THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY

1. Settlement Experiences of Immigrants in Kamloops, BC: The Context of the Small CityMetropolis Policy Research SymposiumDr. Julie DroletSchool of Social Work and Human Service Kamloops, BC THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY

2. Settlement & Integration in BC • British Columbia is a large province and settlement experiences can vary greatly from one community to another.   • All immigrant groups rely on health, education and other social services, and social workers play a key role in the delivery of direct and essential services. • From 2002 to 2006 there were 4,111 new immigrants to the Thompson Okanagan Development Region (BC Multiculturalism and Immigration Branch, May 2007).

3. Settlement Experiences in BC’s Interior • Close to three quarters (73%) of immigrants arrived in the region with English skills. • The region had the highest proportion (36%) of immigrants who came with secondary or less education. • The primary source countries of immigrants to the region were India, the UK, the US, the Philippines and Mainland China.

4. Regional Immigration Policy Initiative in BC • In BC, 90% of immigrants settle in the Greater Vancouver Region. • Many rural communities are experiencing economic challenges and declining populations. • Policy goal is to share the benefits outside the Greater Vancouver Region.

5. WelcomeBC Initiative • In June, 2007, the Province of British Columbia announced WelcomeBC, which has a twofold purpose: to assist immigrants in accessing a wide variety of settlement and integration services, and to ensure that B.C. communities have the capacity to be welcoming and inclusive. • Within this framework the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities and Workplaces Program (WICWP) recognizes that the goal of integration is a two-way process.

6. Settlement and Integration Programs and Services The Canadian model of settlement and integration program service delivery aims to enable newcomers to adapt, settle and integrate into Canadian society as quickly and comfortably as possible so that they may become contributing members of Canadian society.

7. What is Integration? • Integration is a gradual process that requires an active commitment from both newcomers and the receiving society. • Integration is a two-way process that requires accommodations and adjustments on both sides. • The ability of immigrants to contribute to Canada depends not only on the personal characteristics, knowledge, skills, experience, and traditions, but also on the social and economic conditions upon arrival.

8. What is a Small City? • A small city is referred to as having a population of less than 100,000 residents. • Small cities, representing about 25% of the Canadian population, have distinct issues and concerns that recently attracted, albeit slow, the parameters of local, provincial, and national policy debates. • According to David Bell at University of Leeds and Mark Jayne at University of Manchester (Garrett-Petts 2009), the small city is, in fact, the “typical size of urban form the world over” yet scholars and policymakers do not know much about them. It’s perceived “in-between, nebulous character” (Viaud, n.d.) renders its study complex and its interests often relegated to the margins.

9. Characteristics of the Small City CURA is contributing to a national dialogue on quality of life and the cultural future of smaller cities. Some characteristics identified as unique to a small city within this discourse are: (1) a discernable downtown core; (2) an authentic, locally celebrated history in a place physically separate from major metropolitan centres; (3) a measurable level of cultural participation, including a tradition of volunteerism, growth coalitions, and leadership; and (4) a creative cultural policy that links the city’s centre and heritage to its outlying areas and communities.

10. Concept of Social Inclusion • Social inclusion involves the basic notions of belonging, acceptance and recognition. • For immigrants and refugees, it could be represented by the realization of full and equal participation in the economic, social, cultural and political dimensions of life in their new country. • It is more than the removal of structural barriers and requires collaborative action to bring about conditions of inclusion.

11. Community Capacity: Attraction and Retention • Employment, business and education opportunities (for self and children) • Family and friends • Established ethnic and religious communities • Settlement and integration services • Access to health care and to affordable housing • Welcoming community and population

12. Research Question • The importance of undertaking this study lies in the settlement challenges faced by small cities and smaller communities outside of the major metropolitan area of Canada.   • What is the settlement experience of immigrants coming through family reunion intake class in Kamloops, BC?

