an alliance of university, community, and government partners dedicated to fostering welcoming communities and promoting the integration of immigrants and minorities across Canada
The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
CBC – From China to P.E.I.
It is perhaps the biggest change in the makeup of the Island’s population in more than a century. The number of people claiming Chinese ethnicity grew from 250 in 2006 to 1,920 in 2011, quickly growing from a mere speck on the provincial demographic chart to comprising more than one per cent of the population. From the start of 2009 to September 2013 the P.E.I. Association for Newcomers to Canada registered 6,019 new immigrants, and more than half were from China. […] The roots of this change go back to 2001, with the launch of a joint federal-provincial program to boost immigration called the provincial nominee program. PNP made little impact on P.E.I. initially. Net international migration to the province was unchanged through 2003. It picked up slightly in 2004 and 2005, and began to grow significantly in 2006.
Toronto Star – Islamaphobia Raises its Head in Immigration Debate
Islamophobia, like anti-semitism and racism, is ugly and shameful. I found out in attending a panel discussion that it is also threatening to the harmony that prevails in Canada. The function was arranged in Ottawa by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a public policy think-tank. The topic was “Muslim immigration is no threat to Canada or the West.” This topic itself is questionable. The Criminal Code bars promoting hatred against an identifiable group. The theme not only lumps together all Muslims, who are hugely diverse, into one entity, it also fingers them as a possible potential threat to Canada or the West. It also suggests that it might be best to return to a racist approach to immigration or perhaps to stop immigration altogether. These possibilities were implied by the inflammatory and inaccurate allegations made by a panelist.
Toronto Star – Ryerson Researcher Finds Drawings Open a Window to an Immigrant Child’s World
Young immigrant children often can’t articulate — or aren’t even asked — about their feelings and experiences in moving to a new country. But, as a Ryerson University researcher discovered, pictures they draw can speak volumes about the sadness, fears and anxieties that come with being a newcomer to Canada. […] Monica Valencia found a different way to gain access to the inner world of immigrant children: She gave them crayons and paper and asked them to make pictures about what was most significant to them about their migration to Canada. To her surprise, the 10 children in the study — aged 9 to 11, from five Latin American countries, and all in Canada for less than five years at the time — touched on four recurring themes: sadness over the separation from grandparents, anxiety over constant uprooting (even after arrival in Canada), frustration over learning a new language, and appreciation for peers who helped them make the transition.
Guelph Mercury – Immigrants Continue to Face Employment Barriers
New immigrants that make Guelph home continue to face significant challenges settling and finding suitable employment. About 100 people attended Tuesday’s Immigration Connection event at the Hanlon Convention Centre, hosted by Guelph-Wellington Local Immigration Partnership. The gathering highlighted some of the more recent initiatives organization has worked on to foster access to employment, English language training, programs and services, and community inclusion for immigrants. The organization also launched new initiatives at the event, including a tool kit for employers in Guelph Wellington aimed at encouraging a better understanding of how the local labour force is changing, the challenges it faces, and the role immigrants will have in filling jobs in the future.
Express Toronto – Une matinée pour sensibiliser à l’emploi des Français
«Sensibiliser les employeurs aux possibilités de rencontres et d’embauche de candidats bilingues à l’étranger.» C’est pour y arriver que le Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité de l’Ontario (RDÉE) a rassemblé employeurs et ministères du gouvernement provincial autour d’un petit déjeuner la semaine dernière. Ce rendez-vous était censé informer les employeurs et leurs services de ressources humaines sur les possibilités et solutions à leur disposition quant au recrutement de candidats français. «Cet événement a permis aux employeurs d’obtenir de plus amples informations sur le renouvellement de permis de travail et sur le processus d’obtention de la résidence permanente pour les employés», explique Annie Dell, gestionnaire du développement des affaires, produits et services du RDÉE Ontario.
La Presse – Des millionnaires chinois critiquent l’approche du Canada en immigration
Le gouvernement conservateur a répondu, mardi, aux critiques publiques de millionnaires chinois concernant les changements apportés récemment aux initiatives fédérales en matière d’immigration. Lors d’une conférence de presse à Pékin, le Canada a été exhorté à ne pas écarter les demandes d’immigration de milliers de Chinois, alors que le gouvernement conservateur fait table rase dans les arriérés de son programme d’immigrants investisseurs. Le budget fédéral du mois dernier a annoncé l’abandon des programmes fédéraux d’immigration des investisseurs et des entrepreneurs, et l’élimination pure et simple du vieil et important arriéré dans le traitement des demandes.
