Community News from the RRLIP Project

Hello Regina Community Members!

The Regina Region Local Immigration Partnership (RRLIP Project) strengthens and supports the community’s efforts to welcome, settle and integrate newcomers. In the last Newcomer Survey, we learned that many people do not know about programs in the community and/or how to access them.

The goal of these regular emails is to increase awareness of and access to relevant programs, services and events that enhance and support newcomer settlement in Regina.

Please share this information widely. Thank you so much!

For past Community News issues, click here

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RRLIP RESOURCE:

WHY BUY OR ACCEPT SECOND-HAND ITEMS?

In Canada, one of the ways that people get furniture, clothes, books, etc. is through gifts from friends or neighbours, second-hand stores and garage sales. There are numerous organizations in Regina that have free or low-cost items available. During the summer, many families or organizations have garage sales, to sell items they don't need any more.

Many garage sales have clothing, tools, small household items - such a bedding and towels, lamps, kitchen items (dishes, cooking pots, tools, etc.), and furniture, yard equipment, children's toys, games, etc.

To find out about more about what to look for, and what to avoid, check out this resource:

Why Buy or Accept Second-Hand Items

Many other resources can be found on the RRLIP Website Resources page:

https://rrlip.ca/pages/project-resources

Other community resources - such as Welcome Videos, Fire Safety and Preparing for an Emergency information can be found here:

https://rrlip.ca/pages/community-resources

DOWNTOWN REGINA FREE EVENTS

Free programs and events/all ages

Pat Fiacco Plaza /Victoria Park

12th Ave. and Victoria Ave.

Weekly Events:

Games in the Park

Tuesdays & Thursdays

11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Zumba on the Plaza

Tuesdays

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Summer Salsa Nights

Fridays

6:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Family Storytime in the Park

Wednesdays & Saturdays

10:30 am – 11:30 am

Special Events:

Downtown Cinema is back on August 24th for five free movies on the Pat Fiacco Plaza! Stay tuned to our social media pages for updates on the event. presented by Arwel Living

Free Films at the Library (RPL Film Theatre)

Daytime and Evening, various days

See listings and information here

Free Events at the Dunlop Art Gallery (RPL Downtown)

Schedule and information here

For more information, the organization sponsoring the events, and updates, check the Schedule.

Registration for City of Regina Fall Leisure Guide programs begins Tuesday, August 15 at 7 a.m.

Register at Regina.ca/recreation or by calling 306-777-PLAY (7529).

Affordable Fun Program

Upon approval, single admissions can be purchased for 50% off the regular price and Leisure Passes for 80% off the regular price. Participants can also register for classes at 80% off the regular price, to a maximum of $160 discount per family member. The City has hundreds of great recreation and leisure programs to choose from such as swimming, arts and crafts, and sport and fitness. Find them in Leisure Guide

Eligibility

You are eligible for the Affordable Access Program if your household income is less than the amount indicated below.

1 Person - $25,303

2 Persons - $31,498

3 Persons - $38,723

4 Persons - $47,016

5 Persons - $53,323

6 Persons - $60,142

7+ Persons - $66,958

Affordable Access approval is granted until the end of each year. Residents must re-apply every year.

How to Apply

To apply, please fill out the Affordable Access Program Application Form

Make sure to include the required income verification along with your application form. Submit your application one of four ways:

In person at the North West Leisure Centre, Sportplex or Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre
Hard copies of the form are available at City neighbourhood centres and major recreation centres
Email to affordableaccess@regina.ca
Fax to 306-777-6831
Mail to the City of Regina Affordable Access Program, 2476 Victoria Ave, 6th Floor, PO Box 1790, Regina, SK S4P 3C8

The average time to process an application is three weeks.

FREE! USED CLOTHING GIVE-AWAY

(used clothing for men, women, and children)

Saturday, August 26th

10am to 1pm

Mount Olive Lutheran Church

2015-4^th Avenue North

Everyone welcome!

I LOVE REGINA DAY 2023

Free Event Details:

Saturday, August 19, 2023
Victoria Park/Pat Fiacco Plaza
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Event activities include:

Free BBQ
Treats, prizes, and giveaways
Live entertainment
Children’s activities
and much more!

