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