Shensi (Sabrina) Zhang first came to Greater Sudbury as an international student. Now she runs a business that helps others like her navigate the process of coming to Canada.
Back in China, she had only ever heard of the biggest Canadian cities, like Toronto and Vancouver. Her plan was to apply to a university in Toronto, but by the time she was ready, most schools had already closed their applications.
“Only Laurentian University in Sudbury remained open. I didn’t want to wait another year, so I applied in a hurry,” she says.
Once she got the offer letter, she applied for a study permit, but it was refused.
“I didn’t give up. I reapplied and was finally approved,” she says. “I guess it was just meant to be. I rushed to buy a last-minute flight and arrived in Sudbury with just three suitcases and no place where I could settle, full of hope and uncertainty.”
In Beijing she ran her own translation, interpreting, and education consulting company. She had also worked in international recruitment, traveling across countries to recruit global talent. “I was used to skyscrapers, business meetings, and cities full of constant noise and people,” she says.
Being in Greater Sudbury was quite the culture shock.
“When I first arrived, I was shocked by how quiet the streets were. I asked myself, ‘Where is everybody?’ The low-rise buildings, the empty sidewalks—it all felt unfamiliar. And I was late for school due to the delayed study permit, arriving just in time to be lost in my first statistics class, jet-lagged and totally confused. I remember not understanding a single word in class—partly due to unfamiliar concepts, mostly due to exhaustion,” says Shensi.
She had planned to come here, study a bit, observe the business environment, and possibly start something, but it turned out to be much harder than she expected. “Studying was grueling. I was in the library all the time, where the staff came to recognize my face. Just when I was adjusting, COVID hit. The library closed, everything went remote, and to top it off, Laurentian University filed for creditor protection. I wondered if I would even finish my program,” she says.
As it turns out, the academic hurdles she faced were only the beginning. Life in winter was another challenge. Shensi did not have her driver’s license yet and joked that she had her own version of four-wheel-drive: two legs and two suitcase wheels. She used it to haul her groceries through the snow, until one wheel popped off dramatically and she was left with a wobbly suitcase. The winter roads were so slippery that she once slid into a ditch and fell down, finding all of her apples and oranges had sunk halfway into the snow.
“They say ‘when life gives you lemons, make lemonade’. Well, Sudbury handed me some serious lemons—a study permit refusal, culture shock, no place to settle, a university that filed for creditor protection, a busted suitcase wheel in the snow, and, oh yes, a global pandemic,” says Shensi. Despite all that, she never gave up and managed to complete her MBA.
Finding community in crisis
After she graduated, she encountered even more challenges. While applying for permanent residency (PR), she was scammed by two immigration agencies in Toronto. “Frustrated and exhausted, I started learning immigration policy on my own—reading, asking questions, searching for support,” she says.
“That’s when I found the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario at 10 Elm Street in Sudbury. Their team helped me organize documents and guided me through the process. Thanks to their support, I eventually got my PR card. I was so grateful that I became a volunteer with the YMCA myself. That moment gave me my first real sense of ‘community’ in Canada.”
She met incredible people who made her feel that she truly belonged.
Founding HY Voyagers, “to support every journey”
“Having been through so many struggles myself, I realized how vulnerable international students are—especially when they don’t have support, or worse, when they’re misled or exploited. I decided that no student should go through what I went through,” says Shensi.
She created HY Voyagers, a student-led initiative that helps newcomers and international students with school applications, English and French language test prep, job searches, immigration questions, and cultural adjustment. She has hosted job readiness workshops at the Greater Sudbury Public Library and the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, where they’ve been a proud member for years, and offers affordable English and French language test prep. “Scott Florence from the Sudbury Workers Centre has been key in our shared efforts to support international students and newcomers,” says Shensi. “His dedication to community-building and partnership has made a meaningful impact.”
“We’ve helped countless students from both Laurentian and Cambrian, as well as those around the world who want to come to Canada to study and settle as the goal.”
Shensi credits early community support with giving her confidence, and the work with giving her purpose. Before she incorporated her company, HY Voyagers, the Regional Business Centre helped her through the whole process of setting up a sole proprietorship and registering the business. Her group has collaborated with many institutions and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. She is a regular fixture in the community, appearing at Greater Sudbury’s first Multicultural Day and the Chinese Moon Festival, among others. Dr. Bela Ravi from the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association has provided incredible support to Shensi and HY Voyagers. “Her encouragement and collaboration have meant so much to our journey,” she says.
Appreciating the healing effects of nature
“Though my journey here was unplanned and filled with setbacks, I’ve come to deeply appreciate Sudbury’s natural beauty and healing environment. The lakes, the trees, the silence—they helped me find inner peace,” says Shensi.
Being here allowed her to reconnect with nature through movement. The city’s many beautiful lakes have become for her a space for reflection, healing, and peace.
“I now believe in promoting Sudbury as a hidden gem to others. We are developing Northern Canada study tour programs to introduce more Chinese students to the region’s education, culture, and lifestyle. On top of that, we see great potential in the tourism sector here, especially for wellness travel. Our next goal is to introduce more people to this place—to come, experience the healing power of nature, and rediscover themselves in the quiet beauty of Northern Ontario.”
The big picture
“Sudbury, like any place, is not without its flaws. I’ve had personal experiences with discrimination. But I’ve also encountered kindness, encouragement, and people who truly care and welcomed me with open hearts. It’s not perfect—but there is hope,” says Shensi.
“The beauty of Sudbury, she says, is not just in its nature, but in its people—people like Mnena Ibeneme and the Sudbury Local Immigration Partnership team, who truly listen to our stories.”
“I came here to understand Canada. But in doing so, I discovered a deeper understanding of myself—and a purpose I never expected.”
Greater Sudbury is a city that celebrates diversity, multiculturalism, and mutual respect for all of our citizens. The Sudbury Local Immigration Partnership fosters an inclusive, engaging and collaborative environment with local stakeholders to identify issues, share solutions, build capacity and preserve collective memory for the purpose of ensuring the attraction, settlement, inclusion and retention of newcomers in Greater Sudbury.