This year's celebration also features the annual I Love Regina Run, in partnership with Run Regina. Participants of all ages are welcome to register for a 3K, 5K, or 10K. Walk, run, or wheel in the I Love Regina Run.

New this year, participants will receive a medal. Sign up now to collect all three pieces and complete the set.

To register for the Run, visit runregina.ca

Information about I LOVE REGINA DAY

Nuit Blanche Regina

Downtown Regina

August 26, 2023

Sunset - Midnight

Price: Free

Nuit Blanche:

celebrates both established and emerging arts working in new media technologies and traditional arts, outdoor sculpture, installation and performance.

is committed to addressing barriers to equal access, opportunities and resources in a commitment to increase exposure to expansive forms of art-making reflective of our community's diverse voices.

Volunteers:

If you would like to volunteer, check out the positions here:

https://nuitblancheregina.ca/volunteer/

Questions?

volunteer@nuitblancheregina.ca

RRLIP resource with a list of multilingual driving instructors in Regina

FREE CLASS

Driving for Newcomers

Thriving in Canada programs

are for newcomers to Canada who are learning English.

Learn about the process of getting a drivers license in Saskatchewan in simple English with an expert from SGI.

7:00 - 8:00 PM

August 16, 2023

Drop-in; no registration required

George Bothwell Branch - GB-1

2965 Gordon Road

Offered in partnership with SGI, the instructor is a district examiner at SGI with experience in Driver Safety Services. Learn more by visiting https://sgi.sk.ca.

CULTURAL AWARENESS PRESENTATION

FREE

Regina Open Door Society (RODS) regularly holds free Cultural Awareness presentations. These are open to all clients, partners, volunteers and the community. You can also request the presentation for your workplace, community, group or faith organization.

In this interactive presentation, you will learn and share about:

Canadian Immigration Trends, Statistics and Definitions
RODS Services and Program
Newcomer's Contributions and Needs
Bridging Cultural and Language Barriers
Building effective cross-cultural programming
Engaging Newcomers in Programming and Activities

August 23^rd

10am - 12pm.

_________________________________________________________

Other RODS Programs for Newcomers

Personal Safety - by Regina Police Service

August 24 at 2:00 PM

Registration link: https://forms.office.com/r/j62t4PmkZi

Digital Services - by Canada Revenue Agency

August 28 at 11:00 AM

Registration link: https://forms.office.com/r/b711cJkqW

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY - QUEEN CITY MARATHON

The GMS Queen City Marathon event needs you!!
The QCM, September 8-10, requires hundreds of volunteers.
Volunteers are needed for site set up/tear down, course marshal roles, race day site crew and more!

Volunteer sign-up here

REGINA DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

August 25-26, 2023

Wascana Park

Regina Dragon Boat Festival Inc. is a volunteer-run, not for profit organization, established to foster better understanding, appreciation, and awareness of Asian culture and heritage within our community.

Regina’s festival begins Friday with the Children’s Festival and runs August 25-26 from 10 am –

6 pm each day.

Friday evening is the beginning of the dragon boat racing with the 200 meter qualifying races.

Dragon Boat races are all day Saturday from 10 am – 6 pm.

Saturday features local vendors and organizations, with a wide variety of merchandise and information. Bring your own shopping bag.

Festival Schedule

PRAIRIE VALLEY FAMILY SUMMER FUN DAY

FREE

August 27 - 2-5 pm

Williston Park (Williston Dr. in NW Regina)

Please join us for

magician
face painting
character meet & greet
lemonade, freezies
and more!

Information:

PVCA Facebook page

Tigrinya Webinar - Refugee Sponsorship Information

by RSTP -Refugee Sponsorship Training Program

August 21, 2023

The session will cover:

settlement plan support,
sponsors' financial responsibility,
guidance on completing the undertaking,
guidance on completing the settlement plan form,
assistance with any questions about these topics.

Topic: Settlement Plan and Financial Responsibilities Step-by-Step Guide - Tigrinya G5/CS

Date: 08/21/2023

Time: 4-6 PM CDT

Virtual

DID YOU KNOW?.....SSWIS PROGRAMS

Settlement Support Workers in Schools (SSWIS) is a free school-based outreach program. It connects newly arrived families to services and community resources to promote settlement and encourage student achievement in schools. SSWIS workers help build positive and open communication between family, school, and community.

