THOMPSON RIVERSUNIVERSITY

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).

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.

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.

WelcomeBC InitiativeIn 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.

Settlement and Integration

Programs and ServicesThe 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Community Capacity: Attraction and Retention

Employment, business and education opportunities (for self and children)

Family and friendsEstablished ethnic and religious communitiesSettlement and integration servicesAccess to health care and to affordable housingWelcoming community and population

Research Question

What is the settlement experience of immigrants coming through family reunion intake class in Kamloops, BC?

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.  

Members of the Research Team

Dr. Julie Drolet, School of Social Work, TRUJeanette Robertson, School of Social Work, TRUWendy Robinson, Kamloops Immigrant ServicesPicku Multani, Interior Health AuthorityMonika Wroz, Student Research Assistant, TRU

 

We acknowledge the financial support of Metropolis BC and the CURA Research

Program for this research project.

MethodologyQualitative research methods have been

adopted using:

Focused roundtable discussionsIndividual interviewsPhotovoiceSurvey under development for the

Interior and Northern BC

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

Research FindingsNewcomer 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

Research FindingsBarriers 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.

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.

Importance of Kamloops Immigrant Services

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.

PhotovoiceThis 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. 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.

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.

Factors for Small CitiesAvailability 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.

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.

Future Book Publication

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.

“Immigration and the Small City: Canadian Experiences and Perspectives” by Glenda Tibe Bonifacio & Julie Drolet (Eds.), UBC Press

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.

For More InformationContact Dr. Julie Drolet, Principal InvestigatorEmail: 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.