Backgrounder - Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement and Hamilton LINC Funding

Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement

Through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, the Government of Canada has increased funding to Ontario for settlement and language training by a total of $920 million over five years. Overall, the federal government is providing increased funding of $1.3 billion over five years to support newcomers as they seek to integrate into our society and economy.

Prior to the Agreement, Ontario received approximately $108 million a year in settlement funding.

This is the first comprehensive immigration agreement between Ontario and the federal government, and it is intended to assist more newcomers in reaching their full potential in Ontario by increasing the funding for services to help them settle, integrate and access language training.

Hamilton LINC Funding

The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program offers basic language training to new immigrants and refugees to ensure their successful integration into Canadian society.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is providing $12.5 million in funding for the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada program in Hamilton through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement. The funding is for 2,348 student placements in language classes. Depending on whether individual students take a full year of classes or not, the actual number of newcomers who benefit from the program could be much higher.

With this increase in funding, CIC is responding to the needs of newcomers identified last fall during consultations with over 700 immigrant service organizations and newcomers across the province. Newcomers can now receive language instruction up to a level equivalent to a high school graduate.

There are six LINC service providers in Hamilton:

• St. Joseph's Immigrant Women's Centre
• Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board
• Hamilton Public Library
• Circle of Friends for Newcomers
• Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board
• Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology

In addition, Hamilton has a language assessment centre located within the Settlement and Integration Services Organization.

The table below offers a breakdown of the funding between the service providers. The funding covers the period April 2007 to March 2009. 

• St. Joseph's Immigrant Women's Centre: $2,556,391
• Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board: $4,374,000
• Hamilton Public Library: $373,551
• Circle of Friends for Newcomers: $478,112
• Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board: $1,871,478
• Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology: $1,782,727
• Settlement and Integration Services Organization: $1,027,887
• Total: $12,464,146

The Hamilton area welcomes approximately 4,000 newcomers each year.