Discover & Learn

Sharing knowledge is part of what I do as an Investment and Retirement Planner at RBC. When I was invited by the Sanatan Mandir Cultural Society of Fort McMurray to discuss about Financial Planning, I felt incredibly honored. It was a super busy Saturday, last week. But when it is my fellow community members and friends from India, looking for answers, I am always at the forefront to deliver the advice. Along with my Relationship Manager Financial Planning partner Drashti Danak, I brought in Luke Siemens from RBC PH&N Investment Counsel. I shared my knowledge about Retirement Planning and Estate planning. Luke, on the other hand presented a very timely presentation of " Effect of Tariff and Trade War on investments". Creating a Bucketing Strategy for each of your goals, Planning for each of the goals including retirement and Estate and Staying invested to the course is all one needs to win in the long run!

Last Saturday was a busy Saturday for me, volunteering for three causes for the entire day, before and after work. I just could not say no, when the Northern Lights Hospital Foundation reached out to me requesting to volunteer for the Northern Lights Spring Fling! I have been in the community for 20 years. I have seen the community grow bigger and bigger every day! When I first came to Fort McMurray, population was younger. Whether it was a new birth of a baby or a hay fever for a toddler, or later a broken bone for a younger child, the hospital kept us all tightly bonded as a community, taking care of us. It is a sole hospital for a huge and aging population along with the newer young population. I remember when I broke my ankle, slipping on black ice, I dragged myself to the hospital. I had to wait for 15 hours to see a doctor. Ofcourse my neighbors, picked up my 4 year old daughter from her daycare and dropped her with me at the hospital. Hospital staff, were kind enough to come out and give my the then tiny little kid some food and toys to play with, when I turned blue in pain, waiting for the doctor. Things have drastically changed now for better, thanks to the Northern Lights Health Foundation. I can never say enough of what they do for our community in sickness and health. It was an honor for me to volunteer for their Spring Fling Fund raising event. It was so inspiring to see donors from community donating to help make the event a success!!

Autism is not an illness. It is a different way of experiencing the world. We need to remember that autistic individuals are individuals with their own unique strengths and challenges and each of us deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Commemorating the World Autism Awareness day on April 2nd, Autism Society of the Regional Municipality of Woodbuffalo organized a family fun day last weekend. Last year, I volunteered for the Autism Society with my daughter to support her community service endeavor. I was so mesmerized by all the work and awareness spread by the members of the organization, that I stayed back and did double shift volunteering for them. It opened my eyes. I now look at close friends with Autism or on the spectrum, with a different outlook. And I agree I did not know so many things! Since then, I made it my mission to help out and spread awareness for Autism as much as I can. This year we went back with Team RBC! When I decorated the arts and crafts table, Tina came and said " It is going to be so messy"! I said " That is exactly why I arranged it in this manner. The messier, the better!" Not only I have more knowledge now about Autism, I am at an awe of all the brave mothers, that got together after the 2016 Fort McMurray fire, and never quit till the organization got a name. This year

Last Saturday, along with my team at RBC, we volunteered for the " Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bowl for Kidsake" This is my second year of volunteering with Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I am forever indebted to this organization for helping my daughter and mentoring her when she was a tiny little girl. As a young single parent with no family in town, it was a huge help then. It is now, my part to give back ! Just like golfing, my talent at bowling too, has a lot of room to improve. Hence after volunteering, I gladly took up the offer to bowl at " Kids' lane", setting a high bar!

A week ago, I volunteered for Kid Sport at the Legion in Fort McMurray. The event was organized by the Arts and Cultures Group in Fort McMurray, AB. As a group RBC, we donated $1500 for the organization. Last night while surfing the internet, I came across an interesting article about volunteering. It says Volunteering is important because it benefits both the individual and the community by fostering sills, boosting mental and physical health and promoting civic engagement and social connection. I have always volunteered to make new friends and make new memories through fun and laughter while doing something constructive to give back to our community. At this event, I learnt a new skill of blowing a balloon!! I learnt it from a young girl whose job was to blow up 50 balloons. She was in a time crunch. Hence I jumped in. In the first 15 minutes, she blew 3 balloons and I could blow none! Then she taught me how to blow up a balloon. " Pull the balloon long, sideways. Breath in through your nose and breath out through your mouth into the balloon. Close your eyes and think about the fun your friends will have around the balloon" is what she said. And there you go!! I learnt how to perfectly blow a balloon. Remember, to breath in, breath out, be in the moment and think about how your acts today, bring joys to your friends tomorrow!!

It was an honor to celebrate the International Women's Day, 2025 with Inspirational leaders from our community in Fort McMurray at the Women of Inspiration Gala, organized by Girls Inc in Fort McMurray! It was a star studded event with Paralympic Silver Medalist Lisa DeJong speaking about her journey to the podium! "One more Try" was the word that pushed her to earn her silver medal. When I talked to her, it felt like her magnifying aura touched me with all of her zeal and enigma! The night then proceeded to presentation of "Women of Inspiration" for this year. I was excited to see my friends in the community, my partners at my volunteering work being awarded. I draw inspiration from these ladies, namely Elder Lorraine Albert, Michelle Toner, Dianna De Souza and Chantal Beaver, every day, for their dedication, leadership and impact in our community. It was truly a celebration of strength, resilience and leadership of women across the world!