By Dan Walton
Understanding how the Town of Oliver markets itself as the Wine Capital of Canada is enabling a university student from Belgium to earn his degree.
Earlier this month, 22-year-old Noman Asgarian began a three-month long internship with the municipality, which will complete the final requirement for his degree in marketing at Henallux, the college he studies at in Belgium.
Asgarian didn’t have to travel thousands of miles for his internship, but he wanted to discover another part of the world and submerse himself in an English-speaking community.
He first came to Oliver last September on a visit with his girlfriend. She also lives in Belgium, and they were visiting her father who immigrated to Oliver a couple of years ago. His name is Dr. Yves Thomas and he works at a local clinic.
During that vacation in September, Asgarian mentioned that he was looking for a marketing internship, which prompted Dr. Thomas to connect him with the Town.
He was introduced to Mayor Ron Hovanes and Chief Administrative Officer Cathy Cowan, and “I told them about this project and they liked it,” he said.
When Asgarian returned to Belgium, his request to complete an internship in British Columbia was approved by the school. From there, he needed a student visa and a work permit.
And it sounds like it was worth all the hassle.
“The marketing is quite good for a city like this.”
He experienced mild culture shock during a meeting last week at the Firehall Brewery about Oliver’s Downtown Action Plan.
“It was so weird, people just come and talk, even if I’ve never met them,” he said. “That’s really something I found beautiful… I really like the mentality and kindness of the people here. In Europe it’s not necessarily the same thing; people are more shy. But here it’s amazing.”
He’s also here to learn about the technical components of marketing, of course, but those social interactions are among the most valuable parts of his experience.
“The language is the most important (aspect of the internship),” he said. “English is not my language at home.”
Also, it can’t hurt if potential employers notice his ambition to cross an ocean for an internship
“I think when I grow up, it will give me a little plus on my resume.”
In appreciating the aesthetic differences, Asgarian said the geography of the Okanagan is nothing like what he’s used to.
“We don’t have any mountains or landscapes – it’s way different.”
People often associate the word ‘marketing’ with the concepts of promotions and advertising – and that’s a large part of it, but Asgarian said his studies cover a much broader scope. One task that’s been keeping him busy lately has been analytics.
“We take all the surveys, read all the answers one-by-one and pay attention to what residents and tourists say,” he said, adding that ‘We need a hotel’ was a popular suggestion.
“I try to gather the most ideas possible.”
While his position with the Town is full time, he plans to explore as much of British Columbia as possible.
“I want to have the full experience as a tourist. Hopefully go to Vancouver and the other cities in the neighbourhood. I would really like to visit as many as possible.”
Before coming to Oliver for his internship, Asgarian had never embarked on such a long and far journey.
“It was hard to leave my small country for such a long time,” he said, adding that his girlfriend is still studying towards her degree in Belgium.
He doesn’t see himself moving to Canada permanently, though he has began thinking about furthering his studies in Canada, saying the horticulture at Okanagan College in Penticton has piqued his interest.
Whatever Asgarian decides to do after completing his degree, “I feel myself very lucky to live here, this experience.”
