CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Canada's New Government Funds Yukon

Friday, 25 May 2007

Canada's New Government Funds Yukon Territory to Provide More Online Resources to Help Immigrants Integrate

Canada's New Government Funds Yukon Territory to Provide More Online Resources to Help Immigrants Integrate OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - May 24, 2007) - The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced approximately $18.8 million in funding for several provinces and territories to enhance online information about settling and working across the country to help immigrants integrate into Canadian society. The Yukon will receive $800,000 over a four-year period. The funding will go toward developing online content, tools and services that will promote the territory as a destination and help immigrants integrate once they arrive. The funds can also be used for consultation and outreach. The Yukon may also choose to provide funding to municipalities to help enhance information at the local level. "Canada's New Government recognizes the importance of helping immigrant families succeed and we are committed to helping newcomers settle and prosper in Canada," said Minister Finley. "As the Internet often serves as a primary source of information, the provision of timely, accurate and relevant information is essential. With each region of Canada having its own unique characteristics and opportunities, online resources will help immigrants as they arrive and settle in Canada." "The Government of Yukon is pleased to work with the Government of Canada to address current labour market needs," said Yukon Minister of Education, Patrick Rouble. "Enhancing access to immigrant settlement information on the Internet is an important step toward building a labour force that can better support Yukon's economy." Contribution agreements have also been signed with Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Under existing federal-provincial immigration agreements, British Columbia and Manitoba will also receive funding to help them improve the provision of online information for prospective immigrants and newcomers. Provincial and territorial portals will link to the government's existing Going to Canada Immigration Portal (www.goingtocanada.gc.ca), which provides online information and services to help immigrants make informed decisions about coming to Canada, and assists them in their integration and settlement once they arrive. BACKGROUNDER Funding Agreements with Provinces and Territories Under the new agreements, the provinces and territories, outside of Ontario, will receive a base amount of $200,000 every year, plus a variable amount each year based on the average intake of immigrants in each province and territory over the last three-year period. For Ontario, which receives more than half of Canada's immigrants each year, funding is based on the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement. In line with this allocation, the total amounts over four fiscal years would be approximately as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------Province Amount--------------------------------------------------------------Newfoundland and Labrador $820,000--------------------------------------------------------------NOVA SCOTIA $870,000--------------------------------------------------------------NEW BRUNSWICK $836,000--------------------------------------------------------------(i)ONTARIO $10,000,000--------------------------------------------------------------(ii)Alberta $1,200,000--------------------------------------------------------------(ii)Northwest Territories $603,000--------------------------------------------------------------Yukon $800,000--------------------------------------------------------------(iii)MANITOBA $1,100,000--------------------------------------------------------------(iii)BRITISH COLUMBIA $2,600,000-------------------------------------------------------------- (i)Ontario's portal funding allocation is based on the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement. For more information on the agreement, consult the following link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/policy/fed-prov/can-ont-index.html. (ii)Alberta and Northwest Territories allocations are for three fiscal years instead of four because agreements were not formally reached with these jurisdictions until the beginning of the 2007/2008 fiscal year. (iii)British Columbia and Manitoba receive portal funding under existing federal-provincial immigration agreements. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) hopes to have multi-year agreements in place with Saskatchewan and Nunavut later this year. All settlement funding for Quebec, including online resources, is covered under the Canada-Quebec Accord, signed in 1991. Going to Canada Immigration Portal The provincial and territorial portals will link to the Government of Canada's Going to Canada Immigration Portal (www.goingtocanada.gc.ca). This portal has been developed by CIC and Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) to offer comprehensive and integrated information to prospective and new immigrants. Its goal is to assist these individuals in preparing to live, work and study in Canada. The creation of the Going to Canada Immigration Portal responds to concerns raised by various stakeholders regarding the lack of specific and relevant information available to prospective and new immigrants to assist them in integrating into Canada's communities and labour market. Research conducted abroad revealed that the Internet is the primary source of information for Canada's international target audiences. Participants from a range of countries, including India, the United States, Japan and Australia, noted that the Internet is the first and most frequent source of information, regardless of the reason for seeking information on Canada. Partnerships are key to the portal's success. Accordingly, CIC has encouraged provinces and territories to develop complementary immigration, settlement, employment, skills and learning information for their respective websites. Both CIC and HRSDC will work with non-governmental immigration stakeholders on the portal to ensure that it continues to be relevant and that it meets the needs of diverse client groups.