Thunder Bay, August 27, 2008 - Joe Comuzzi, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced support for the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association to help settle and integrate newcomers in northern Ontario.
Funding of $2 million will go toward providing settlement services such as language training, a mentorship program, referrals to community resources and employment-related services. Approximately 800 newcomers to Thunder Bay will be able to benefit from these services.
"Prime Minister Stephen Harper and our government believe in immigration and is committed to helping newcomers and their families succeed when they get here," said MP Comuzzi. "Settlement services give newcomers the help they need to learn one of our official languages, find a job and settle into the community. Their successful integration is good for this community and good for Canada."
"The Thunder Bay Multicultural Association is privileged to serve newcomers to Northwestern Ontario as they learn the language, establish themselves and become active members of their communities," said Cathy Woodbeck, Executive Director of the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association. "The funding provided by the federal Government is an investment in our newcomers, our communities and our future. It is our mandate to help immigrants and refugees begin their lives in Canada and to make the settlement and integration process smoother and easier for them."
Settlement services are an essential part of the federal government's immigration program. Through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), the Government of Canada has increased settlement funding for Ontario by a total of $920 million over five years. Under the COIA, the federal Government works with the province and immigrant-serving agencies to make a real difference in the lives of immigrants. In total, since 2006, the Government of Canada has begun investing an additional $1.4 billion over five years in settlement funding in provinces and territories outside Quebec.
The 2008 Budget also introduced changes to modernize the immigration system, to shorten the time it takes to bring newcomers and their families to Canada. Under this system, newcomers will arrive with the skills required to integrate more quickly into the enconomy. In this way, newcomers will have more opportunities to find work sooner in the fields for which they have been trained and to benefit more from life in Canada for themselves and their families.
Newcomers to Canada can also turn to the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), which helps internationally trained individuals find the information they need to get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly. Established in 2007, the FCRO provides information, path-finding and referral services to help internationally trained individuals use their skills in Canada. There are now 320 Service Canada centres across the country offering in-person foreign credential referral services to newcomers.
CIC funds a number of programs that help newcomers settle, adapt and integrate into Canadian society. These programs are delivered in partnership with provinces, territories and service-providing organizations.
For more information on CIC programs, please visit www.cic.gc.ca.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Tim Vail
Press Secretary
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Madona Mokbel
Communications
Ontario Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
416-954-7868
