Immigration and Settlement in Bathurst-Finch

Immigration and Settlement in Bathurst-Finch Synthesis Report on Community Consultations

Bathurst-Finch Local Immigration Partnership July 2010 BATHURST-FINCH LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP | JULY 2010 | i

INTRODUCTION The Bathurst-Finch Local Immigration Partnership (BF-LIP)1 is one of 17 such community-based planning tables that has been established across Toronto with funding support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The partnerships are primarily focused on enhancing the settlement success of newcomers in priority neighbourhoods2.

The ultimate objective of the BF-LIP is to develop a Settlement and Employment Strategy and Action Plan that will improve support for newcomer settlement in the neighbourhood. The Strategy and Action Plan will guide the coordination of multiple stakeholders to this end.

To inform the strategy, the BF-LIP conducted consultations with residents, grassroots groups, and frontline staff working at service-provider organizations such as non-profits and schools. The consultations were completed between March-June, 2010.

The objective of the consultations was to learn about the experiences of newcomers settling in Bathurst-Finch and of those working to support them.

It is important to note that for the pur-

poses of these consultations, ‘newcomer’ means anyone who was not born in Canada and is making a home or residing here, whether temporarily or permanently, whether their presence in Canada is documented or undocumented, no matter how recently they arrived.

This synthesis document summarizes consultations with residents, serviceproviders and grassroots groups about the settlement of newcomers in Bathurst-Finch. The full results are available in three separate documents.

By synthesizing what we have heard, the BF-LIP is preparing for the strategizing and planning phase that will seek to address needs among newcomers, as well as barriers to successful settlement.

Some facts from the 2006 Canadian Census have been provided throughout the document, to provide context to the findings of our consultations.

Some planning questions have been suggested throughout the document to inspire thought and discussion about the development of the immigrant settlement and employment strategy. Questions about the project, process, or next steps should be directed to lip@jvstoronto.org Copies of the three community consultation documents are also available upon request.

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PART 1: GETTING TO KNOW SETTLEMENT IN BATHURST-FINCH Who comes to Bathurst-Finch and why?

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Defining settlement: what are the key activities?

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Other key activities included

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Overall Trends

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PART 2: CHALLENGES TO SETTLEMENT IN BATHURST-FINCH Orientation and Information

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Housing

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Language Barriers

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Employment

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Education and Professional Accreditation

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Social and Cultural Adjustment 9 Programs for Children and Youth

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Challenges faced by service providers

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PART 3: RESOURCES AND ASSETS IN BATHURST-FINCH

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At the time of publication, members of the Bathurst-Finch Local Immigration Partnership are: Toronto Employment and Social Services, Jewish Family and Child Services, City of Toronto Social Development, JVS Toronto, Kababayan Community Centre, Toronto Public Library, YMCA Newcomer Information Centre, New Heights Community Health Centre, Alternative Youth Centre for Employment, CUIAS Immigrant Services, Humber College, JIAS (Jewish Immigrant Aid Services) Toronto, North York Community House, North York Women’s Centre, Maureen Simpson (resident), Meir Shenhav (resident), Natalia Pivovarov (resident), Nina Vorobyeva (resident), Emine Gunvec (resident), Diana Valdez (resident) 2 In 2007, the United Way of Greater Toronto performed research that paved the way for the City of Toronto to recognize the growing social exclusion in 13 of the inner-city suburbs of Canada’s largest metropolis. The results of the research were documented in the seminal report Poverty by Postal Code.

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Content

Who or what helps immigrants get settled in Bathurst-Finch? 12 How can Bathurst-Finch be an even better place for immigrants?

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Moving Forward

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PART 1: GETTING TO KNOW SETTLEMENT IN BATHURST-FINCH Some Facts * Bathurst-Finch has a population of 24,403 (in 2006) with a population change of -0.7% between 2001 and 2006 * Children (0-14) make up 14% of the population; youth (15 to 24), 14.6%; working-age adults (25-64), 52.4%; and seniors (65+), 19.0% * Immigrants make up 71.3% of the population and more than half are newcomers arriving between 2001 and 2006 * The majority of immigrants were born in either Europe (49.3%) or Asia and the Middle East (43.1%) * The top ethnic groups include Jewish (31.1%); Russian (23.4%); and Filipino (8.7%)

Who comes to Bathurst-Finch and why?

