Immigration Waterloo Region Weekly
June 21, 2021
Immigration Partnership Updates
ATTENTION: Deadline Extended For the Immigrant Survey: June 27
THANK YOU to the 1,335 people who already completed the 2021 #ImmigrantSurvey and to our partners and community members who have encouraged participation in the survey! We are so very happy with this huge collective community response!

We are in the final stretch of reaching the goal of 1500 responses; with only 165 voices to go and over 120,000 immigrants living in Waterloo Region, we are extending the deadline to Sunday, June 27, seeking to reach as many voices as we can and address some gaps in who we’ve heard from, especially among study and work permit holders, youth and older adults.

CALL TO ACTION!!!

  • If you were born outside Canada and are now in Waterloo Region, please complete the survey now and ask two others to do the same. 
  • If you were born in Canada, share the survey in your workplace, faith community, social media and other networks to encourage immigrants to tell us what matters to them. 

The #ImmigrantSurvey kit contains social media images and post samples, translated resources and more.


Click this link to complete the survey in one of 11 languages and find more information on how to become a #ImmigrantSurvey ambassador:
TOMORROW: Employer Webinar - Bilingualism: Adding Value in the Workplace
Local employers can still join fellow employers and other stakeholders who have invested in our economic growth and recovery from across Southwestern Ontario for a virtual presentation with a panel of incredible speakers to explore the benefits of a bilingual workforce and how employers can access bilingual talent and resources in the region. To register, click here.
ICYM! "Local Immigrant Connector and Mentorship Programs: Offering A Source of Immigrant Talent" Webinar Recording
Check out the recording of the latest webinar for employers co-hosted with the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce on June 16 related to local immigrant connector and mentorship programs.

Dave Thomas, Connector Manager at KW Multicultural Centre, and Marsh Schlueter, Community Liaison Specialist at YMCA of Three Rivers, provided attendees with an overview of these programs, how they help match newcomers with mentors and build their social networks and how it is beneficial to employers. The event included some testimonials of immigrants who have been involved with these programs as mentors and mentees. Watch the recording, here.

Employers who want to connect with Dave and Marsha to learn more about their respective programs, please email at dave@wrconnectors.org and mentorship@ytr.ymca.ca.
Follow us on our social media platforms for more immigration events and news!
Community Partner Updates 
Immigrant Services and Interpretation Open
This Week is K-W Multicultural Festival!
The KW Multicultural Centre invites community members to participate in the many virtual activities to celebrate diversity and inclusion at the K-W Multicultural Festival taking place this week. Enjoy story-telling, participate in hands-on activities and engage with local performers on YouTube. Connect to the festival through the KW Multicultural Centre Facebook account.
 Motion Calling: Permanent Residents Be Entitled to Be an Elector in
Local Elections for Municipal Councils and School Boards
On June 28, Waterloo City Council will debate a motion calling for the city to advocate to the provincial government that permanent residents be given the right to be electors in local elections for Municipal Councils and School Boards. View the motion here and tune in to watch the discussion here. 
The Truth is Hard. Reconciliation is Harder. Indigenous History Month Keynote Speaker
In this community event hosted by the University of Waterloo on June 29 at 1pm, The Honourable Murray Sinclair reminds us that reconciliation is not an act of forgiving past wrongs. It is a process of dismantling the ongoing colonial relationship that treats Indigenous people as less than human. It is not a matter of benevolence or charity. It is a matter of respect and rights. Register for the event here
Federal, Provincial and Local Updates
Immigration
Measures
To learn more about other measures or changes on Immigration legislation,
visit the

Immigration remains crucial to addressing Canada’s longstanding demographic challenges and labour market shortages, and it will be a vital part of Canada’s post-pandemic economic recovery. Starting June 21, 2021, any foreign national who holds a valid Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) may travel to Canada.
Municipal Government
To learn more about the latest information, measures and changes to legislation due to COVID-19 Outbreak across the region, visit the Region of Waterloo website.
Provincial
Government
To learn more about the latest information, measures and changes to legislation due to COVID-19 Outbreak across Ontario, visit the


Over 75 per cent of Ontario Adults Have Received A First Dose of a COVID-19 Vaccine and more than 19 per cent are Fully Vaccinated.
Federal
Government
To learn more about the government support for individuals, businesses and industries during the COVID-19 Outbreak, visit the Government of Canada Website.
COVID-19 Information and Resources

"Despite COVID-related movement restrictions and pleas from the international community for a ceasefire that would facilitate the COVID-19 response, displacement continued to occur – and to grow. As a result, above one per cent of the world’s population – or 1 in 95 people – is now forcibly displaced. This compares with 1 in 159 in 2010," states this report from the United Nations refugee agency released on June 18, 2021.

The policy areas this report by Public Policy Forum examines include international credential recognition, skills training for immigrants – especially those who’ve suffered job loss in the pandemic – and the possibility of anti-immigrant sentiment stemming from disenfranchised Canadians who fear that newcomers may threaten their already-precarious jobs.

The COVID-19 Safe Ambassador program is a free service from the Greater Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge Chambers of Commerce and the Region of Waterloo to provide free education and one-on-one guidance to help small and medium sized businesses in Waterloo Region to minimize COVID-19 risks.
National Indigenous Peoples Day
Strengthening Relations Between Newcomers and Indigenous Peoples
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada made 94 calls to action as part of its final report detailing the experiences and impacts of the residential school system. The last two calls to actions seek to encourage newcomers to learn and respect the history and legacy of Indigenous peoples:

93. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with the national Aboriginal organizations, to revise the information kit for newcomers to Canada and its citizenship test to reflect a more inclusive history of the diverse Aboriginal peoples of Canada, including information about the Treaties and the history of residential schools.

