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 ONTARIO GOVERNMENT IMPROVING NEWCOMER SETTLEMENT SERVICES

- Expanded Services Will Help New Ontarians Succeed

LONDON – The Ontario government is increasing funding to settlement

and integration services to ensure new Ontarians get the help they

need to succeed, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Mike Colle

announced today.

“Ontario invests more than any other Canadian province in services

to help newcomers settle in their communities,” said Colle. “This is

an investment in our newcomers. We’re increasing our funding to

allow agencies to serve more people.”

The funding increase of $1.2 million annually to the Newcomer

Settlement Program will bring annual provincial spending to about

$130 million on services that help newcomers get established in

their communities, find jobs and housing, learn English or French,

and access community resources.

The increased investment will improve settlement services for

newcomers through specialized training for front line staff in

settlement agencies and will help agencies modernize their

facilities and make them more welcoming.

“Newcomers bring with them vitality and innovation,” said Colle.

“They bring experience with every market and every culture. And they

bring our future, because the more immigrants succeed, the more

Ontario succeeds.”

Over 125,000 newcomers arrive in Ontario each year – nearly

equivalent to the population of Prince Edward Island. While Toronto

remains the destination for the majority of newcomers, the

surrounding municipalities have seen an increase of about 52 per

cent over the past three years. Over the same period, London saw an

increase in newcomers of 36 per cent. In 2004, about 2,300 newcomers

made London their new home.

Signed in November 2005, the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement

will see federal funding in Ontario increase by $920 million over

the next five years to help newcomers get off to a good start.

“For the first time, Ontario is a full partner with the federal

government in shaping integration programs for newcomers,” said

Colle. “This agreement will allow us to transform the way Ontario

helps newcomers by expanding programs, such as English- and French-

as-a-second language. We are committed to helping our newcomers

succeed.”

The Newcomer Settlement Program supports 79 Ontario settlement

agencies that offer a wide range of settlement services, including

job and language training referral.