Surviving the Canadian Dream:
Stories of Undocumented Families in Edmonton

For this project, stories of eight undocumented families in Edmonton were audio-recorded. Two graphic artists, Brnesh Berhe and Esther Dimalanta, created an art piece for each interview. A third artist, Chio, has created pieces based on her own story. All identifiable information has been changed for each family interviewed. Also available is a podcast about the project hosted by Leanne Goose.

Project Artwork

Ruby, by Esther Dimalanta
El Barco de Mis Sueños, by Chio G.
Abril, by Brnesh Berhe
Noemi, by Esther Dimalanta
Maltrato, by Chio G.
Mr. Gray, by Brnesh Berhe
Joselyn, by Esther Dimalanta
Paso al Vacio, by Chio G.
Ana, by Brnesh Berhe
Ben, by Esther Dimalanta
Alza tu Voz, by Chio G.
Triana, by Brnesh Berhe

Learn more about each family’s story

Explore the stories and themes behind each artwork.

Each artist’s page includes background on their artwork and audio recordings from interviews with individuals and families.

Brnesh Berhe

Chio G.

Esther Dimalanta

Podcast with Leanne Goose

Hear stories about the project from organizers and artists over two podcast episodes.

Leanne Goose is from Canada's Western Arctic town of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. During this project, Leanne was a student at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Public Health, Master of Arts in Community Engagement. She uses her studies to support her dedication to arts and culture. Leanne is also a multi-nominated singer-songwriter, musician, producer, storyteller, arts manager and communicator. Her work has been licensed to government, featured in film, books, radio and television.

Listen to the podcast on Spotify