Brantford Immigration Partnership Action Plan: 2023-2024

Completed Actions:

• Newcomer Welcome Day was held on August 23, 2023. Approximately 200 individuals attended the event hosted by over 36 service providers/community organizations. Newcomers received access to important information and were able to participate in a variety of activities.

Ongoing Actions:

• Pop-up programs have been held and planned that have been promoted to newcomers. These include: SIN Clinics, Let’s Get Cooking Program with GRCHC.
• The lack of ESL classes (ongoing waitlists) has been flagged as a key issue within our community, as well as surrounding centres. Additional sessions continue to be held at the Slavic Gospel Church.
• Local resources that have been translated into multiple languages include:
  • BRC Resource (How to Start a Business)
  • Waste/Recycling Brochures
  • Ontario 55+ Games Promotional Materials
  • 2^nd wave of Newcomer Stories Video
  • Interpretation and Translations were provided for the Best Start Event and Child Care Early on Project

Developing Actions:

• Asset Mapping Group being developed in May 2024 to enhance current projects
• BIP & EarlyON created and delivered a Pilot Project launched in Fall 2023 – The Inclusive EarlyON Programming (Recipient of OMSSA’s Local Municipal Champion Award 2023). The project will be expanded to other EarlyON centres in 2024.

Completed Actions:

• The City of Brantford and the BIP Partnership endorsed UNESCO’s commitments to promote inclusion and made a commitment to work with community partners to develop an Inclusive Community Plan to celebrate, promote and support cultural values and diversity. Project created and delivered included International Women’s Day, International Mother Language Day, Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day.
• Pieces4Peace – A partnership with Laurier that launched in November 2023, with a second session in February 2024. The events welcome the community to listen and engage with storytellers as they reflect on cultural stories and perspectives. This will be an ongoing and evolving project into 2024 and beyond.
• The Inclusive Community Celebration was held on March 9^th, 2024. Consistent with the City’s Inclusive Communities Plan, the event was an opportunity to have a community conversation, aimed at gathering valuable youth perspectives on what an inclusive community means in Brantford. The Inclusive Communities Celebration is funded by Government of Canada’s Building Safer Communities Initiative to support youth well-being. This event also supports the goals of the City’s Inclusive Communities Plan and Empowering Youth Strategy.
• The Ukrainian Relief Working Group was developed in March 2022 to support Ukrainian nationals with challenges related to housing, employment, integration and settlement. As of April 2024, approximately 500 Ukrainian nationals have arrived and settled in Brantford. This committee will continue as an ad hoc committee for 2024. 

Developing Actions:

• BIP will continue to promote and collaborate with community partners regarding important and commemorative days throughout the calendar year. These can be located at:  https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/important-commemorative-days.html 

Completed Actions:

• Partners collaborated to contribute content and resources. The Employment Toolkit is fully accessible on the www.brantford.ca/bip website

Ongoing Actions:

• Providing additions and updates to the Employee Toolkit, and continuing with the development of an Employer focused toolkit for completion in early 2025.
• Development of the Employment Action Table to support and promote employment-based programming, especially for newcomers and international students eligible to work.

Developing Actions:

• Connections have been made to international students – greater efforts needed in initiatives catered to their needs.
• Employment Job Fair highlighting Newcomer employment and international student employment slated for delivery in Fall 2024.

Completed Actions:

• Bi-monthly/monthly meetings continue with key stakeholders and government partners. Information has been shared and projects have been developed through this group. This will continue on an ongoing basis.

Developing Actions:

• Cultivating Spaces of Belonging with the City and WLU Laurier Changemakers Program was created. Micro grants were awarded. (“The cabin”, “Seniors Social Club”, “Tamil Social Club”, etc.)
• Re-Imagining a communication plan for reaching out to New Canadians in a way that promotes interactive connection and not just marketing and promotions.