Vancouver Welcome Map project opens interactive door to Syrian refugees

Jennifer Rae Pierce knows what it's like to be a newcomer in a strange land.

The UBC PhD planning student has travelledapath from her U.S. home to South Africa, Hungary, Israel, Indiaand now Canada.

Whileattending the Vancouver press conference announcing the arrival ofSyrian refugees, she was struck by a thought:Why not combine her professionand personal experiences to help those newly arriving inthe Lower Mainland?

"I was inspired by that press conference," said Pierce "I know what it's like to not be familiar with the culture or language, and how helpful it can be to find food products that you're used to, or worship spaces."

• Finding refuge: Syrian arrivals prepare for a new life

Theeureka moment led to the creation ofthe Vancouver Welcome Map projectaninteractive website designed to help incoming refugees and recent immigrants find services,resourcesand and all manner of things needed to surviveand thrive.

"Our intentwith this map is really to ensure that people coming here from a different culture feel welcomed," said Pierce. "That's our hope with this project."

The mapcovers most of theLower Mainlandand is bilingual Arabic and English.

Services that fall into categories likefood and shopping, religion, government, and health and beautyare pinnedwith interactive details.

Word-of-mouth information

Pierce says most of the information was gleaned from existing websites. Other bits like where to findcertain foods, or a note about an Arabic-speakingpharmacist came via word-of-mouth.

As well, Pierce's team used good old fashion Google to fill in the blanks where information was missing.

"So for example, some of the people coming from Syriaare Christianand they might be seeking churches offering services in Arabic," said Pierce.

Over 50 volunteers stepped forward to collaborateon the Welcome Map project. Most areUBC planning students with map-making expertise. A key few didthe translating, while others were recruited totest-drive the site.

"We...sought out people who moved from Syria or nearby countries, who we could interviewto make sure the map was meeting the needs of the incoming people," said Pierce.

"I expected 5 or 10 people"

"I've been really amazed at the amount of energy that is out there," she added. "Once I put out the call I expected to get five or tenpeople, so the fact thatI've hadthis much interest has really surprisedme."

The Vancouver Welcome Map project continues to evolve. Pierce says it isstill looking for translators to help with the finishing touches. Then thefinal step will be to distributeprinted brochuresaround the region todirect incoming refugees to the site.