Prairie Metropolis and Beyond
PMC REGIONAL CONFERENCE
University of Alberta Conference Centre
1-044 Lister Centre, Maple Leaf Room
116th Street and 87th Avenue
November 4-5, 2011
Edmonton AB
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
- Friday, November 4th, 2011 MAPLE LEAF ROOM
8:30–9:00
9:00-9:15
Continental Breakfast
Opening Remarks and Greetings
Tracey Derwing, Prairie Metropolis Centre Co-Director, University of Alberta
Linda Ogilvie, Prairie Metropolis Centre Co-Director, University of Alberta
Fern Snart, Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta
9:15-10:30
Plenary Session Value Added – The Integration of Researchers, NGOs and Policy Advisors
Moderator:
Panelists:
10:30–10:45
Lloyd Wong, Department of Sociology, University of Calgary
Ana Maria Fantino, Catholic Social Services, Edmonton
Randy Gurlock, Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Lori Wilkinson, Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba
Break
10:45-11:15
Optimizing Hospital and Community-based Maternity Care for Immigrant and
Minority Women in Alberta
Gina Higginbottom, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta
Rebecca Malhi, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta
11:15-11:45
Community Based Research on Concepts of Change with Respect to the Practice of
Female Genital Cutting with an African Newcomer Community in Winnipeg
Paula Migliardi & Shereen Denetto, Sexuality Education Resource Centre, Manitoba
11:45-12:15
Food Security Status of Newcomer Families from Research to Intervention, a Model for
Collaboration between Research, Policy and Service Sectors
Hassan Vatanparast, College of Pharmacy & Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan
Mahasti Khakpour, Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
Prairie Metropolis Centre  2-060 RTF Building  8308 – 114 Street  University of Alberta  Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1
Phone: 780-492-6600  Fax: 780-492-2594  Email: prairiemetropolis@ualberta.ca
Prairie Metropolis and Beyond
PMC REGIONAL CONFERENCE
12:15-1:00
Lunch
1:00-1:30
Responding to Immigrants’ Settlement Needs - The Canadian Experience
Robert Vineberg, Canada West Foundation; Senior Policy Advisor, PMC
1:30-2:00
Canadian Immigrant Integration Policies in an International Comparative Perspective
James Frideres, Department of Sociology, University of Calgary
2:00-2:30
Religiously Affiliated Settlement Agencies: Critical Actors in the Settlement System
John Biles, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Calgary
2:30-2:45
Break
2:45-3:15
Ethnicity, Ethnic Identity and Integration: Some Reflections on the Adaptation Process of
Immigrant Descendants
Dan Cui, Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Alberta
3:15-3:45
Canada’s Immigration and the Muslim Question: New Challenges, New Promises
Abdie Kazemipur, Department of Sociology, University of Lethbridge
3:45-4:15
The Pathways to Prosperity SSHRC Partnership Proposal
Marc Arnal, Dean, Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta
- MAPLE LEAF ROOM 6:00 pm
6:30 pm
Cash Bar
Dinner
Remarks from the Metropolis Secretariat
Dinner Speaker:
Howard Duncan, Executive Head, Metropolis Secretariat
Prairie Metropolis Centre  2-060 RTF Building  8308 – 114 Street  University of Alberta  Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1
Phone: 780-492-6600  Fax: 780-492-2594  Email: prairiemetropolis@ualberta.ca
Prairie Metropolis and Beyond
PMC REGIONAL CONFERENCE
- Saturday, November 5th, 2011 8:30–9:00
Continental Breakfast
9:00-9:15
Greetings and Remarks
Tracey Derwing, Prairie Metropolis Centre Co-Director, University of Alberta
Linda Ogilvie, Prairie Metropolis Centre Co-Director, University of Alberta
9:15-10:15
Plenary Session A Preliminary Longitudinal Assessment of Refugee Youth Transition
Trajectories in Edmonton: Settlement Paths and Integration Challenges
Moderator:
Panelists:
Mike Kroening, Aboriginal and Race Relations, Community Strategies Branch,
Community Services Department, City of Edmonton
Ernest Khalema, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
George Ishiekwene, Tagbaema African Cultural Society of Canada, Multicultural
Coalition
Rosslynn Zulla, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
Eugene Ip, Community Studies, Norquest College, Edmonton
Lynn Smarsh, St. Joseph High School, Edmonton Catholic Schools
Medhen Gebre-Kidane, Multicultural Health Brokers Co-op, Edmonton
10:15–10:30 Break
10:30-11:00
Fostering the Successful Settlement of Immigrant and Refugee Youth in Canada
Marian J. Rossiter, Sarvenaz Hatami & Dan Ripley, Department of Educational
Psychology, University of Alberta
11:00-11:30
Expanding Parental Involvement: Exploring Informal Learning of Immigrant Parents
Yan Guo, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary
11:30-12:00
Immigration, Integration and Welcoming Communities: The Role of Ethnic Community
Organizations
Shibao Guo, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary
12:00-12:30
Federal and Provincial Immigration Policy and Housing Outcomes
Tom Carter, Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg
12:30-1:15
Lunch
1:15-2:30
Wrap-up Session
Tracey Derwing & Linda Ogilvie, PMC Co-Directors
Baha Abu Laban, PMC Former Co-Director
Peter Li, Department of Sociology, University of Saskatchewan
Tom Denton, Manitoba Refugee Sponsors, Winnipeg
Invited guests
Prairie Metropolis Centre  2-060 RTF Building  8308 – 114 Street  University of Alberta  Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1
Phone: 780-492-6600  Fax: 780-492-2594  Email: prairiemetropolis@ualberta.ca
Prairie Metropolis and Beyond
CONFERENCE POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Conference guests are invited to view a display of posters located in the GLACIER ROOM
November 4 – November 5
Accessing the Community: The Global Voices Choir
Presented by Trudie Aberdeen, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta
Judy Sillito, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers

