Ontario & Manitoba Invests in Immigrant Settlement Services

Canadian provinces are investing heavily in immigrant services and trying to attain their goal to be a more attractive destination for Canadian immigrants. Manitoba recently announced a new immigrant settlement strategy and Ontario just opened the first of a set of five new Welcome Centres.

The first of five new Welcome Centres was opened today in the city of Vaughan, in the York Region of Ontario. City of Vaughan is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is located about 30 km north of Toronto. Citizenship and Immigration Canada has provided $4.1 million to fund the centre. Managed by a partnership of five community associations and representing 35 participating community organizations, the welcome centre will offer a full range of services for newcomers. Employment support services, accreditation and qualifications assistance, as well as language training will be provided to over 3,500 individuals in the centre's first year of operation.

The new Manitoba Settlement Strategy, (by Manitoba Labour and Immigration), aims to increase the attraction and retention rate of immigrants to Manitoba. The new program involves increased pre-arrival information and orientation about Manitoba. The program has been funded by a $17 million investment from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, which represents an increase in immigrant support funding in Manitoba of over $9 million from 2005-2006. It also encourages the development of centralized information and assessment services to ensure that Canadian immigrants have access to them upon arrival. The program will also ensure access to community services, including specialized programs to help new families adjust and connect them with neighbourhood support groups. English training services will be improved both in the metropolis of Winnipeg as well as in outlying areas.