Making a New Journey: Comparing the Settlement Experiences of Adult and Child Refugees in Atlantic Canada

This article applies the ACL framework (Age at migration, Context/contact opportunities, and Life cycle stage) and uses qualitative interview data to compare the integration of Syrian adult & child refugees in St. John's, Canada. Almost all children report having Canadian-born friends, outpacing the adults, facilitated by highly integrated classrooms. Their recreational activities are less structured, while adults focus on language school or settlement agency events. Children are more open to the new experiences and are much more optimistic about Canadian weather & food. They more often walk by bus to school, with adults favouring automobiles for transportation; this tends to be - because they are zoned to nearby schools instead of attending centralized language classes.