It is for children and youth who are between the ages of 6 to 21, and who are temporary residents, permanent residents or refugees.

SSWIS provides students with the immediate essential services required to support their transition into the Canadian School setting by:

Introducing students and families to school staff
Connecting students to Peer Leader mentorship group in their school
Familiarizing students with the school setting, school routine and expectations
Guiding students with class selection and extracurricular activities
Supporting students starting from school registration until their full integration

The SSWIS program also offers support with:

Parent-school communication, three-way conferences and other meetings
Arranging interpreters
Information and referrals to appropriate programs and services in their community
Increase of parents’ involvement in the education and school life
Practical, culturally sensitive guidance on educational and other school issues

Questions?

Call 306-352-5775 or 306-352-3500 and ask for the Settlement Support Workers in Schools (SSWIS).
Email sswis@rods.sk.ca

https://rods.sk.ca/programs/settlement/sswis/

SASK. SWIS COORDINATION website

ARE YOU STARTING HIGHSCHOOL IN CANADA?

You are invited to attend the

FREE Orientation Workshops for Newcomers!

Sessions will be held in person at different schools:

August 18-31, 2023

10 am -12 pm

Campbell: Aug 18
LeBoldus: Aug 21
Sheldon: Aug 22
Miller: Aug 23
O'Neill : Aug 24

Johnson: Aug 25
Balfour: Aug 28
Thom : Aug 29
Winston Knoll : Aug 30
Martin: Aug 30 (1-3:45 p.m.)
PVSD / Adult campus: Aug 31

Sponsored by SSWIS - Settlement Support Workers in Schools.

Questions: Email: sswis@rods.sk.ca

_______________________________

NEWCOMER

Elementary School Orientation Sessions

in September
2 hours

Questions?

Call 306-352-5775 or 306-352-3500 and ask for the Settlement Support Workers in Schools (SSWIS).
Email sswis@rods.sk.ca

https://rods.sk.ca/programs/settlement/sswis/

Saskatchewan Now Offering Large Training Bursaries to Support Future Paramedics

(with info from a press release on July 25, 2023)

The Government of Saskatchewan is now offering financial supports for individuals interested in pursuing a frontline paramedic career in Saskatchewan. Training bursaries will be available to students and new graduates of paramedic programs who commit to joining Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Saskatchewan. The bursaries will be administered by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

One-time funding of $530,000 will provide a total of 58 bursaries to support paramedic training for EMS providers within the province. Bursaries will range from $5,000 to $10,000.

Paramedic training programs in Saskatchewan are primarily offered through Saskatchewan Polytechnic and Saskatchewan's regional colleges. Medavie HealthEd also provides an Advanced Care Paramedic program.

For more details visit:

https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/careers-volunteering/careers/career-profiles/emergency-medical-services/paramedic-training-bursaries

Primary Care Paramedic training seats at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and Saskatchewan's regional colleges were recently increased to 252. These seats are part of a major expansion of health care training opportunities with more than 550 new training seats in 18 high demand health occupations announced earlier this year. All new Primary Care Paramedic training seats will be available in fall 2023.

In 2023-24, nearly $100 million is being invested into Saskatchewan's Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain more health care professionals. Details on health care opportunities, how to access them and more information on the province's HHR Action Plan are available at saskatchewan.ca/HHR.

Community Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering is a great way to showcase your skills, gain valuable Canadian experience, network, and give to the community.

Skilled IT volunteer for 4-week placement as Network Administrator with SSILC

Contact Tracy@ssilc.ca

Coming Up:

Movie In the Park: August 19 from 7-10 pm; Super Mario Brothers at Williston Park (30 Williston Drive)
Government House - August 26 Fun and Games Day
Regina Farmers Market -Wed & Sat, May 6 - Oct 7 from 9 am - 1 pm at Pat Fiacco Plaza (2190 Victoria Ave, Regina)
Music on the Mezzanine - Central Library - Sept 13 from 7-8 pm

The RRLIP has many free resources about Regina, which can be found under the Resources Tab on the Home page. Please feel free to use them, and share them. They are for you! You can also sign up for the NewsBlog (at the bottom of the home page)

Visit the RRLIP Project Website