Immigration Waterloo Region Weekly
May 31, 2021
The Immigration Partnership honours the 215 Indigenous children found dead at a residential school in Kamloops BC.

  • We offer our deepest condolences to their loved ones and all Indigenous peoples in Waterloo Region and across Canada.
  • We encourage you to show support through Healing of the Seven Generations by attending their vigil and/or donating of children’s shoes and teddy bears for their memorial.
  • We invite you to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report as an act of learning and reconciliation. 
Immigration Partnership Updates
The 2021 Immigrant Survey is Back! The Immigrant Survey runs from June 1 to 21. It is a bi-annual, multilingual survey which invites immigrants, refugees, claimants, international students, temporary workers and their families to share their experiences, struggles, diverse strengths they bring and contribute, as well as their suggestions on how to improve settlement and integration in Waterloo Region.  

The survey is available in 11 languages: English, Arabic, Amharic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Serbian, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya and Turkish. The results will inform policy, program and service priorities and planning across the Waterloo Region.

The Power of 10: Help reach 1,500 participants! Our goal for 2021 is 1,500 respondents –we again count on the power of our collective community effort to achieve this goal! Our challenge to each of you - help secure 10 responses. We invite you to be a #ImmigrantSurvey ambassador and help promote the survey to immigrants in your place of work, your neighbourhood, through your networks and social media throughout the survey period.

More information on how to become a #ImmigrantSurvey ambassador and complete the survey here:
Improving Settlement for Privately Sponsored Refugees in Ontario through
Settlement-Sponsor Collaboration
The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, Refugee 613 and project partners, including Immigration Partnership, present four recommendations in the report “Intentional Connections for Welcoming Communities” to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and others to bridge gaps in knowledge, relationship and operations between private sponsors and the formal settlement sector; gaps that often become cracks that negatively affected the settlement journey of refugees. See complete report here.
June 3: Waterloo Region Virtual Multicultural Connections 2021: Social Isolation and Belonging 
Immigration Partnership’s Social Inclusion Working Group invites leaders and members of ethno-cultural and faith groups in Waterloo Region to participate in the Virtual Multicultural Connections this Thursday, June 3 at 6pm to talk about social isolation and belonging.

During the meeting, Fidelia Ukueje, Vice President of Nigerians in the Region of Waterloo (NIROW), and Wafa Agha, Board of Directors Member of the Women Empowerment Society of Waterloo Region and Guelph City, will share with attendees what belonging in Waterloo Region has meant to them and their communities and how they have been connected and successful during the past year. Registration is open.
June 16: Local Immigrant Connector and Mentorship Programs:
Offering A Source of Immigrant Talent
Area employers seeking to hire immigrants are invited to join a new webinar of the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce’s Manulife Business Success Series, in partnership with the Immigration Partnership, to learn about the Connector and Mentorship Programs with Dave Thomas, Connector Manager at KW Multicultural Centre, and Marsh Schlueter, Community Liaison Specialist at YMCA of Three Rivers. These programs also offer community members a way to contribute by volunteering to be a Connector or a Mentor.  To register, click here.
Follow us on our social media platforms for more immigration events and news!
Community Partner Updates 
Immigrant Services and Interpretation Open
Kitchener Waterloo Community Townhall Meeting: Let's take action
on Affordable Housing in Waterloo Region!
Join Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) on Thursday, June 10, 2021, from 1-3pm for their annual Townhall Meeting. Following a brief update about KWCF and its impact of “doing more good, forever, together”, they will be hosting breakout sessions to discuss a range of topics and how they link to Affordable Housing such as developmental disabilities (physical and/or intellectual), economic security, environmental impact, gender, impact on children and youth, race investing in affordable housing locally and options for current homeowners to adapt their space.
Federal, Provincial and Local Updates
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
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

The Waterloo Region District School Board has posted important information on its website related to the Covid-19 vaccine pre-registration for Youth who are 12-17 years old in the region and their family members who live in the same house. This information is available in 15 languages.

A fourth Vaccine Bulletin developed by Refugee 613 and partners is now available. It answers questions like can people with allergies get the vaccine? For how long does it protect people? and more. The bulletin is available in 15 languages: Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya, Traditional Chinese, and Urdu. 

