Pakistani immigrant taking full advantage of southern Alberta

By Lethbridge Herald on July 2, 2025.

MP Rachael Thomas hands out flags at the Interfaith Food Bank Canada Day celebration at Galt Gardens.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Canada is known for its beautiful scenery, which can often be taken for granted by locals who have experienced it their entire lives. But one local refugee is hoping to help people see Canada through a different lens.

Many Lethbridge residents recognize Ahmed Mustafa from his regular posts in the What’s Going On In Lethbridge Facebook group, where he chronicles his travels throughout southern Alberta.

But very few know his story.

Mustafa came to Canada in May of 2023, after being imprisoned by the Pakistani government due to an article he wrote criticizing the corruption of the regime. He was able to flee Pakistan and then spent time hiding in a Buddhist Temple in Thailand for almost two years, because he didn’t have a passport or visa.

Mustafa admits Canada wasn’t his first choice for a new home and he admits he was super nervous when he learned he was going to Canada. The workers at the temple were also were very nervous for him.

Why? The weather, of course.

“(The workers) started collecting clothes and blankets and lots of warm things for me to bring with me to Canada,” says Mustafa.

To his surprise, he realized that Canada has decent weather for several months of the year and, while winter is cold, he says it’s been tolerable, considering he’d only ever seen snow on television before his arrival to Canada.

Other things that surprised him were how drivers actually stopped and allow pedestrians to cross the street, and how he’s able to share his adventures and experiences on Facebook without repercussions.

“I feel very free,” he says. “I have no fear in my heart that whatever I post on social media will get me arrested the next morning.”

Mustafa is no stranger to writing about his adventures, as he has visited 32 countries and written about those experiences. He’s had any Canadian citizens tell him how they view Canada differently through his posts.

“Lots of people are telling me they are seeing all the things again, even though they lived here all their life but didn’t see places the way I’m telling.”

He says he’s particularly amazed by how many people take the magical scenery of Waterton, or even watching animals graze, for granted because it’s all they know.

“(People) here, because they haven’t seen the filthiest places on the planet, or the dangerous places on the planet, risky places on the planet, they don’t have an idea what they are living in.”

Now that he has a driver’s license, Mustafa is excited to visit places such as Drumheller as well as other provinces as he doesn’t need a passport to explore the vast land, and he’s hoping to become a Canadian citizen in the future.