CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Citizenship & Immigration contributes $2.7 million to support newcomers to Canada

Friday, 18 April 2008

In support of newcomers, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Department has recently announced its contribution of a generous $2.7million to the Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society (CUIAS).

Said Ed Komarnicki, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration at the CUIAS Immigrant Services in Bloor West Village: “You can sense the warmth and the strength you have here in Toronto".

Komarnicki paid his respects to the organisation, saying that thanks to the work it does, newcomers feel welcome in Canada and they succeed.

CUIAS Immigrant Services has been helping 3,000 newcomers a year since 1977. It provided settlement services, such as referrals to community resources, advice and guidance, translation and interpretation and group workshops on the Canadian legal, social, health and economic system.

“There are 15 million immigrants, newcomers who come to Canada each year,” Komarnicki told the audience.

“Our country is built on immigrants. For those of us who are born here, we don't appreciate what it's like to have to find a new home for your family, a job, a school.”

“With support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), we can continue to provide a friendly and welcoming environment while delivering essential settlement services so that newcomers feel they made the right choice in selecting Canada as their new home,” said Eugene Duvalko, President of CUIAS Immigrant Services.

The Government’s funding will help CUIAS Immigrant services deliver specialty language training for seniors and higher level language training with a focus on writing skills.

In addition to that, the Immigration Department’s funding will also support a pilot youth program.

This program will include sporting, social and recreational activities, as well as a new youth outreach worker who’ll provide social services to youth who have been tougher to reach, such as government-assisted refugees and young people with mental or physical health challenges.

Kormarnicki accentuated the fact that it's an investment in people: “Our government wants newcomers to succeed,” he said. “We want families to re-unite with their loved ones.”

Thanks to the Immigration Department’s generous offer, this is all now possible for newcomers to Canada.

In total, CUIAS has served more than 17,000 immigrants in the last decade alone and continues to provide support and assistance to newcomers.

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