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Unwelcoming to Welcoming? The Story of Durham Region’s Local Immigration Partnership

Unwelcoming to Welcoming? The Story of Durham Region’s Local Immigration Partnership . By: Blair Cullen, MA Candidate, Trent University . Durham Region Settlement Model: Pre-LDIPC. Limited interest from Regional Municipality Lack of a Regional Approach

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Unwelcoming to Welcoming? The Story of Durham Region’s Local Immigration Partnership

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  1. Unwelcoming to Welcoming? The Story of Durham Region’s Local Immigration Partnership By: Blair Cullen, MA Candidate, Trent University

  2. Durham Region Settlement Model:Pre-LDIPC • Limited interest from Regional Municipality • Lack of a Regional Approach • Disconnected governance between sectors involved in settlement and integration • No Welcome Centers • Minimal settlement and integration infrastructure

  3. Durham Region Settlement Model: Post-LDIPC • Fully Committed Regional Municipality • Region-Wide Settlement Strategy • Connected governance between sectors involved in settlement and integration • Two Welcome Centers • Multi-dimensional settlement and integration infrastructure

  4. What accounts for the change

  5. Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs): “the mechanism through which CIC supports the development of community‐based partnerships and planning around the needs of newcomers. LIPs seek to engage various stakeholders in a locally‐driven strategic planning process including employers, school boards, health centers and networks, boards of trade, levels of government, professional associations, ethno‐cultural organizations, faith‐based organizations, and the community and social services sectors. The partnership council’s main goal is to oversee the development of a local settlement strategy and targeted action plan to produce a more welcoming and inclusive community (CIC 2011, 6).” Distinguishing Features: Upper-Level Government Funding, Municipal Involvement, Mandate

  6. Local Immigration Partnership Council

  7. Durham Region within the Greater Toronto Area

  8. Durham Region Source: Statistics Canada 2011

  9. Source: Statistics Canada 2006

  10. Methods 51 Interviews (May 2012-August 2012) with the following sectors: 12 Ethno-Cultural Organizations 8 Municipalities 8 Libraries 5 Employment Service Organizations 4 Faith-Based Organizations 3 School Boards 3 Consultants 1 Settlement Service Agency * In some organizations, multiple people interviewed

  11. From an Inch to a Mile: Regional Municipal Involvement Illustration of Change in Commitment Level 2007-2013 • Resisted addressing diversity for decades, should be “community-based rather than government driven.” • Committed to Diversity Committee in December 2007 • Shortly after (Feb. 2008), applied for a LIP, citing demographic change & changing economy • Regional Government reports demonstrate availability of upper-level government funding played significant role in commitment level to diversity

  12. Piecemeal to Proficient Infrastructure Outdated Ethno-Cultural Directory Multi-Media Web Based Portal Short-Lived Multicultural Durham Newspaper The Citizen Quarterly Newsletter Regional Infrastructure Supported by Upper-Level Government Funding

  13. Impotent to Integrated Governance • Infrastructure development has helped ease governance between and within sectors • Breaking down Sectoral and Municipal silos • Increased interaction between ‘specific’ and ‘non-specific’ organizations • Height of collaborative governance is CIC Modernization Proposal Process Different Colours Represent Sectors Collaborating

  14. Welcome Centers, Take Two:Enter LDIPC • Durham Region Consortium of Partners Serving Immigrants submitted application in 2007, denied in 2008 • Re-submitted during CIC modernization process, successful • Success in part attributed to ‘maturity,’ development of LDIPC illustrated • According to participants, LDIPC played a fundamental role in acquisition

  15. Astray to Awareness: Mainstreaming Diversity • Majority of participants noted a noticeable increase in attention/profile of immigration & diversity issues • Increased Awareness 2-Fold: • Awareness of other services • Self-Awareness to address diversity inter-organizationally • “Its about no longer relying on settlement organizations to put out settlement fires (participant from leading settlement service agency)” System of Organizations Role in Settlement/ Integration

  16. Challenges

  17. Exclusion of Ethno-Cultural Organizations • Ethno-cultural organizations reported the lowest awareness rates and have received fewest benefits from LDIPC • Reasons for this unknown especially given role they play in settlement process (Cullen & Clow 2011) • One participant believed it was because of LDIPC’s focus on ‘service providers’

  18. From Urban to Rural: Managing Geographical Diversity • Regional representation has been achieved. • Regional participation and awareness has proved more difficult. • Complicated by regional/local municipal framework, LDIPC has brought together suburban municipalities, semi-rural/rural remain a challenge

  19. Thanks to Funders! FROST CENTRE FOR CANADIAN STUDIES AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES, TRENT UNIVERSITY

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