Residents cited friends, family, and attraction to their ethnic community as the primary reason for living in Bathurst-Finch. While family reunification was the leading motivation for choosing Bathurst-Finch, secondary factors included livability and convenience. »» I mmigrants are attracted to BathurstFinch because of family, friends, and ethnic community. »» W hile Bathurst-Finch is, in many ways, a ‘corridor’ for newcomer settlement. It is also a desirable residential neighbourhood and many newcomers opt to stay due to the convenience of transit, affordable housing and shopping, safety and green space.

“ “

»» T his sentiment was not lost on participants from the dominant Russian group, some of whom highlighted that easy access to the Russian language was a double-edged sword, making adaptation and integration more difficult.

“

(It is important) to mix with other cultures and, particularly, Englishspeaking people”

»» T here are few employers in the area and little diversity in local industry types and business size. The sense was that this contributes to a weak local economy. »» T here is a fast-growing population of Live-in-Caregivers who live and work in and around the area who, due to their temporary status, do not have access to many supports. For this sub-population, unstable housing and working conditions are chronic concerns.

I did not choose Bathurst-Finch; Bathurst-Finch chose me”1

After some years we thought about buying a home and began to look around at other neighbourhoods, but found that what we were looking for was actually right here”

“

If you look at a map of the GTA, Bathurst-Finch is right in the middle.”

Despite overall satisfaction with the area, newcomers also expressed some common concerns: »» S ervices and establishments catering to the dominant Russian community overlook other ethnic groups that are growing in strength and numbers, and who also need supports.

Please note that all quotations have been paraphrased to help protect the anonymity of participants.

1

Defining settlement: what are the key activities?

To effectively support newcomers through the settlement process, it is important to understand what it is.

Residents were asked, “what are the activities/ actions you need to do to become settled?” and to list the top 3 most important activities.

While some found it difficult to “choose only 3”, the following are the top 5 activities reported: 1) Find a job/ look for work; 2) Apply for necessary documentation (including health cards, Social Insurance Numbers, Driver’s Licenses, Permanent Resident cards and permanent resident status); 3) Receive orientation to local systems and environment (including TTC, legal systems, banking, shopping centres, schools, etc…); 4) Learn/ improve English language skills; 5) Find an Apartment.

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Other key activities included: »» enrolling kids in school »» e nrolling in college or university courses/ upgrading »» enjoying life »» finding a doctor »» getting credentials recognized »» finding a bank »» g etting involved in the community/ volunteer »» buying furniture »» fi nding after-school programming for youth

Overall Trends:

Finding employment and learning/improving English were most frequently identified as the #1 most important settlement activities by participants.

Finding work was important to the majority of respondents. It was also noted that the community is home to many newcomers who are not working or seeking work so that they might look after their own or a relative’s children.

Documentation and registration is one of the earliest settlement activities. It is straightforward but very important as it can hinder other settlement activities if not done properly or in a timely manner (e.g. cannot be employed without a SIN card).

Many participants indicated that these activities begin from abroad, before entering the country.

Defining settlement: What does successful settlement mean to you?

When asked what successful settlement means, the majority of responses focused on material well-being and establishing families. Key points include: Children’s well-being and academic success was a top priority, although there were differing views of what that meant.

For some it meant finding schools with higher academic standards; for others

it was more access to ethnic schooling and childcare; for others it was more programming for youth; and for others still it was better orientation for parents to the K-12 public school and university system.

Getting a job was seen as the backbone of becoming established and for some getting a good job was the hallmark of success. Almost everyone agreed that a good job was one where a person could apply their skills and is seen to be the opposite of a survival job.

It was generally more important for newcomers to find any kind of work and the expectation was that survival jobs were an important stepping stone into the working world while good jobs were secondary, if within reach at all.

To a lesser degree, earning a high income and homeownership were also cited as successful settlement outcomes.