Small and medium-sized businesses in Waterloo Region can order FREE Rapid Screening Kits and Medical-Grade Masks offered by The Greater Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge Chambers of Commerce. Interested business owners can place their order here.

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.
Other Information and Resources

Toronto Star in a conversation with the Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino discusses not only the benefits of the new programs providing a pathway to permanent residences, but also their deficiencies to face the challenge of guaranteeing the growth of the Canadian population and the economy.

This study commissioned by the African Canadian Senate Group reports that 3 in 4 Black entrepreneurs say that their race has made it harder for their business to succeed. Systemic racism, access to capital and the lack of a business network represent the main barriers to the growth and sustainability of Black-led and/or owned businesses.

There is no application limit for French-speaking or bilingual candidates under the pathway to permanent residence for essential workers and international graduates. IRCC will accept applications until Nov 5, 2021. Check eligibility here.

This report coordinated by AMSSA presents findings and insights generated through a comprehensive exploration of hybrid service delivery over 6 months in the immigrant settlement sector in Canada. 

The series provides researchers with the opportunity to present their ongoing projects, learn about each other’s work and share feedback. ITS Migration Working Group sessions are held every last Tuesday of the month starting September 2021 and running until May 2022.
Covid-19 and Community Virtual Events and Webinars
Building Migrant Resilience in Cities and Neighbourhoods, June 2, 12:15-1:30pm
Join this Building Migrant Resilience in Cities Network event, part of the "Migrant Resilience in canadian Cities: People, Institutions and Policies" webinar series, to learn about exciting research examining how local communities, service providers and cities promote migrant resilience and solidarity in Canada's increasingly diverse urban neighbourhoods.
Focus on Technology: Free Computer Workshop, June 1-29
Focus For Ethnic Women is offering a free online computer workshop for newcomers, visible minority and immigrant women Throughout the month of June. There are two categories: Basic/intermediate and intermediate/advance. Program is offered on English and Arabic. To register, email Focusonethnicwomen@gmail.com.
Web Presence 101 – Ensuring Your Foundation Is Set, June 1, 10am
In this workshop hosted by the Toronto Digital Service Squad business owners will learn the importance of getting their business online and where to start with developing their online presence. They will also learn how to create a professionally-designed, responsive website, how to optimize website content to improve search engine ranking (SEO) and more.
Workers’ Rights During COVID-19, June 3, 10:30am-12pm
Get the latest updates from the Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) on workers' rights during Ontario's third lockdown. Experts from the community legal sector will be sharing up-to-date and practical information on workers' rights during COVID-19. 
Inter-Cultural Dialogue: Bridging the Gap Between Newcomers and Indigenous People, June 9, 1pm
This National Newcomer Navigation Network webinar highlights an innovative program at Mount Carmel Clinic that builds bridges, strengthens relationships and honors the uniqueness and commonalities between newcomer and Indigenous groups.
O2O (L’Ontario c'est chez Moi). Public francophone, June 22-29, 22 et 29 juin 2021, 14 h – 16 h 30
Vous êtes nouveau, nouvelle en Ontario? À Kitchener- Waterloo? Vous aimeriez mieux connaître les services disponibles dans votre communauté? Venez trouver les ressources et les informations nécessaires à votre établissement grâce à l’atelier ‘L’ONTARIO C’EST CHEZ MOI’. Atelier présenté en ligne, Veuillez-vous inscrire S.V.P: 519-451-5194, poste 7129.
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 online event where attendees will find out what a career as a Wind Turbine Technician is about and have the opportunity to be hired. The employer will train on the job those candidates who are a great fit and are willing to commit to this opportunity.
Leadership Development Program
kind Minds Family Wellness is partnering with Greenway-Chaplin Community Centre to provide Black-identifying youth who live in the Cambridge area with the opportunity to partake in a 4-week leadership program. Youth will be given the opportunity to develop their leadership skills while also empowering participants to share their unique perspectives. To register, email info@kindmindsfamilywellness.org.
Connecting to Abilities Virtual Job Fair,
June 3, 11am-2pm
Job seekers, join The Making Cent$ of Abilities Coalition on June 3, 11:00-2:00 for the Connecting to Abilities Virtual Job Fair focused on individuality, diversity and abilities, an insightful 3 hours spent empowering us all.
COVID 19 Coverage and other News










UW prof weighs in on debate over paid sick leave The Kitchener Today, may 26, 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)
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