Friend, did you miss the Skills for Change panel discussion?

Issue 12 | February 22, 2021

Dear friends and supporters,

As we celebrate Black History Month, we acknowledge that there is much more we can do to raise the voices of BIPOC. We invite you to browse the Canadian Encyclopedia entries on Black and African Canadians.

On January 26, our CEO, Carl participated in a Skills for Change panel discussion on COVID-19 Impacts on Canadian Immigration, Settlement and the future of the Canadian Labour Market.

Discussion focused on barriers to settlement and integration into the economy. Without access to technology and connectivity, many newcomers are left out. Many of the organizations who support newcomers are focused on delivering technology and connectivity, but more support is needed now.

Additional discussion centred around how COVID has placed a higher risk on newcomers as they hold positions that were previously known as unskilled labour but are now deemed essential, like front-line workers. This has placed additional pressure on newcomers who cannot afford to be sick or take time off to care for loved ones.

To read a summary of this panel discussion please use this button:

View Summary

Missed the panel discussion? You can view the recording using the button below.

View recording

Our CEO Carl offers a few thoughts on Black History Month and Black Lives Matter in a London Free Press article.

"BLM is a movement with many young people in leadership roles. It is a movement that has spread beyond the U.S. It also is a movement characterized and comprised of a broad array of people and organizations. It is a movement that began as a hashtag but is so much more."

Read the article

KWCF Do More Good Conversation on The Intersectionality between Affordable Housing and Race

On Thursday, February 25 at 1pm, the KWCF will be hosting the first Do More Good Dialogue of 2021 on the Intersectionality between Affordable Housing and Race.

The conversation will feature:

Clarence Cachagee, Founder of Crow Shield Lodge
Carl Cadogan, CEO of Reception House Waterloo Region
MPP Laura Mae Lindo, Kitchener-Centre
Teneile Warren, Restorative Schools Service Coordinator at Community Justice Initiatives

Shared via Waterloo Region Record - Canada’s economy won’t recover, grow without increased immigration, roundtable hears

Canada is embarking on an ambitious immigration plan to welcome more than 1.2 million permanent residents by 2024, a move the government says will fuel economic recovery and future growth.