Some Planning Questions:

1

When does the settlement process begin? Upon arrival?

Pre-arrival?

2

When does the settlement process end?

Does it ever end?

3 4 5 6

What does successful settlement look like?

Do newcomers need a settlement plan?

Who can help newcomers with their settlement?

What is needed to improve/ support the settlement outcomes of newcomers?

BATHURST-FINCH LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP | JULY 2010 | 3

PART 2: CHALLENGES TO SETTLEMENT IN BATHURST-FINCH Some Facts: * In Bathurst-Finch, 38.3% own their housing and 61.8% are renters. * The majority of dwellings in the neighbourhood (77.1%) are apartments five storeys tall or higher. * In Bathurst-Finch, 26.9% of households include 1-person; 29.6% include 2-persons; 20.4% include 3 persons; 20.8% include 4 to 5 persons; and 2.3% of households have 6 or more persons. * The average after-tax household income in Bathurst-Finch is $46,240. * 36% of tenants spend 30% of household income on rent; 13.4% of owners spend 30% on major home-related payments (i.e. mortgage, property tax, etc…).

Orientation and Information Challenges arising from ineffective orientation and information can be understood in terms of quantity and quality. Generally, there is too much information, but not enough information delivered through the right channels, in the right formats, or on the right subjects. There is too much information to navigate and much of it is not relevant to the Bathurst-Finch neighbourhood.

The increase of irrelevant information creates frustration. Many newcomers turn instead to their social networks to learn about rights, responsibilities, systems, benefits and services.

Newcomers find it difficult to trust service providers who are sometimes perceived as operating out of their own interest.

Social networks can also be a source of frustration as more established immigrants admit that they are less and less familiar with programs and services; are sometimes uncomfortable providing advice; or even worried they will provide the wrong information or advice.

Although more and more newcomers have advanced English skills, there are still many who would feel more comfortable accessing information and supports in their own language.

Sometimes immigration rules and systems can promote cynicism, when they reveal “nothing but waitlists, costs, and seemingly senseless rules” (i.e. a 3-month wait for OHIP).

Many newcomers experience a ‘culture of silence’ among Canadians that can be perceived as discrimination.

This makes it difficult for newcomers to reach out for support.

For newcomers in the Live-in-Caregiver program, reliance on employers for orientation and information is strong, and social networks are weak at the outset.

There is no “community hub” or commonly understood “place to go” in the neighbourhood to receive information, referrals and orientation services.

Many find it difficult to distinguish between not-for-profit settlement and employment services and for-profit consultants, leading to further confusion, misinformation, and in some severe cases, exploitation.

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Some Planning Questions:

1

How can we collaborate and share information about services and programs for Bathurst-Finch residents more effectively?

2

Should there be a single point of access/database for information in BathurstFinch? Who should steward such a database?

3

Are their opportunities to collaborate with immigrant social networks to improve information and orientation outcomes?

4

Are their opportunities to collaborate with Live-in Caregiver employers to improve information and orientation outcomes?

5

What would make newcomers feel more welcome in Bathurst-Finch?

6

What is the best way to reach out to newcomers when they arrive in Bathurst-Finch?

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How do information and orientation needs differ between different groups of immigrants (i.e. women, youth, seniors, refugee, refugee claimants, economic immigrants, family-class immigrants, non-status persons, etc…)?

Housing The requirement of credit, reference and employment checks by landlords can make it impossible for a newcomer, with few local connections, to secure housing.

The majority of newcomers in Bathurst-Finch reported to have resolved this by relying on friends and family in the neighbourhood to underwrite leases. This, however, leads to a dependency on social networks which can lead to unstable housing when social networks break down.

Lack of stable housing for Live-in Caregivers is attributed to their reliance on employers for housing. Any conflicts with an employer can result not only in job loss, but also in housing loss.

Furthermore, many caregivers must vacate their employer’s home on the weekend and rent apartments with other caregivers that they only occupy for 2 days a week in crowded conditions. Some caregivers that stay with employers on weekends often work on their day off, by default of being present in the household.

