Windsor Ontario well prepared for more foreigners moving to Canada
March 11 2010 by Liam Clifford
Windsor, in Ontario, is well placed to cope with the predicted changes in the country’s population resulting from increased Canadian immigration, according to a report.
Dr. Jane Ku, who is a sociology and
anthropology professor at the University of Windsor, is publishing a report on
Canadian immigration and Ontario cities’ responses to this. The report,
‘Immigration, Integration and Inclusion in Ontario Cities’, explains that the
city of Windsor led the way in introducing integration programmes to help
newcomers settle in Canada in 2007. This was when the area saw a huge influx of
Mexican and Haitian refugees after a US immigration crackdown.
Dr. Ku’s
report is a response to the Statscan data that showed many more people living in
Canada will be of a visible minority by 2031. Although this finding alarmed
some, most are convinced that Canada’s comprehensive settlement and integration
programmes will help people to settle in Canada. The report points out that
Windsor has been successful in attracting large numbers of immigrants moving to
Canada, which has benefitted the local economy and will continue to plug
emerging skills gaps in years to come.
Reza Shahbazi, the executive
director of the New Canadians' Centre of Excellence echoed Dr Ku’s findings, “we
have over 100 ethnic communities. I think we are doing a very good job of being
open to diversity. There is always room for improvement. We have a very good,
open community."
See the latest Immigration News