94. We call upon the Government of Canada to replace the Oath of Citizenship with the following: I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including Treaties with Indigenous Peoples, and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.

This educational video "Welcome to our Homelands"– created by Kamala Todd, a Metis-Cree community planner, educator, curator, and filmmaker– targeting new immigrants and refugees is one of several initiatives ISSofBC has been involved in over the past decade to build relations between newcomers and Indigenous Peoples.

Government Bill C-8 would amend the Citizenship Act to include a solemn promise to respect the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples as part of the Oath of Citizenship. The amendment would respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commision of Canada's call to action number 94. It will ensure new Canadians understand their important role in our past and present.

Monday is National Indigenous Peoples Day and there are a number of events planned locally to recognize it. Most events are being held online due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions. Events include speakers, music, drumming, a sunrise ceremony and a marketplace.
Other Information and Resources

The KW Multicultural Centre invites community members to participate in the many virtual activities to celebrate diversity and inclusion at the K-W Multicultural Festival taking place this week. Enjoy story-telling, participate in hands-on activities and engage with local performers on YouTube. Connect to the festival through the KW Multicultural Centre Facebook account.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced plans to expedite applications and increase the number of refugees coming to Canada at a news conference today. This year, the country will increase the number of protected persons admitted from 23,500 to 45,000 and will also expedite the processing of applications for permanent residency, he said.

Meet some young people in this series of videos, released by the Workforce Planning Board, who picked professions and industries that allow them to start working right away or with short-term training. There are many employers out there who are eager and willing to train and upskill dedicated workers.

In partnership with the CLAC Foundation, Lutherwood is offering access to training for individuals looking for work in the skilled trades. Available supports include Pre-Apprenticeship Training Tuition Funding and Work Access and Safety Training. Find out if you are eligible: Cambridge 519-623-9380 Guelph 519-822-4141. Kitchener 519-743-2460.
Covid-19 and Community Virtual Events and Webinars
(Re) Think “Crime” Prevention Through An Upstream Lens, June 21, 6:30-8:30pm
The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council invites community members to join for an challenging conversation to discuss the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of creating the social conditions to support healthy and constructive relationships and behaviours where we work, play, learn, love and worship.
Workplace Sexual Harassment Info Workshop in Turkish, June 22, 6-7:30pm
Kitchener Waterloo Multicultural Centre and Waterloo Region Community Legal Service host this interactive discussion about legal issues surrounding workplace sexual harassment. It will discuss inappropriate and harassing behaviours in the workplace and how to address those issues with your employer.
What Are Entry Jobs Really About? Wind Turbine Technician Edition, June 22, 4-5pm
The Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin has partnered with Cambridge Career Connections to bring this event where attendees will explore a career of a Wind Turbine Technician and have the opportunity to be hired for this wonderful entry-level role. 
Resilience and Refuge, June 23, 12:15-1:30pm
Join this webinar featuring experts from the Université du Québec, Concordia University, McGill University and Ryerson University who will talk about their research on resilience and refuge. This event is part of the "Migrant Resilience in canadian Cities: People, Institutions and Policies" webinar series hosted by the Building Migrant Resilience in Cities Network. For more information, email bmrcirmu@yorku.ca.
Immigrant and Refugee Services for SOGIE Diverse Newcomers (LGBTQ2S+ Services), June 23, 1pm
This National Newcomer Navigation Network webinar will talk about refugee services for sexually and gender diverse newcomers, LGBTQI+ services and development of the National LGBTQ+ Guidelines Project and how to address COVID-19 pandemic issues and service provision.
Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BESTWR)– Supporting & Advocating for Local Business During Covid-19, June 23, 1-2pm
Join the final Greater KW Chamber of Commerce’s Manulife Business Success Series webinar this Wednesday, June 23, to hear what the BESTWR group is working on and how they have and continue to advocate on behalf of the business community.
Social Assistance + Immigration Webinar, June 23, 10:30am-12pm
This Cleo Connect webinar features lawyers in the legal clinic system who will share important information and practical tips about the interaction between immigration status and receiving social assistance.
How to Hire Youth in a Post-Pandemic Economy, June 23, 11am-12;30pm
The Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin is organizing an event to assist employers in post-Pandemic youth hiring practices. This event will map out a variety of services and resources available to employers when hiring from the youth talent pool.
Supporting Job Seekers in the Work From Home Reality, June 24, 11am-12pm
In this second session in the Work from Home Series hosted by the Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin, Melissa Small - Employment Advisor at Lutherwood, will discuss how she helps her employment candidates as they navigate the work from home workforce.
COVID 19 Coverage and other News




CTV News, June 19, 2021



How can our community fight racism together? Waterloo Chronicle, June 18, 2021





The Immigration Waterloo Region calendar has information about local programs and events for newcomers. Subscribe for a digest of events coming up in the next week or add your own events to share.
Feel free to send suggestions or relevant events/resources to include to the Immigration Waterlooo Region weekly by emailing Dan Vandebelt (dvandebelt@regionofwaterloo.ca) and Alejandra Amezquita Gutierrez (AAmez@regionofwaterloo.ca)
Like us and follow us