The cost of housing in BathurstFinch is considered to be somewhat expensive compared to other neighbourhoods of the GTA. Overcrowding of apartments is not uncommon.

At the same time, the stock of subsidized housing is low and difficult to access due to long waitlists.

Some Planning Questions:

1

How can the community provide better expertise and services to newcomers with respect to housing?

2

What is the best way to make detailed information about Toronto’s housing market available to newcomers?

3

How can we tackle systemic issues such as affordable housing and inadequate living conditions for caregivers as a result of their temporary status?

4

How do housing needs differ between different groups of immigrants (i.e. women, youth, seniors, refugee, refugee claimants, economic immigrants, family-class immigrants, non-status persons, etc…)?

BATHURST-FINCH LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP | JULY 2010 | 5

PART 2: CHALLENGES TO SETTLEMENT Some Planning Questions:

1

How do we lessen the language barrier for immigrants accessing services and programs?

2

How can language training opportunities be improved in Bathurst-Finch?

3

How can we leverage services such as the MultiLanguage Service Initiative (pilot project of HRSDC), Language Interpreter Services (program of MCI for women experiencing domestic violence), hospital translation and interpretation services, TDSB Community Support Workers, etc…?

4

How do language training needs differ between different groups of immigrants (i.e. women, youth, seniors, refugee, refugee claimants, economic immigrants, family-class immigrants, non-status persons, etc…)?

Language Barriers In a neighbourhood that receives a high number of newcomers, there are inadequate translation and interpretation services available among service providers like doctors, schools, and banks.

At the same time, service providers do not have resources to provide a full spectrum of services in a variety of languages.

Many newcomers in Bathurst-Finch are looking for opportunities to learn or improve their English skills, but cite a low level of available programs and services. Supports to access these services, such as childcare and TTC tokens, are also not available in the area.

When newcomers do access services, they either travel long distances to receive support or wait for long periods for a space in a program nearby.

Once someone accesses language training with childcare supports in the neighbourhood, they sometimes hold on to the spot. Instructors find it difficult to ‘graduate’ them out of the program and free-up space for new students to attend.

Newcomers with high levels of education fear they are not getting adequate language training to be competitive in their chosen fields.

When people do access language training, they are sometimes disappointed with the caliber and quality. Several opt to take private classes, instead. Alternative language training services such as conversation circles are growing in popularity.

English language training, while important, is too often disrupted by the need to work and support a family financially.

While bridging and enhanced-language training programs help new-

comers focus their language training on their fields of expertise, few newcomers are aware of them or feel that they are accessible.

Language learning is difficult among certain sub-populations, such as refugee claimants who are not eligible for LINC programs, seniors who sometimes find it difficult to return to school, and parents (often women) with children who require childcare.

Reading newspapers, watching TV, speaking to people every day, and making friends across cultures were also important ways in which participants improved their English.

Some Facts: * In Bathurst-Finch, 86.6% of the population has knowledge of English; 7.2% have knowledge of English and French; and 6.1% have no knowledge of either English or French. * 69.4% of the population’s mother tongue is neither English nor French. * Top mother tongues in Bathurst-Finch are Russian (32%); English (27.2%); Tagalog (5.7%); Korean (3.8%); and Hebrew (2.8%)

6 | IMMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT IN BATHURST-FINCH | SYNTHESIS REPORT ON COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS

IN BATHURST-FINCH Employment Newcomers cite a number of issues in securing work, from job searching, to securing work in their field of training and expertise, to job maintenance and advancement.

There is a strong belief among newcomers that discrimination exists in hiring practices against people with accents or whose English language training is not advanced.

Lack of Canadian work experience and references was frequently cited as the biggest barrier to employment.

There is a strong appetite for more networking opportunities, especially with Canadian-born counterparts.

There is also a strong suspicion, however, that ‘lack of Canadian experience’ is a form of hidden discrimination.

Many also feel that they are not well prepared for the job search and do attempt to seek help with resumes, interview preparation and job market research.

Many newcomers expect to have to take survival jobs while they establish themselves. They rarely expect to encounter problems finding survival jobs and are surprised when they have difficulty.

