Kickboxing champ facing uncertain future as he fights to stay in Canada
CBC
They're an unlikely pair, the two of them.
One a 26-year-old Egyptian fighter, the other a little boy. They spar with each other, practice using a balance ball, and work out, all while Ethan Shaw gives Hady Ghoneim a rundown on his life.
"I feel so good, I feel like a new person," nine-year-old Ethan says, as he blocks his much larger opponent's hits.
"A new person? I'm so happy to hear that, that's amazing," Ghoneim replies.
Ethan considers Ghoneim his best friend, and vice versa.
It's an unlikely friendship borne out of Ethan's desire to gain confidence and protect himself from bullies.
But his training and newfound friendship are now in jeopardy as Ghoneim makes one last-ditch effort to stay in Canada.
Ghoneim arrived in St. John's on a sunny and warm May day in 2017, and was immediately struck by the rugged beauty of the place and the people that inhabit it.
"Honestly, even since the first day I have been so blessed, I have met a lot of beautiful people," Ghoneim said.
He attended Memorial University for a year and a half, but after he and his family in Egypt fell on tough financial times, Ghoneim said he abandoned his studies.
He later returned to school, but it was too late.
By leaving school for any amount of time — not including scheduled school breaks — he violated a rule of his study permit which says you need to remain in university.
This February, the federal government refused his application for an extension to his study permit.
"I'm just basically living in limbo now, just waiting," Ghoneim said. "I got multiple job offers that I had to turn down because I am not legally allowed to work."
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.