Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to
Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
This community consultation summary report was prepared by Michelle Dagnino and Lura Consulting. If
you have any questions or comments regarding the report, please contact either:
Michelle Dagnino
Toronto North LIP Process Facilitator
and Researcher
Tel. (416) 876-2552
Email: michdagnino@gmail.com
OR
Patricia Halajski
Community Consultation and
Engagement Specialist
Lura Consulting
Tel: 905-527-5499
Email: phalajski@lura.ca
DRAFT Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
i
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
INTRODUCTION
As part of an initiative of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Local Immigration Partnerships (LIP)
were designed to encourage communities across the province to develop extensive and comprehensive
local settlement strategy plans for the development and implementation of services for newcomers, to
ease the transition into the work force and social integration into cities across the province.
JVS Toronto is the lead organization of the Toronto North Local Immigration Partnership. Toronto North
LIP is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and is made up members representing many local
organizations, institutions, service providers and cultural groups.
The main goals of the Toronto North LIP are:







To support better co-ordination and collaboration in the planning and delivery of integration
services across multiple sectors;
To provide a framework to facilitate the development and implementation of sustainable local
and regional solutions for the successful social and economic integration for newcomers;
To strengthen local capacity to integrate newcomers in a manner that fosters improved labour
market access, increased social inclusion, and the creation of sustainable welcoming
communities for newcomers;
To achieve improved newcomer outcomes as indicated by increased economic, social, political
and civic participation by newcomers;
To build on the work of existing LIP Councils, workgroups and collaborations as well as other
local and place-based planning efforts within the Toronto North quadrant;
To build actions and responses to well-researched needs of individuals and their communities at
the local neighbourhood level on an ongoing basis;
To provide opportunities for local (whether neighbourhood or quadrant) recommendations and
actions to inform decision-making across sectors and regions; support the receiving community
to participate in the settlement and integration process.
Consultations Process (August 2012 – October 2012)
Local program and service providers eagerly embarked upon the LIP consultation process, not as a
means of evaluating their own performances, but as a means of identifying opportunities to enhance
the entirety of the system as it was in order to better meet the needs of newcomers and immigrants in
Toronto North.
From August 2012 to October 2012, the Toronto North LIP undertook an environmental scan and
conducted community consultations sessions with different sectors in the community including:
Education, Social Services, Business and Employers, Recreation, Culture and Newcomers. The LIP
conducted community research using the methods to identify:


Key supports available to newcomers in the Toronto North region
Gaps in the systems and supports that serve newcomers
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
The information gathered throughout this research phase will be a key component in the development
of the Toronto North Settlement and Employment Strategy prepared by the LIP.
The Toronto North LIP, its Steering Committee and workgroups make up a collaborative community
working group represented by all sectors. They maintain the commitment to promote programs and
services within the community and identify and eliminate gaps for newcomers and immigrants following
the guidance of the settlement strategy with an end goal of “Creating a Welcoming Community for All”.
METHODOLOGY
The data for this research was collected from September 2012 to October 2012 using two qualitative
research techniques: key informant interviews and consultations. Service providers were interviewed
to gather information about process, access, strengths and barriers; one of the best ways to gather this
information was to ask additional questions during the interview. It was important to organize
consultations with service providers to be certain they understood the questions that were asked,
particularly as we were trying to gather place-based information; as well, by having other service
providers in the room, conversations around services and settlement needs flowed more easily. Key
informant interviews were conducted with persons involved in providing services to immigrants within
Toronto North, as well as those involved in developing strategy around settlement services and allowed
for in-depth perspectives on the issues associated with providing services to immigrants. Both processes
were designed to allow service providers to be candid regarding the current nature of service provision
in Toronto North. The rationale for using a community consultation process with service providers was
to encourage group interaction, thereby ensuring insight that would otherwise be less accessible.
Data from the consultations and key informant interviews were written by participants in the discussion
guides, in flipcharts and in facilitator notes. The data were then analyzed and sorted using a coding
system.
Twenty-three organizations participated in the consultations. In addition, eight organizations
participated in the key informant interviews. Approximately 109 organizations were contacted through
email, with follow-up calls being made to 60 organizations.
Environmental Scan
The environmental scan was culled through 211 Toronto resources listed in their Settlement and
Newcomer Services section (http://www.211toronto.ca/nc_main.jsp) to search for services that were
marked for York, North York West, North York Central, or North York East as these are the sections of
the city in which the eight selected neighbourhoods are located as follows:


