wishes to meet with us either in Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Manchester, or even virtually can connect with our team through the Contact Form on www.HomeAwaits.ca.

We look forward to meeting with individuals, organizations, and all pertinent partners during the remainder of our stay and are excited to spread awareness of Canada’s Happy Place!! We will provide regular updates on our whereabouts and our experiences here in your beautiful country, so please come back and visit this site regularly!

Sincere thanks once again for the incredible experience!

Sheldon O’Neill
Manager of In-Country Operations