Failure to secure work of any kind contributes to the loss of self-confidence as many struggle with the shift from working full-time back home, to ‘starting all over again’. A sense of betrayal from the Canadian government about the promise of immigration can also contribute to emotional distress.

Some suggested volunteering as a means to obtain work experience and connections. It was felt that volunteer opportunities could be further strengthened by connecting them to paid placements.

Through consultations, participants demonstrated different levels of goalsetting and planning around achieving employment and career goals.

There is room for improvement in employment services and supports, with a need for a stronger link between preparing newcomers for the Canadian workplace and matching them with employment opportunities.

There is a common misconception that agencies and service-providers can offer jobs to their clients.

Finally, a few participants cited selfemployment as their back-up plan to employment.

Some Facts: * In 2006, Bathurst-Finch had an unemployment rate of 8.8%. * 12.7% of employed paid workers are self-employed. * 34.8% of employed workers take public transit to work; 53.3% take a car (either as a driver or a passenger). * The top occupations of employed workers are in sales and services (25.1%); business, finance, and administration (18.1%); and trades, transport, and equipment operators (12.6%).

Some Planning Questions:

1

How can we build a better link between job-readiness services and job development services?

2

How can newcomers pursuing self-employment and entrepreneurship be supported?

3

How can newcomers gain Canadian work experience in a timely and effective way?

4

How do we tackle hidden discrimination of newcomers in the workforce?

5

How can newcomers gain better access to professional networking opportunities?

6

How do employment needs differ between different groups of immigrants (i.e. women, youth, seniors, refugee, refugee claimants, economic immigrants, family-class immigrants, non-status persons, etc…)?

BATHURST-FINCH LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP | JULY 2010 | 7

PART 2: CHALLENGES TO SETTLEMENT

Some Facts: * 17.3% of Bathurst-Finch residents (aged 25 to 64) have a college diploma/ certificate; 22.1%, a bachelor’s degree; 12.8%, a master’s degree; and 1.6%, a doctorate. * 69.4% of residents (aged 25 to 64) have completed post-secondary education outside of Canada; * The top post-secondary field of studies of residents (aged 25 to 64) are architecture, engineering, and related technologies (25.7%); business, management, and public administration (16.5%); and health, parks, recreation, and fitness (12.2%).

Education and Professional Accreditation Credential recognition is a long and difficult process, often different for each individual. For internationally-trained professionals, it is common for them to feel held hostage by the process in the first years of settlement. Getting credentials recognized is expensive and bogged down in red tape.

The difficulty of applying foreign credentials in the workplace led to the sentiment among a majority of participants, that they have been betrayed by the Canadian government.

Upgrading of credentials at local institutions is a strategy used by several to receive relevant education and training.

Nevertheless, schooling comes at a high cost and newcomers are not eligible for OSAP. Without financial support, the most that participants felt they could hope for was parttime studies while working and it was noted that there are too few part-time programs with flexible hours.

Waiting for credential assessments or to complete post-secondary education contributed to anxiety around de-skilling. Employment needs also makes it difficult to commit to studying. It should be explored whether bridging programs might provide the conditions necessary to accelerate newcomers towards their employment of choice.

For Live-in-Caregivers, the barrier is systemic, as they are ineligible to enroll in medium-term courses or programs.

While foreign credential recognition is considered a priority for newcomers, they would also like to see

some systemic way of recognizing foreign work experience.

Computer skills training was identified as a training option that is indemand in the area, particularly by women immigrants.

Some Planning Questions:

1

How can we support newcomers who are trying to work and study?

2

How can newcomers gain better access to existing training programs?

3

How can we support newcomers pursuing foreign credential recognition?

4

What types of training and skills upgrading programs would most benefit newcomers in Bathurst-Finch?

5

8 | IMMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT IN BATHURST-FINCH | SYNTHESIS REPORT ON COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS

How do educational and training needs differ between different groups of immigrants (i.e. women, youth, seniors, refugee, refugee claimants, economic immigrants, family-class immigrants, non-status persons, etc…)?

