Moji knew that Winnipeg wasn’t for her the day after she landed in 2019. In Winnipeg, Canada, the cold made her phone battery die within two minutes of walking to the bus stop. But that wasn’t the primary reason she moved to Toronto in 2020, and if it was, it would have been sufficient. In Winnipeg, she also had a total of two friends or six if you counted their friends and partners too. 

Back home in Nigeria, community just happened. No strategy, no ceremony — you looked left or right and your people were there. But in Canada, if you don’t make it happen, nothing for you.

Moji made it happen. Even as an introvert, she had a clear image of the full life she wanted to build, and she knew it would take conscious effort. Relying on nothing but her love for new experiences, her finance skills, and a deep feverish obsession with Google sheets - Moji went to work. 

Here’s a masterclass on building community in Canada, Moji style.

My name is Moji and I moved to Toronto in 2020

I moved in the middle of the pandemic when things were starting to open. At that time, I was sharing an apartment with an ex-colleague and wanted to meet more people and do things. I didn’t know that many people in Toronto or I thought that I didn’t… 

My tried and tested hack: When you want to meet new people, start a Movement

Moji: Before moving to Toronto, I reached out to two of my ex-colleagues living there and hung out with them when I visited. It was the first time they were seeing each other since moving to Canada, even though they worked down the street from each other. Afterwards, I created a WhatsApp group for ex-Andelans in Canada called Pacesetters (Andela is Moji’s ex-company, staff call themselves Andelans). 

Can you guess how many people are in the WhatsApp group chat?

Moji: Right now, we have 127 people, and about 35 more living in Canada who haven’t joined the GC because they’re shy.

The group chat grew because I made a relocation checklist for my colleagues

Moji: I made a relocation checklist on Google Sheets and shared it with my colleagues back home in Nigeria. The Google sheet I created got shared within and outside the company so many times, and at least half of the people via PR route in Canada used that checklist to relocate. 

Then I made another Google sheet and called it the Enjoyment Calendar

When Moji arrived in Toronto, she was determined to try new things. So she did what came naturally - she made another spreadsheet. This time, it was a social calendar containing almost a year’s worth of activities, colour-coded and planned in great detail.

Moji: I made a calendar stacked with activities for 10 months, and shared it within a closed group. People could sign up for the social event they wanted to participate in, and indicate preferences i.e. if they were okay driving to the destination or needed to carpool etc.

The Enjoyment Calendar Went Viralll 

Moji: It got shared everywhere on social media widely. I remember thinking, “Guys, there’s personal info on that!”

I planned my first group trip was to Montreal 

Moji: We were like 11 or 12 people. Some I knew, some I didn’t. One was my next-door neighbour who’d lived in Canada for nine years but had never travelled with other Black people. That trip meant a lot to her.

There’s something about Canada. It is the largest country in North-America, and the second-largest country in the world by land area. Friends living at close proximity with each other is down to luck, but not for Moji.  

Meet my closest friends: The Usual Suspects

Moji: I call them the usual suspects; they all live within a 10-minute walk from me. 

Wonder how we live so close? All thanks to my persuasive skills

When I move houses, I try to convince them to move too. I run their numbers and tell them the cost benefits of moving, I’ll say something like; “You're currently paying xxx for your cheaper apartment but when you include gym subscription, bus pass, your expense adds up. But this great apartment I found has an in-suite luxury, a gym etc.” 

My persuasive skills work all the time

It does. I'm putting my finance and Excel skills and access to a car to good use. We usually take walks down the waterfront together, eat together, rant in the GC when we’re bored, or mad at work. 

Looking back at the moments that made me grateful for the community we built

Moji: I had emergency surgery a few years ago, and had to move apartments some days after the surgery. I was going to hire movers, but my friends stepped in. They cleaned my new place, fixed cabinets, set up my bed, and even helped my roommate move his stuff to his new house an hour and a half away. 

Hear ye hear ye: Word to the diasporas trying to build community 

Moji: You made the decision to move - consciously or not. Now it’s up to you to build the life you want. Throw the Owambe party if you want one. Don’t wait for people to organize things. Plan something, and ask for support.

I think you’re holding yourself back from living your fullest life in Canada

Moji: People are not willing to experience new things. Nobody wants to go hiking or camping without an indoor camping site. I think a lot of people are not that open because they’re trying to survive, but part of surviving is accepting that you're not going to have the same lifestyle that you had in Nigeria (or back home). 

If I build a joint, would you come? 

Moji: The one that is missing for us (diasporas) in Canada is a joint. We need a joint. We need cheap beer, cheap pepper soup and live music every Thursday to Sunday. And I’ll make it happen. 

My final words on community 

Moji: Don’t limit your friend group. For me, I don’t care who shows up to the hangouts I organise because I know how isolating navigating change can get. Anyone can stop by my house. Because sometimes, that small connection makes all the difference. 

Moji is planning a big summer picnic for her friends and anyone who would like to come. I’ve asked her to share pictures with us when it happens.