Ottawa, June 24, 2011 — Francophone newcomers to Durham Region will now have access to a suite of new federally-funded settlement services delivered by Le Conseil des Organismes Francophones de la Région de Durham (COFRD).
Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s investment of $166,669 for the 2011-12 fiscal year will ensure newcomers in the area will have access to workshops and orientation sessions, information on housing, education, transportation, employment, finance, legal issues and more.
“The Government of Canada is working to help Francophone newcomers and their families succeed,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “By working with Le Conseil des Organismes de la Région de Durham, we are helping newcomers get access to a full range of settlement services and expertise.”
While COFRD has served its 22 member organizations and the Francophone community for 25 years, it is a new recipient of CIC-funding as a result of the department’s recent Call for Proposals process. More than 200 organizations in Ontario delivering services directly to newcomers were successful in this process, 14 of which are new service provider agencies. More than 100 organizations will be delivering direct settlement services in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in 2011-12, 10 of which are new recipients of CIC funding.
The GTA has been allocated $207.7 million in settlement funding for 2011-12, which is nearly triple the funding that the region received in 2005-06 (which was $77.7 million).
For further information:
Candice Malcolm
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Tracie LeBlanc
Media Relations
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Ontario Region
416-954-7868