IN BATHURST-FINCH

Social and Cultural Adjustment Participants stated many social and cultural challenges in settling and adjusting to life in Canada.

There is a strong desire among participants to get involved in the community and often they do not know how or where to start.

There is a strong sense among newcomers that the established immigrant community does not do enough to reach out or support newcomers.

At the same time, more established immigrants feel that the system has changed so drastically and that they are so far removed from it that they are not equipped to give advice.

Programs and groups that offer newcomers the opportunity to network informally and at their own pace have been gaining in popularity.

Overall, there seems to be an equal push and pull from newcomer communities and the community receiving them, to be more open to new cultures and more hospitable.

Some Planning Questions:

1 2 3 4 5

How do we better celebrate the ethno-cultural diversity of Bathurst-Finch?

How can we fight against the social isolation of newcomers?

How can we make newcomers feel more welcome in Bathurst-Finch?

How can we create and support opportunities for immigrants to build and broaden their social networks?

How do social and cultural needs differ between different groups of immigrants (i.e. women, youth, seniors, refugee, refugee claimants, economic immigrants, family-class immigrants, non-status persons, etc‌)?

BATHURST-FINCH LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP | JULY 2010 | 9

PART 2: CHALLENGES TO SETTLEMENT Some Planning Questions:

1

How can we support health care needs of newcomers during the initial threemonth period where they are without OHIP coverage?

2

What programs currently exist in Bathurst-Finch that support the health and wellbeing of immigrants in the community?

3

What programs are needed in the future to support the health and well-being of immigrants in the community?

4

How do we better connect health outcomes with settlement outcomes?

5

How do health needs differ between different groups of immigrants (i.e. women, youth, seniors, refugee, refugee claimants, economic immigrants, family-class immigrants, non-status persons, etc…)?

Health Many newcomers are burdened, in their finances, health, and social-integration, by the 3-month wait period before being eligible for OHIP. There is frustration with the long time that it takes to find a family doctor.

Many doctors in the area are not taking new patients and waitlists are long. Russian-speaking doctors are also in demand and very few are available to residents.

Barriers to adequate healthcare were consistently identified by newcomer participants as a key settlement challenge, while the majority of service providers did not discuss health as a key barrier. This disconnect might warrant future investigation and understanding.

For immigrant seniors, healthcare needs are a priority (more than language, employment, etc…).

Programs for Children and Youth The vast majority of parent newcomers in Bathurst-Finch believe that there are not enough programs for newcomer children and youth.

At the same time, there are many grassroots groups that are effectively offering youth opportunities to participate in personal development activities.

Newcomer youth identified sports, arts, culinary, and travel clubs as the types of programs they would like to see in Bathurst-Finch.

Parents believe that programs that do exist are expensive and have shortruns as the most popular programs are long-running programs.

Parents expressed frustration that, while enrollment is high and fills up programs, most program participants don’t attend for the full course, which wastes much sought after space for youth who can commit to programming.

10 | IMMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT IN BATHURST-FINCH | SYNTHESIS REPORT ON COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS

IN BATHURST-FINCH When it comes to support with school work, the academic expectations of several newcomer parents are high. High expectations seem to be cultural with some groups overemphasizing academic achievement when compared to other groups.

Parents air frustration around cultural and generational gaps they experience with their children.

Many newcomer youth feel the pressure of their parents’ immigration and settlement process. They carry the burden that the family immigrated to Canada for them, in order to give them better opportunities.

Youth are considered to be hardto-serve because they do not frequent store-front service-providing organizations. Stronger outreach efforts to connect with youth is needed.

Service providers are frustrated with the recent changes to the City of Toronto Welcome Policy which waives fees for the city’s recreational programs. However, these changes have made it more difficult for qualified individuals to access the program.

Challenges faced by service providers

Some Planning Questions:

1

»» Lack of space to deliver service;

2

»» Earning a client’s trust;

How can we support the relationship between immigrant parents and their children?

How can we address the cultural gap and generational gap that can exist between immigrant parents and their children?

