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
1. Limited interest from Regional Municipality
2. Lack of a Regional Approach3. Disconnected governance between
sectors involved in settlement and integration
4. No Welcome Centers5. Minimal settlement and integration
infrastructure
Durham Region Settlement Model: Post-LDIPC
1. Fully Committed Regional Municipality2. Region-Wide Settlement Strategy
3. Connected governance between sectors involved in settlement and integration
4. Two Welcome Centers5. Multi-dimensional settlement and
integration infrastructure
What accounts for the change
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
Libraries
School Boards
Municipalities
Faith Organizations
Settlement Service
Agencies
Health
Local Training Boards
Economic Development
Local Immigratio
nPartnership
Council
Durham Region within the Greater Toronto Area
Durham Region Municipality Population
Durham Region 608,124
Pickering 88,721
Ajax 109,400
Whitby 122,022
Oshawa 149,607
Clarington 84,548
Uxbridge 20,623
Scugog 21,569
Brock 11,341
Source: Statistics Canada 2011
Immigrants as a Percentage of Durham Region's Total Population, 2006
557,330
113,395
Total Population
Immigrants
Immigrants by Area Municipality, 2006
24.3%
2.0%
8.3%
19.3%
23.3%
2%
0.9%
20% Ajax
Brock
Clarington
Oshawa
Pickering
Scugog
Uxbridge
Whitby
Source: Statistics Canada 2006
Methods 51 Interviews (May 2012-August 2012) with the following sectors:
12 Ethno-Cultural Organizations 8 Municipalities 8 Libraries5 Employment Service Organizations4 Faith-Based Organizations3 School Boards3 Consultants1 Settlement Service Agency * In some organizations, multiple people interviewed
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
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
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
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
Astray to Awareness: Mainstreaming Diversity
Majority of participants noted a noticeable increase in attention/profile of immigration & diversity issues
Increased Awareness 2-Fold: 1. Awareness of other services2. 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)”
Settlement Agencies
Municipalities
Employment Services
Faith-Based/Ethnic
Organizations
Local Training Board
System of Organizations Role in
Settlement/Integration
Challenges
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’
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
Thanks to Funders!
FROST CENTRE FOR CANADIAN STUDIES AND
INDIGENOUS STUDIES,
TRENT UNIVERSITY