Warmth. Understanding.
Authenticity. Integrity.
Canadian Human Rights Museum, Winnipeg, 2016
We use these words to plot our story—and help write yours.
Matthew grew up among the wheatfields of the Canadian Prairies in rural Manitoba, but he has always had an interest in the broader world. His university studies in English and French helped him turn a new page on life, inspiring him to pursue chapters of life in Quebec, Ottawa, France, and Macedonia before moving to his current home of Toronto in 2013.
Manitoba sunrise on the McDonald family farm, 2023
In 2010, while living in Macedonia, he met Igor Lazarevski. They married in 2011. They worked together at an international high school until deciding that their story needed stability: Matthew was on an employer-specific work permit in Macedonia, a country that does not recognize same-sex relationships, while Igor needed to obtain a visa even to accompany Matthew to Canada as a tourist.
Igor in Skopje’s Old Town, on a trip to Macedonia, 2019
So, they decided to hire a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) to help them navigate the process of Matthew sponsoring Igor for Canadian permanent residence. That was their first encounter with the Canadian immigration system. They were thankful to have worked with an experienced RCIC with expertise in family-class sponsorship, because he helped them understand key legal issues while providing emotional reassurance during the most challenging transition of their lives. In April 2013, they moved to Toronto.
Toronto skyline from their former apartment, 2021
They enjoy walking the varied neighbourhoods of Toronto, exploring the global cuisines they are fortunate to have access to there, travelling to see the many other beautiful parts of Canada, and building friendships with the diverse people whose stories make up their new home city.
Their favourite statistic about Toronto is that over half of the people who live there were not born in Canada. After all, they live that statistic at home every day.
Matthew & Igor visiting Emerald Lake, AB, 2022