Nathlie Piloto fled her home country of Cuba a year ago searching for a better life, and after settling in Collingwood, has found all that and more.
For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we spoke with Piloto, 25, Cuban refugee.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Boca de Camarioca in Cuba. It’s a town about eight kilometres from Varadero. I lived there my whole life; same town, same house.
Q: Did you go to post-secondary after high school? What did you study?
A: Yes, I went to university to be a teacher.
But, being a teacher, you work for the government in Cuba. It’s not good. So I went to work at a resort. You can make tips there. It’s better than working for the government. I worked in public relations at the resort.
Q: When did you first start thinking about wanting to leave Cuba?
A: In my whole life, I had never thought about leaving. I loved my town, the beach – I loved Cuba. My mom and I are so close and I wouldn’t have thought about leaving her there.
But, the situation was getting worse every day.
My brother decided to leave first, because there’s no freedom.
I got fired from the resort because I didn’t go to a mandatory political parade. The government orders it. Since I was the ‘face’ of the resort, they wanted me to walk out in front. I said I was sick. I didn’t want to go.
People are hungry. There’s no freedom. People who don’t agree with the government are in jail.
I was fired the next day. They said I wasn’t prepared to work in tourism, because they want to show the world that people support the government and the system. But it’s not. You see on TV people in the streets supporting the revolution, but it’s not. It’s mandatory.
I wanted to be free, work hard and get paid well. I wanted a better future.
My brother had come to Collingwood, and he said this is the best country in the world. My mom had been close friends with a Collingwood woman, and she sponsored us both to come here.
Q: How did you start the process of becoming a refugee to Canada?
A: My brother had an open visa because he came to Canada a few years before, so he came to Canada as a refugee two and a half years ago.
About a year after that, I applied for a visa to come here. I had to wait for six months for it, and I was going crazy waiting, checking the mail every day.
I just wanted to leave.
Once I got it, I thought, “Oh my God, what am I doing?” It was so scary. I left everything behind me, my whole life. Being far away from my mom would be the worst. We talk three times a day.
I immediately booked a flight. I counted down the days. It was hard. I was so afraid. I had never even travelled alone before.
I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got here. I had to declare political asylum to start the refugee process.
I worried they were going to send me back. In Cuba, you’re always scared of police, so I was worried about the police here. When I saw them at the airport, I was so afraid. They were so nice!
Q: Once you got to Canada, was there anything about it that surprised you?
A: How fast the weather changes here, and the vegetation. It’s weird!
I love the people here. They are really nice and friendly.
The snow and the cold is new. We don’t have that in Cuba.
Q: Where are you working now?
A: I work at Copper Blues at Blue Mountain.
Q: What are your long-term plans?
A: I love being a server right now, and it’s a nice place and I have really nice co-workers. The owners are so nice.
But, I don’t want to be a server my whole life.
I would love to be able to teach again. Right now, since I’m a refugee claimant, I can’t take courses or go to school. I know it’s going to take a few years for me.
I’m good if I can work. Doing this right now is great.
Q: Is there anything you miss about Cuba?
A: I miss everything. I miss people walking in the street all the time, running around without shoes. I miss the food. I miss the friends I had left there. They’re also trying to find a way to leave. I miss my house and the beach.
I couldn’t go into the water here this summer because it was still too cold for me.
Q: Do you have plans to bring your other family members here?
A: My mom has come up to visit us twice. We brought our grandma up once. It was her first time ever out of Cuba; she’s 81 years old. They recently spent five weeks here. It was amazing.
I would love to bring them up to live here but we have a big property in Cuba and now, because everyone is selling houses to leave, house prices are so cheap and we can’t sell our house.
Also, my mom would love to come but she’s not going to leave my grandmother alone. They have been living together always.
In the future, maybe.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Most of the time, I’m working. (laughs)
When I’m not working, I love spending time with my friends. I have made a lot of good friends here. I like spending time with my brother. We go for hikes.
I’m trying to get my driver’s license.
I don’t have too much free time. I also don’t know what places around here are good to go to in this area.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like people in Collingwood to know about you?
A: Yes. I’d like to tell people in Collingwood – and all of Canada – you are lucky to be born here.
Sometimes I hear people complaining about things that really, aren’t too bad, and they sometimes don’t appreciate what they have.
They may go to the supermarket and not be able to get a specific kind of eggs, or milk, but they have six other choices.
In Cuba, you have one choice. You have to take it.
You guys are lucky.
For our feature People of Collingwood, we speak with interesting people who are either from or are contributing to the Collingwood community in some way, letting them tell their own stories in their own words. This feature runs on CollingwoodToday every weekend. If you’d like to nominate or suggest someone to be featured in People of Collingwood, email [email protected].