Beyond Access Barriers to Oral Health Care for Young Children
Presented by Arnaldo Perez, Dentistry/Pharmacy Centre, University of Alberta
on behalf of Maryam Amin, Division of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Alberta,

Temporary Migration as a Permanent Opportunity? Experiences of Foreign Workers in Manitoba
Presented by Jill Bucklaschuk, Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba

Building a Diverse and Inclusive Society: Post-secondary Students’ Views on Multiculturalism and
Immigration in Saskatchewan
Presented by Henry Chow, Department of Sociology and Social Studies, University of Regina

Insight into the Food Culture Issues Surrounding Karen and Burmese Refugees in Saskatoon, SK
Presented by Scarlett Marie Ewen, College of Pharmacy & Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan

Are the Difficulties Faced by Immigrants with Ongoing Credentialing Problems Lessening? Comparing 2005 with
2010 using Community Samples from a Prairie City
Presented by Peter R. Grant & Daniel Robertson, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan

How Healthy are Newcomer Children? A Comprehensive Study on the Health Status of Newcomer Children
Presented by Christine Nisbet, College of Pharmacy & Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan

Negotiation of Cultural Values Among First Generation Parents and 1.5 Generation Youth of Korean Origin
Presented by Minha Reokenally Ha, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary

A Theoretical Framework for Immigrant Agency
Presented by Mikael Hellstrom, Department of Political Science, University of Alberta

Germans on Demand: The Migration of Highly-Skilled German Workers to the Okanagan Valley, BC, Under the
British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program
Presented by Tina Marten, School of Arts & Sciences, University of British Columbia, Okanagan

Ambivalence in the Southern Sudanese Diaspora: Food, Gender, and Identity among Refugees in Brooks, Alberta
Presented by Merin Oleschuk, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta

The Social Psychological Dimensions of Immigrant Entrepreneurship
Presented by Daniel Robertson, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan

The Ethnocultural Program at The Society for Manitobans with Disabilities – A Unique Perspective on the
Intersection of Culture and Disability
Presented by Traicy Robertson & Tiffany Pau, SMD Services, Winnipeg, MB

Negotiating Place and Conditioning Space: An Explorative Study of Chinese Immigrants’ Workplace Learning
Presented by Hongxia Shan, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary

Selling Schooling to Migrant Children: A Study of Two Chinese Cities
Presented by Yao Xiao, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary

Gender, Identity and Post-Conflict Rehabilitation: Addressing the Mental Healthcare Needs of
African Refugee Women in Alberta, Canada
Presented by Phil Okeke, Women's Studies Program, University of Alberta on behalf of Sophie Yohani, Department of
Educational Psychology & Gina Higginbottom , Nursing Faculty, University of Alberta
Prairie Metropolis Centre  2-060 RTF Building  8308 – 114 Street  University of Alberta  Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1
Phone: 780-492-6600  Fax: 780-492-2594  Email: prairiemetropolis@ualberta.ca