13. Members of the Research Team We acknowledge the financial support of Metropolis BC and the CURA Research Program for this research project. Dr. Julie Drolet, School of Social Work, TRU Jeanette Robertson, School of Social Work, TRU Wendy Robinson, Kamloops Immigrant Services Picku Multani, Interior Health Authority Monika Wroz, Student Research Assistant, TRU  

14. Methodology Qualitative research methods have been adopted using: • Focused roundtable discussions • Individual interviews • Photovoice • Survey under development for the Interior and Northern BC

15. Research Findings (Challenges) • Credential recognition and employment • Uniform education and qualification requirements • Accessible and comprehensive immigrant services/information before and after arrival • “You do come across that feeling of hopelessness and despair … The main thing is getting adequate information about employment opportunities … before moving to Canada.” - Focus group participant

16. Research Findings • Newcomer children and youth: settlement services, ESL and counselling programs in schools K-12 • “High schools in Kamloops, do they have special teachers for … newcomers? Because they [students] may have depression but they don’t have language … cannot communicate with teachers.” Focus group participant

17. Research Findings • Barriers experienced by older immigrants – lack of age-specific services in a small city. • Lack of culturally competent health services in a small city. • “One of the nurses had to call us because the medication was acting up and he [father] would just run …” - Focus Group participant • More community programs and initiatives to welcome newcomers are needed.

18. Considerations of Age • Needs and expectations of younger immigrants are very different from older immigrants. • Younger newcomers see adaptation as a two-sided process and make shifts based on the new cultural expectations. • Older newcomers express more difficult transitions with language acquisition, cultural shifts and becoming part of the local landscape.

19. Importance of Kamloops Immigrant Services

20. Importance of Kamloops Immigrant Services • Focus groups revealed the importance of Kamloops Immigrant Services in our community. • Support for immigrants and newcomers, English language classes, employment resources, and information. • KIS delivers most services in the Kamloops community, with individuals from outlying areas such as Merritt, Ashcroft, Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, Clearwater, 100 Mile House and Barriere to access services.

21. Photovoice This photo is from my window. So cold, adapting. I am here 11 years. Takes time to adapt, very difficult and hard and still is hard for me. This one for me is adaptation, because I had to adapt to the weather. It reminds me the first time the weather, so cold. Picture of a tree with a few leaves. I arrived in 1997. I had some time to adapt, little by little, very difficult, very hard, and still is, hard for me.

22. Photovoice We used to lack a lot, my kitchen was empty. Now I am feeding this little bird. The big thing for me is that I was able to feed my daughter. That’s what it means. This picture is symbolic of me. I came here and I had something to give to her, a future for my daughter, something to feed to her, the future. Because of this I had peace, this photo means peace for me.

23. Factors for Small Cities Availability of employment; Development of a community infrastructure; Cultural issues acknowledgement and sensitivity; Proximity to a metropolitan center, which provides access to services, same-ethnic communities and their goods.

24. Discussion • Integration of newcomers to Canada is complex. • Integration may be conceptualized as both a process and an outcome. • ‘Inclusion” – what kind of society we wish to live in. • Services for integration and inclusion: settlement policies and programs.

25. Future Book Publication “Immigration and the Small City: Canadian Experiences and Perspectives” by Glenda TibeBonifacio & Julie Drolet (Eds.), UBC Press • Issues and challenges of diversity in communities beyond the metropolis have not been given much scholarly attention. • This book aims to stimulate interest and discussion on immigration, settlement and diversity in small cities in Canada.

26. Immigration in Small Cities • The book project provides different perspectives from scholars and practitioners on the challenges of immigration to small cities; on how best to engage different stakeholders in communities with far fewer resources than their counterpart in metropolitan centres; and critically examine the effectiveness of prevailing policies and practices in welcoming and integrating newcomers. • The book uses multidisciplinary perspectives in exploring various aspects of migratory flows, social interactions, and practices that inhibit or enable cohesion and inclusion in small cities in Canada.

27. For More Information • Contact Dr. Julie Drolet, Principal Investigator • Email: jdrolet@tru.ca • “Settlement Experiences in a Small City.” Published by the Community University Research Alliance (CURA) Research Program’s Small Cities Imprint, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2009. • Working Paper will be available through Metropolis BC in 2010.