ARCHIVED – Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act 2008-2009

This Web page has been archived on the Web

Part II: Implementation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act across federal institutions

2.8 Research and dissemination

Sound research informs good public policy.
 
Federal institutions require up-to-date information in order to develop and implement policies and programs that respond to the changing needs of Canada’s diverse society. This section includes examples of research and dissemination activities undertaken by federal institutions during the reporting period.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (Large~2,000) made significant strides in 2008–2009 to increase the effectiveness of its outreach activities. Research identifying best practices among leading Canadian organizations involved in ethnocultural marketing provided the Corporation with a more detailed understanding of the target audiences, emerging trends with respect to ethnocultural marketing in Canada, promotional strategies, distribution and media channels, and partnership opportunities.

The research contributed to the development of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Ethno-Marketing Outreach Strategy. The purpose of the Strategy is to improve the communication of housing information and service delivery to ethnocultural groups and newcomers to Canada.

Among other activities undertaken as part of the Ethno-Marketing Outreach Strategy, the Corporation launched a pilot advertising campaign targeting the Chinese and South Asian communities. Using a variety of media, the campaign was designed to position the Corporation as a trusted go-to resource to help new immigrants settle in Canada with information to support their homebuying and renting decisions.

Health Canada (Large~9,800) collects a wide range of statistical data on an ongoing basis, including data with multicultural components. During 2008–2009, the data were used in various studies exploring both the effectiveness and the safety in different circumstances of traditional medicines used by various ethnocultural groups in Canada.

The data were used in various studies exploring both the effectiveness and the safety in different circumstances of traditional medicines used by various ethnocultural groups in Canada.

Examples of studies undertaken or supported by Health Canada during the reporting year included:

• Supporting research on the potential safety and efficacy of botanicals used by the Cree of Eeyou Istchee of northern Quebec for the treatment of diabetes symptoms in relation to other therapeutic products. In addition, the Department supported twice-yearly team meetings where findings are shared, potential safety concerns are highlighted, and opportunities are provided to learn directly from Elders and healers;
• Determining the potential for traditional Chinese medicines to interact with, or enhance the efficacy of, other therapeutic products;
• Evaluating the potential for traditional medicines from Peru and Vietnam to interact with other therapeutic products; and
• Examining the effect of Nigella sativa (black seed) oil on drug metabolism to determine whether this Middle Eastern product will affect the safe use of other therapeutic products.

Find out more about Health Canada’s initiatives regarding the licensing of natural health products.

The Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health of the Canadian Institute of Health Research (Small~450) launched the Aboriginal Children’s Survey.

Conducted in partnership with the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples Health, the First Nations and the Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, the survey provided an up-to-date picture of the early childhood development of Canada’s First Nations, including North American Indian, Inuit and Métis children under the age of six.

The results of the survey will help to inform the development of future policies and programs related to early childhood development in First Nations communities.

During 2008–2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (Large~4,400) completed a comprehensive set of census-based multidimensional custom data tables with a focus on key characteristics and the outcomes of immigrants living in Canadian metropolitan areas. The country of origin of immigrants is an important aspect of the data, and dimensions highlighting second-generation immigrants, visible minority status and countries where the highest educational degree was obtained were introduced for the first time in this regular series of custom tabulations.

The Department also continued to monitor the economic and labour market performance of immigrants using other data sources, particularly the latest update of the Longitudinal Immigration Database and the Labour Force Survey. This information enables governments and the public to know, in the timeliest manner, how well immigrants are performing in the labour market and how well the Canadian labour market utilizes the skills that immigrants bring.

A review of existing literature on immigrant settlement and integration was also started in 2008–2009. By distilling the latest research, the review will help identify recurrent themes and issues. It will also discuss factors that may either assist or hinder the settlement and integration process and will serve as a basis for developing indicators of immigrant integration in Canadian society. Other research activities include a focus on how levels of trust differ between immigrants and Canadianborn individuals and on the degree of association with various collective identities.

In March 2009, CIC and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada collaborated on a workshop presented at the Eleventh National Metropolis Conference in Calgary, Alberta, on measuring integration. Academics, service providers and governments have long recognized the need to measure the progress of integration. However, there has to this point been no agreed-upon set of indicators or benchmarks for doing so. The workshop brought together academics, practitioners and policy makers to discuss concepts and issues that relate to understanding which indicators matter most to the measurement of immigrant integration. This knowledge enables the Department to develop tools to better understand the immigrant experience and assess how policies and programs make a difference in settlement and integration outcomes.

The Rural Secretariat of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Large~6,650) joined the governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and CIC to produce a new report entitled Improving Attraction and Retention of Rural Immigrants: Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The report provides evidence-based information and analysis to help understand the dynamics at work in newcomers’ choice of residence. It identifies a number of systemic barriers to immigration to rural areas, and the impact these barriers may have on different immigrant populations. The report also suggests ways in which governments can mitigate these barriers in order to encourage more newcomers to settle in rural communities.

<< Previous | Contents | Next >>