The Year in Review: Immigration Settlement in Ontario - 140,000 Strong
In 2006, we have seen unprecedented developments and investments in supporting newcomers in Ontario.
I
have the privilege of leading Ontario’s first stand-alone Ministry of
Citizenship and Immigration, bringing provincial immigration activities
together under one roof.
A little over a year ago, I signed the first-ever Canada-Ontario
Immigration Agreement. This historic pact will bring an additional
$920 million in federal investment in programs and services to help
newcomers integrate socially and economically across Ontario, over five
years.
The McGuinty government implemented its comprehensive plan: Breaking Down
Barriers for Newcomers.
The cornerstone of our plan is the Fair Access to Regulated Professions
Act, 2006, passed by the legislature on December 12. The first law
of its kind in Canada, the legislation enforces three groundbreaking
initiatives to help newcomers. 1) The new law requires all 34 regulatory
bodies to have fair, open and accountable licensing and registration
practices for internationally trained applicants. 2) It also creates
the Office of the Fairness Commissioner to ensure compliance with the fair
licensing provisions. 3) The new legislation establishes Global
Experience Ontario, an access and resource centre to help
internationally trained professionals navigate through the complex system
of registration. The centre has already opened and is up and running at
Ryerson University.
As a result of the new law and the long-awaited flow of federal money into
Ontario communities, support and opportunities for newcomers will be
unprecedented.
Our government's Breaking Down Barriers strategy includes a number of
significant initiatives to ensure newcomers get a fair chance to
contribute to Ontario society. Here is a summary of these initiatives:
-We have expanded Bridge Training programs with an investment of more than
$34 million. These programs equip newcomers with skills and language
training to enter their fields here in Ontario, in everything from
nursing, pharmacy, midwifery to dieticians.
-Adult
non-credit English and French as a Second Language programs are now
under my ministry with a new robust curriculum focusing on
occupation-specific language training to match language skills to the
workplace. We have committed more than $50 million this year to
adult ESL/FSL programs.
-Funding under the Newcomer Settlement Program is up 29 per cent to
support the efforts of 81 community agencies to help newcomers make the
transition to life in Ontario.
-A new $5,000 Foreign Trained Professionals Loans program has been made available to help pay for courses and assessments.
-We’ve
created an Internship for the Internationally Trained in the Ontario
Public Service to help experienced newcomers get a start in Ontario’s
labour force.
-Last March, we launched OntarioImmigration.ca to provide a comprehensive
immigration portal to help newcomers access information about Ontario,
both locally after they arrive and abroad before they depart.
-We
have established five Immigration Gateways in Toronto, Windsor/Essex,
Ottawa, Sudbury and London to encourage immigration to all parts of
Ontario.
These strategic
steps undertaken by Ontario will go a long way to ensure that the 140,000
newcomers who chose to come to Ontario every single year get the support
they need to achieve their dreams and contribute to communities all across
this great province.
The year 2006 has been one of great transformation. These new
investments for newcomer programs and services have never been seen
before in this province. A paradigm shift is well underway to the
benefit of all Ontarians - for when we invest in our newcomers, we invest
in our unique competitive advantage: our diversity.
Mike Colle
Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
