Immigration Waterloo Region Weekly
October 5, 2020

Stay healthy, Waterloo Region. We are in this together.


Immigration Partnership Updates
Fall Virtual Events on Employment Opportunities
Seeking to create the conditions for immigrants to succeed and help build a welcoming and dynamic community, we have partnered with some of our community partners on virtual events related to employment and networking where local employers and immigrants will enhance their interactions and be able to explore potential employment relationships:
An amazing opportunity for immigrant job seekers to connect with local employers!
In this virtual job fair, organized by Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin on October 6, job seekers will connect with 20 employers that are hiring for over 300 positions. It will have a special focus on manufacturing and health care jobs. There are also available positions as Project Managers/ Coordinators, Accountants, Software Developers, Electricians & many more! Job seeker registration is still open.
Take part in this event to meet local employers and learn about this fascinating sector!

The Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin and its partners host the MFG Day event each year to give students and job seekers the opportunity to visit local manufacturing companies and to find out what a career in manufacturing is really about.
This year, MFD Day will offer virtual tours instead of its usual bus trip and in-person tours due to concerns around COVD-19. Click here to participate in the MFG Day virtual tours.
"Employment Law: What You Need to Know," Virtual Event for Employers, Oct 7
In this new virtual session of the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce’s Manulife Business Success Series, sponsored by Immigration Partnership, Employment Law lawyer Chris Andree from Gowling WLG will provide an update on a variety of topics and some tips regarding future challenges employers will face as businesses continue to manage through these unprecedented times. Registration is open.
Community Partner Updates 
Immigrant Services and Interpretation Open

Applications Open for Emergency Community Response Fund 

United Way Waterloo Region Communities (United Way WRC) is accepting applications for the second round of the Emergency Community Support Fund to help charities and qualified donees serve and support vulnerable Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications are open from October 5 to October 30, 2020.

Survey: Fall 2020 Budget Consultations

The Ontario government invites all residents to take part in this survey to share their ideas for the 2020 Ontario Budget on what and how to spend wisely during the pandemic and Ontario’s economy recovery. Closing date: October 16, 2020
Federal, Provincial and Local Updates
COVID-19 Information and Resources
This Statistics Canada report confirms that "Canada's population reached the 38 million mark between April 1 and July 1, 2020. However the annual increase of 411,854 wa the lowest since 2015/16 due to international migration being slowed by Covid-19."
"The Pandemic's Impact on our Local Job Market" is a webinar that was recently hosted by Lutherwood and presented by the Workforce Planning Board Executive Director who provided local statistics and information on job demand, economic impact, and other labour market data.
This paper shows that recent immigrants were more likely than Canadian-born workers to move out of employment in March and April mainly because of their shorter job tenure and over-representation in lower-wage jobs. See also employment transition rates among individuals aged 20 to 64 by immigration status.
Ontario’s Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19 is a comprehensive plan to ensure the province is prepared. It sets out a series of steps to prevent, identify and respond to any outbreak scenario. This includes: Maintaining public health measures, identifying, managing and preventing outbreaks quickly, preparing for any surges in COVID-19 cases, and much more.
Listen to this new podcast from the Migration Policy Institute that consists of a series of questions: Is this a 9/11 moment for travel and health? Do quarantines work? Can COVID-19 testing in airports help revive ailing tourism industries? And How are hardened borders affecting the business model for human smugglers and traffickers?
Other Information and Resources
Fire Prevention Week, October 4-10
Multilingual Resources
According to the Office of the Fire Marshal, unattended cooking is the number #1 cause of fires in Ontario. In light of this, the theme for this year's Fire Prevention Week, which runs from October 4-10, is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!"


In addition, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed a series of safety tip sheets in other languages on a variety of fire and life safety topics: cooking, smoking, heating, electrical, ect.
This report presented by Building Migrant Resilience in Cities brings the lessons learned from Windsor-Essex public forum in January 2020, examining international education, immigration & nation-building.
Virtual Events and Webinars
The Mentorship Program and Canada Connect, Online Information Session,
Oct 6, 7-8pm
The Mentorship Program and Canada Connect are two programs offered by YMCA Immigrant Services to assist newcomers in making key relational connections in their new home. Join online Oct 6 to discover both of these programs and how you can be involved as a volunteer or a newcomer.
Refugee Hearing Preparation, Oct 7, 10am-12:30pm
FCJ Refugee Centre invites refugees to participate in this webinar on how to get ready for their refugee hearing. The presentation will include what to expect at the hearing, key elements to take in consideration during the hearing, what happens after the hearing, etc.
Welcoming Refugees during COVID-19: Experiences from the Health and Settlement Sectors, Oct 7, 1pm
This panel discussion, organized by the National newcomer Navigation Network, brings together professionals from across both the health and settlement sector eastern, central and western Canada who have welcomed newcomers to Canada during COVID-19. The panel will also feature the perspective of a newcomer with lived experience.
Group of Five Sponsorship Virtual Meeting, Oct 7, 7pm
This meeting is for anyone involved or interested in Group of Five sponsorship (or Community Sponsorship or the Quebec equivalent 2-5). The Canadian Council for Refugees will share information on COVID-19 issues, and discuss other challenges.
"Investing in Women's Futures" Online Program, Start Date Oct 8
YMCA Immigrant Services offers this program to immigrant and visible minority women seeking economic self-sufficiency. It consists of three courses: Sewing Machine and Employment Training, Advance Computer Skills and Individual Life Skills and Employment Counselling.
Youth and their Vision of Work, Oct 20, 1-3pm
This Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin webinar focuses on informing employers about the strengths and traits of young generation workers, and motivating employers to hire youth during and post COVID-19. It will also discuss how employer expectations differ from youth expectations and how to bridge that gap.
World Café on Affordable Housing,
Oct 22, 9am-12pm
Leadership Waterloo Region is hosting its second World Café on Affordable Housing on Oct 22. Representatives from many different sectors, including social services, housing, social inclusion and public service are invited to participate to ensure that a diverse perspective is captured. Resources will be collected and shared with all the participants.
Semaine Nationale de l'Immigration Francophone du 1er au 7 Novembre
Thème 2020: Ma Couleur Francophone
Cette 8e édition de la Semaine nationale de l'immigration francophone est l’occasion d’ouvrir le dialogue sur la réalité du racisme systémique, que subissent beaucoup d’immigrants et d’apprendre à connaître les autres cultures.
L'Association des Francophones de K-W Assemblée Générale Annuelle Édition 2020, Nov 5, 19h
L'Association des francophones de K-W est une association à but non lucratif. Sa mission est de favoriser le développement culturel et linguistique de la population francophone et francophile de KW.
Pathways to Prosperity 2020 National Conference: The Future of Immigration and (Re)Settlement in Canada, Nov 23-25
Join the Pathways to Prosperity virtual conference that will focus on immigration and (re)settlement in Canada in this time of a world-wide pandemic and increased awareness of the racism and discrimination facing immigrants every day. On Nov 25, the full day conference for Local Immigration Partnerships and Réseaux en immigration francophone will run from 11amT to 4:45pm EST, focusing on upcoming priorities set by these collaborative enterprises.
COVID 19 Coverage and other News

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