»» Recruiting volunteers; »» N ot being able to address certain needs, particularly if the client requires service in a specific language; »» D ealing with systemic issues (e.g. lack of affordable housing, ineligibility of some clients for programs, etc…); »» N ot being able to provide transportation supports; »» Not being able to provide childcare; »» Understaffing;

3

How can we support the unique settlement outcomes of immigrant youth and children?

4

»» Inability to support clients emotionally;

What programs and services are needed to improve the settlement outcomes of immigrant youth and children?

»» Underfunding.

Some Planning Questions:

1

How does the service delivery model affect the settlement experience of newcomers in Bathurst-Finch? How can it be improved?

2

How can service providers work together and collaborate to improve services and programs for newcomers in Bathurst-Finch?

3

How can service providers share information effectively and efficiently?

4

How can service providers support each other in tackling systemic issues that affect newcomers?

BATHURST-FINCH LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP | JULY 2010 | 11

PART 3: RESOURCES AND ASSETS IN BATHURST-FINCH Who or what helps immigrants get settled in Bathurst-Finch?

Participants were in agreement that the people they turned to the most for help during the settlement process were friends and family.

The second most popular form of help came from settlement agencies.

Services and programs that are popular in Bathurst-Finch include: »» ESL/LINC »» training »» i nformation on Canadian school system for children »» help filing taxes »» interpretation of documents »» help filling out forms »» a dvocacy: finding a family doctor with cultural/ language competency, affordable housing, etc… »» When agencies were asked the same question ‘who or what helps you do your job’, they responded variously:

How can Bathurst-Finch be an even better place for immigrants? »» M ore job opportunities and variety of jobs;

»» internal computer database

»» C lient-based services tailored to individual’s needs;

»» w ww.settlement.org and other online communities

»» M ore merging of settlement and employment services;

»» co-workers

»» P rograms for newcomers from a broad range of eligibility;

»» r elationships with other agencies and service providers »» volunteers

»» E nglish classes for youth after-school and during the summer;

»» t raining – whether provided by employers or funders

»» M ore recreation programs and job opportunities for youth;

For newcomers, other sources of support came from religious institutions (churches, mosques, synagogues, etc…), co-workers, employers, employment services, landlords, community centres, language teachers, SEPT workers, small community/ethno-specific organizations and the public library. Individuals at some agencies were named as key resources.

»» U pdated and streamlined information and orientation material; »» M ore placements for skilled individuals – focus on career paths of skilled workers; »» M ore opportunities for mentorship and networking for job-seekers in a broad range of fields are needed;

Moving Forward

The consultations carried out with newcomers in the Bathurst-Finch neighbourhood sought information about experiences and challenges in settlement, assets and resources as well as visions and suggestions for the future.

With a multi-pronged approach, approximately 70 newcomers, 16 frontline service providers and 5 community-based grassroots groups gave a variety of responses on these topics and also made recommendations towards the enhancement of settlement outcomes in Bathurst-Finch. The full reports of each of these consultations are available from the BF-LIP by contacting lip@jvstoronto.org.

The findings and results of this consultation will be used as a platform to further engage key actors in the development of a Settlement and Employment Strategy and Action Plan for Bathurst-Finch.

»» A community hub would help to coordinate services; »» M ore childcare for a variety of programs.

12 | IMMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT IN BATHURST-FINCH | SYNTHESIS REPORT ON COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS

The Bathurst-Finch Local Immigration Partnership (BF-LIP) is one of 17 such community-based planning tables that has been established across Toronto with funding support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The partnerships are primarily focused on enhancing the settlement success of newcomers in priority neighbourhoods. The table is made up of multiple stakeholders, including residents, social service providers, and government.

For more information on the Bathurst-Finch Local Immigration Partnership, or to learn how to get involved, contact: lip@jvstoronto.org (416) 787-1151 ext. 253

graphic design by Ol Morgan | www.olmorgan.com | 416-728-2552

The ultimate objective of the BF-LIP is to develop a Settlement and Employment Strategy and Action Plan that will improve support for newcomer settlement in the neighbourhood. The Strategy and Action Plan will guide the coordination of multiple stakeholders to this end.