“Welcoming Communities” and public engagement

On Monday, January 25 I attended an all day seminar hosted by Metropolis Project called “Welcoming Communities: How could Canadian communities be more welcoming?” The focus of this seminar was on efforts from a variety of sectors to welcome newcomers into Canadian communities.

As birth rates decline across the country, immigration is one of the main sources of population growth in Canada. Immigrants and newcomers also help in filling shortages within the Canadian labour market, which relates to the concerns of recognition, or lack thereof, of foreign credentials, and the statistics revealing the high level of new immigrants in low-wage jobs. Approximately 250,000 people immigrate to Canada every year. It is for these and other reasons that a proactive approach to welcoming newcomers in our communities is so important.

The highlights for me were in the first two sessions on the roles of the government and civil society in terms of welcoming newcomers. Concerning the government, representatives from the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government described in detail the various settlement programs, initiatives and organizations established to help newcomers access services, find appropriate employment and generally feel welcome.

But another important element in making newcomers feel welcome is engaging the general population. Public education and awareness campaigns or proactive efforts to connect newcomers with Canadian residents are important. Education can help people understand one another while addressing concerns surrounding growing diversity and multiculturalism in Canada. These types of initiatives were especially evident at the provincial and municipal levels of government.

Humphrey Sheehan from the Government of New Brunswick’s Population Growth Secretariat provided several examples of engaging the general population through public awareness campaigns, such as television commercials, posters, and other forms of advertising. He also made reference to multicultural events and festivals open to the public and held in parks and public squares across the province.

Deborah Tunis from Citizenship and Immigration highlighted several of the federal initiatives. Most of these initiatives, however, only focused on helping newcomers access services. There was no mention of public awareness and welcoming campaigns. In response to these concerns, Ms. Tunis praised the success of provincial and municipal initiatives, and claimed the federal government is considering adopting similar practices.

In terms of non-governmental responsibilities in this area, the need for education and public involvement was emphasized even more. Ratna Omidvar from the Maytree Foundation argued that everyone has a role to play in welcoming newcomers. Such efforts should not only be made by the government or non-governmental organizations, but also employers (in terms of credential recognition and hiring procedures), educators, unions, community agencies and organizations, and the media certainly have a role to play.

Professor Darren Lund from the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary then talked about the importance of public education in addressing underlying concerns of Canadians in terms of diversity. In order to combat discrimination and any preconceived ideas that might exist toward any groups of newcomers, or minorities in general, human rights and diversity education is a must for Canadians.

In closing, Howard Duncan, Director of Metropolis Project, re-emphasized the growing number of newcomers and immigrants making Canada their home. Considering Canada’s changing demographics and projections for expanding immigration in the coming years as the global population grows, it is imperative that the government and general public be involved in helping create truly welcoming communities.