National Initiatives

National Settlement Conference 2
(Calgary - October 2-5, 2003)

Strengthening our Settlement Vision
The Small Centre Strategy
The Regional Dispersion & Retention of Immigrants

Conclusion
Recommendations
&
Appendix

Conclusion

It is vital to recognize that smaller communities, however they choose to describe themselves, that want to receive and retain immigrants can be successful only with the support and collaboration of all stakeholders. Dominating the topics we have discussed (Employment, Welcoming Communities, and New Initiatives) is the need for mutual commitment and effort by all levels of government and the community at large.

Community goals should be defined so that achievements can be evaluated. Plans should always be flexible, because circumstances change. Good policy development must allow for flexibility.

With sufficient will, the resources (tools) can be made available?but an organized effort is also required. Good intentions, or a positive philosophical framework, are obviously important and may be readily available. Although, good intentions will yield little without a coherent plan and a co-ordinating and implementing structure in place, plus strong leadership to make it work.

Political and community leaders, and the structures they lead, may declare their commitment to immigration and community building, but the goal will probably not be attained without a directing mechanism. The forces that have caused most immigrants to end up in a handful of large places will be reined in and refocused only if smaller centres pursue their interests aggressively.

Recommendations

• That Canada adopt an immigration strategy that will increase the benefits of immigration to all parts of Canada;
• That Federal and Provincial policies recognize and encourage small centre initiatives that express the need and desire to attract new growth and retain existing populations;
• That a “Tool Box” of ideas be developed for the assistance of self-identifying small centres that want to attract and to retain immigrants.

APPENDIX

A Tool Box of Ideas: A Framework

Attracting and Retaining Immigrants
(The small centre strategy)

1. Introducing the Tool Box

Purpose

• Background context
  • Voluntary Sector Initiative/Background Paper
  • Population distribution and the plight of small centres
  • Demographic realities for Canada
  • Current immigration realities and strategies
  • Economic consequences
• Format and components
• How to use and why

2. Building the Foundations

• Importance of community consensus, involving
  • Three levels of government
  • Business community
  • Organized labour, trade and professional associations
  • Community services
  • School boards, educational and training institutions
  • Public opinion
• Strategies for developing consensus
  • Setting objectives and goals in short and longer term
  • Assessing community’s receiving context, strengths, weaknesses
  • Understanding the community’s demographic realities
  • Sharing and publicizing
• Understanding the immigration context
  • The world context/competition
  • Canada’s current immigration priorities and rules
  • Overseas staffing issues and resulting queues
  • Provincial immigration policies, rules, and resources
  • The community’s advantages/disadvantages, role
• Getting organized
  • Establishing and legitimizing the immigration function within the community
  • Giving structure and leadership to the function

3. The Prime Importance of Employment

• Recognizing the community’s employment realities
• Employer involvement in strategies
• A community employment database
• “Skilled” vs “unskilled” immigrants, Temporary Workers, International students
• Credentials recognition issues
• Government and community programs
• The role of unions, trade and professional organizations
• The role of professional organizations and licensing bodies
• Vocational/occupational language development
• New business development and self-employment

4. Attracting Immigrants

• Possibilities using existing programs
  • Economic immigration (skilled, entrepreneur, business)
  • Provincial Nominee Program
  • Family Class
  • Private Sponsorship of Refugees
  • Government Assisted Refugees (& Joint Assistance cases)
  • Temporary Workers/“Social Contracts”
  • International Students

• Enhancing the possibilities

Financial incentives

1. Provincial tax deductions
2. Progressive refunding of immigration fees
3. Provincial tax deductions for moving, relocating expenses

Overseas promotion

1. Target marketing/employment-related marketing/community-linked ethnic marketing
2. Web sites
3. Realistic expectations
4. “Matching” and “destining”

Local opportunities

1. Facilitating processing
2. Encouraging family reunification
3. Supporting refugee sponsoring groups
4. Working with employers
5. Encouraging educational institutions to attract foreign students

• Improving your competitive advantage
• Lobbying for changes to immigration policies

5. The Welcoming Community

• Factors that create hospitable communities
  • Respecting and building diversity
  • Services
  • Policies
  • Education
  • Health
  • Leisure
  • Faith and spirituality
• Initial arrangements
  • Accommodation
  • Interpretation
  • Early orientation
  • Medical/health attention
  • Income sufficiency
  • Family needs
  • Spiritual/faith needs
• Early settlement support
  • Factors affecting adaptation and integration
  • Planning and coordinating orientation and settlement support, post arrival:

A) Needs assessment

1. Basic factors: medical, SIN enrolment
2. Housing
3. Orientation
4. Language training
5. Employment
6. Health/medical
7. Education
8. Income support
9. Recreation and leisure

B) Linking with community

1. Services
2. Social
3. Employment networking
4. Faith community
5. Ethnocultural community
6. Volunteer opportunities

• Sustaining settlement and integration support
  • Factors to consider after first three months
  1. Housing
  2. Language assistance
  3. Additional orientation
  4. Medical/health issues
  5. Economic self-sufficiency/employment
  6. Education
  7. Cultural and religious needs
  8. Wellness and leisure
  • Building ties within the community
  1. Social and civic participation
  2. Children
  3. Elders
  4. Ethnocultural community development

6. Evaluating Success

• What works
• Models

7. Bibliography and Resource List, Useful Web sites and Links

Index