Across Canada, many minimum-wage jobs—especially in fast food, retail, warehouses, cleaning, and delivery—are filled by international students striving to support themselves while studying. These students contribute significantly to keeping businesses running smoothly, often taking shifts that are hard to fill. Yet, they frequently face financial strain due to high tuition, living costs, and limited work hours under student visa rules. Their presence reflects both the diversity and the economic realities of Canada’s labour market, where newcomers’ determination and resilience quietly sustain many everyday services.
This week’s article focuses on one of these fantastic young women whom I’ve had the pleasure of working beside for over two years. Jashandeep made the trip to Canada from Karah, a small village of 1500 people in the Punjab State of Northwest India. She left a home that held 30 people. Her Mother and Father, grandparents, three uncles and all of their wives and children. She hasn’t been home since she left and misses her family terribly.
Families are sending their young adults to North America in the hope of a better future, higher income, and, most surprisingly to me, their safety. While it’s essential to approach the topic with cultural sensitivity and avoid generalizations, some families in India—concerned about the safety, freedom, and opportunities available to their daughters—choose to send them abroad, including to Canada, for education and a more independent life. In certain regions, systemic gender inequality and threats to women’s safety remain pressing issues, and studying overseas can be seen as a way to provide young women with access to environments that offer stronger protections, gender equality, and personal growth. Canada, with its emphasis on human rights and multiculturalism, often represents a place where these young women can pursue their ambitions while living in a society that upholds their right to safety and dignity.
Coming together to share food is what every culture shares around the four corners of the earth. Jashan shared a favourite memory of her and her family that happens in their winter season on a weekly basis. A special dish is prepared by the moms and grandmoms that takes over 5 hours.
Sarson da saag te makki di roti is a classic Punjabi comfort meal. Sarson da saag is a thick, richly flavoured stew made from mustard greens (and often a mix of spinach or other leafy greens), slow-cooked with onions, garlic, ginger, and spices until it becomes soft, earthy, and slightly peppery. It’s finished with a dollop of butter or ghee for a silky, indulgent touch. Makki di roti is a flatbread made from cornmeal, with a rustic, slightly sweet flavour and a hearty, crumbly texture. Served together—usually with a side of pickles and buttermilk—they create a warming, satisfying, and deeply traditional meal that feels like a hug from a Punjabi grandmother.
Jashan remembers with fondness the weekly winter dinners, sitting around the pot of stew, simmering over an open flame. The entire family would gather to enjoy stories, laughter, and the warmth that came with the special meal.
Jashan has studied business accounting, and her goal is to continue her CPA studies in the near future. She is also excited to explore other parts of Canada and enjoy travel and the freedom that her new home provides. In the meantime, Fox on the Run continues to benefit from her unwavering work ethic, quiet optimism and unwavering dedication to our small family business.
Sarson da Saag te makki di roti
-500g mustard or sarson leaves
-250g bathua or chenopodium leaves
-250g spinach leaves
-1 tbsp ginger
-8-9 cloves garlic
-4-5 green chilli
-1 onion
-½ tsp cumin seeds
-1 red chilli, whole or powder
-Salt- to taste
-2 tbsp Clarified butter
-½ tsp Turmeric powder
-2-3 pinches asafoitida
-1 tsp Coriander seeds
-3-4 tbsp Corn flour
Clean, wash, and chop all of your greens and add them to the pressure cooker with a bit of water, salt, and turmeric powder. Pound the ginger and the green chillies together and add to the greens. Pressure cook until 3-4 whistles, then lower the flame and cook for a few more minutes. Let the cooker cool down and mash the mixture (do not blend the greens together), add the corn flour and mix well. Let it cook on low heat until it reaches the desired consistency, then turn off the gas. Then season, and store in the fridge for future use. Heat butter in a pan, then add asafoetida, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. When they crackle, add red chilli and chopped garlic, fry until they brown, then add chopped onions and cook until translucent, adding some chopped ginger. Cook on low for some time, then turn off the stove. Keep it covered until you serve.
We’d love to share your favourite recipe & story! Send any questions or comments: tbayflavourfiles@gmail.com.
“Lisa Lemarquand (Laudadio – the Italian half) is the owner of Fox On The Run lunch and coffee bar, a mom, a wife, and a passionate home cook who believes that food is love—and every recipe has a story.”
