Backgrounder - Announcement of settlement funding to help newcomers settle in Mississauga and Brampton

The Government of Canada wants to help newcomers succeed. Mississauga and Brampton are among the fastest growing newcomer communities in Canada. Formed in 1974, Mississauga is now recognized as Canada’s 6th largest and fastest growing major city with a population of 695,000 residents representing cultures from around the world. Brampton is among the largest urban centres in Canada with a population of over 495,000 people. It is a vibrant and culturally diverse city. To help newcomers settle, the Government of Canada is committing more than $11.1 million over the next two years to nine agencies in Mississauga and Brampton to provide settlement services.

The funding is provided under the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA). Listed below are the nine agencies receiving a portion of the $11.1 million in today’s announcement:

• Peel Career Assessment Services Inc.:  $161,880
• Peel Adult Learning Centre:  $1,255,166
• Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services:  $386,909
• Peel Multicultural Council:  $840,147
• Chinese Association of Mississauga:  $769,612
• Palestine House Educational and Cultural Centre:  $2,188,711
• Quality Continuous Improvement Centre for Community Education and Training:  $1,387,521
• Brampton Multicultural Community Centre:  $2,950,739
• Muslim Community Services:  $4,115,064

Settlement services are an essential part of the federal government’s immigration program. Through COIA, the Government of Canada has increased settlement funding for Ontario by a total of $920 million over five years. Under COIA, CIC works with the province and immigrant-serving agencies to make a real difference in the lives of immigrants.

Budget 2008 also introduced changes to modernize the immigration system, make it more responsive to Canada’s labour market needs, and to shorten the time it takes to bring newcomers and their families to Canada. Under this system, instructions would be issued to immigration officers related to the processing of applications, including in relation to the jobs available in Canada, so that people with those skills and experience can be brought to Canada more quickly. With these changes, newcomers could have more opportunities to find work sooner, to provide a better life for themselves and their families and to benefit more from life in Canada.