Smiling in a New Land

A conversation with Yuting Peng about motherhood, migration, and building a new life in Canada.

Almost two years ago, Yuting Peng arrived in Canada from China, full of hope, and a quiet anxiety about the future. She wasn’t just moving countries; she was preparing to become a mother in a place completely new to her.

“I was mostly worried about education,” she says. “I wanted an English-speaking country that welcomes immigrants.”

Yuting Peng at the public library in New Westminster, BC

Before choosing Canada, she explored other options, even spending time in Malaysia. But in the end, she wanted stability, opportunity, and a long-term future. Canada felt right.

When she first landed at Vancouver International Airport, she noticed something unexpected. Compared to Shenzhen’s vast, brightly lit airport, YVR felt smaller and quieter. It was her first reminder that life here would be different.

Some expectations were met. “Canadian people are famous for being friendly,” she says with a smile. “That part is true.”

Other things surprised her, especially public transit. In China, buses arrived every few minutes. In Canada, missing one could mean waiting half an hour. For a new student commuting to college, that adjustment wasn’t easy.

Then came the day her daughter was born.

It started like any normal day. Yuting was on her way to a volunteer job. She ran to catch the bus, unaware she was already bleeding. After getting off and stepping onto the sidewalk, she realized something was wrong, the bleeding wouldn’t stop.

She waved at a driver waiting at a red light. At first, the woman hesitated, saying she was on her way to work. But moments later, she changed her mind.

“She waved back and said she could help me,” Yuting recalls.

The hospital was only five minutes away. The stranger drove her there and helped her into the emergency department. From there, hospital staff rushed her to the delivery unit. It was intense, unexpected, and overwhelming.

Those first hours of motherhood in a new country felt very different from what she might have experienced in China. Nurses helped care for her newborn, guiding her through those fragile first moments.

“It felt like an emergency situation,” she says.

When she first arrived in Canada, Yuting had no close friends or family nearby. Determined to improve her English, she searched online for ESL classes and found one at a church in Delta.

The church community welcomed her warmly. Slowly, Yuting began building connections. It wasn’t easy — the language barrier made everyday conversations intimidating, even simple interactions in stores. Although she had passed the IELTS test, speaking and listening in real life were still challenging. But step by step, she grew more confident.

Today, she is no longer alone. “They are so lovely and kind,” she says about her community. “They give me so much support.”

Somewhere along the way, she also discovered a new passion: biking.

One day while hiking, she saw two people cycling along a forest trail. She knew them casually and joked that maybe one day they could ride together. Eventually, they did. Now, biking has become both exercise and exploration.

It has taken her along the Fraser River, all the way to Ladner, places she might never have discovered otherwise. She laughs about fixing her bike chain herself and finding a hidden fountain. Her longest ride so far? Two hours. And she hasn’t fallen — yet.

Not every part of her journey has been smooth. Job hunting has been one of the toughest challenges.

“I never imagined it would be that hard,” she admits. Even entry-level positions proved difficult to secure. Still, she remains hopeful. She is considering shifting her career toward healthcare, as a pathway toward permanent residency.

Through it all, the uncertainty, the language barriers, the emergency delivery, the bus schedules, the job search, one thing has remained constant.

She is still smiling.

And in that smile is resilience: a mother raising her daughter in a new country, building community one class, one ride, and one brave conversation at a time. Her journey is still unfolding.