York
o
o
Caledonia-Fairbank
Oakwood-Vaughan
North York West
o Clanton Park
o Bathurst Manor
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region

North York Central
o Willowdale East
o Newtonbrook West
o Newtonbrook East

North York East
o Bayview Woods-Steeles
City of Toronto Social Profiles were used for maps of the neighbourhoods. Therefore organizations
located directly in the neighbourhoods were marked as such, and organizations in surrounding areas
were shown with the section names.
Notes about the data
All the organizations identified as part of the environmental scan were invited to attend the
consultations. Although several neighborhood-based service providers (school settlement workers,
librarians, etc) were invited to attend the consultations, all the organizations consulted identified as
providing services across Toronto. Although the reason for lack of neighborhood specific service delivery
was not explored, we can speculate that due to funding parameters, most organizations have a broader
community mandate beyond a specific neighborhood. Although several organizations stated that their
primary client population is located in a couple of neighborhoods, all of the organizations, had at a
minimum, a city-wide program offering, even if their location limited most of their clients to being from
a specific neighborhood. Further, it was noted that of the organizations attending, none provided
neighborhood specific programming, although several stated a desire to do so.
As part of the consultative design, service needs and gaps were still asked to be identified on a
neighborhood basis, to better understand if there were differences between the neighborhoods in
terms of settlement needs and service gaps. As such, the data is organized in this report as gathered
about the three specific neighborhoods. Future research should build on this neighborhood-based
model of consultation, and is addressed in the recommendations section.
Recommendations are based on descriptive coding but are not consensus driven. Some of the
recommendations emerged only from data gathered in the key informants interviews, but were put
forward for their overall importance in speaking to the purpose of the consultative process to be used
by Toronto North LIP to inform and enhance the development of a Settlement and Employment Strategy
for Toronto North, and to identify priority topics for further action and engagement.
The summary report coded the data according to themes, topics. This report is divided into three
sections: i) Community Consultations data; ii) Key informants data; and iii) Recommendations.
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
I) COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS PURPOSE AND FORMAT
Local Immigration Partnerships (LIP’s) are collaborative multi‐sectoral bodies that engage local
stakeholders to better support newcomer settlement and integration. In 2009, Citizenship and
Immigration Canada supported the development of LIPs in 15 Toronto communities, and in 2012 the
service was expanded to all communities in Toronto. As a part of this expansion, Toronto North LIP held
a series of consultation sessions on Tuesday September 18, 2012 and Wednesday October 10, 2012 to
seek assistance from service providers and key stakeholders in order to gather feedback about
newcomer service needs, current newcomer supports, and related service gaps in three neighbourhoods
new to LIP. The neighbourhoods included:
 North‐Centre (Newtonbrook/Willowdale);
 South‐West (Oakwood/Vaughan and Marlee Village); and
 North‐West (Bathurst‐Manor).
The purpose of the consultation sessions was to identify:
 Key supports and services available to newcomers in the Toronto North region; and
 Gaps in the systems and supports currently being used by newcomers.
The consultation sessions were held on the following dates and times:
Date
Tuesday September 18, 2012
Time
10:00 am – 12:15 pm
Tuesday September 18, 2012
2:00 pm – 4:15 pm
Wednesday October 10, 2012
2:00 – 4:15 pm
Location
YMCA
2200 Yonge St., Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M4S 2C6
YMCA
2200 Yonge St., Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M4S 2C6
YMCA
2200 Yonge St., Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M4S 2C6
The three consultation sessions were attended by twenty-three (23) service providers, covering the
following organizations and agencies:
VPI Inc.
St. Stephen's Community House
Iranian Women's Organization
University Settlement
Working Women Community Centre
Willowdale LINC
City of Toronto, Con. John Filion’s Office
YMCA Korean Community Services
Toronto Parks Forestry and Recreation
Griffin Centre
For Youth Initiative
Alternative Youth Centre for Employment (AYCE)
Circle of Care
Toronto Catholic District School Board
CCAC-Central Community Care Access Centre
Youth Assisting Youth
Career Foundation
Working Skills Centre
Canadian Association of Immigrant Consultants (CAPIC)
Downsview Legal Services
Baycrest Hospital
Centre for Information and Community Services of
Ontario
The consultation session agenda can be found in Appendix A.
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
CONTEXT SETTING PRESENTATION
At the outset of each consultation session, a brief presentation was provided, which introduced the
overall LIP objective and process, as well provided brief community profiles for the three
neighbourhoods new to Toronto North LIP. Key points form the presentation included the following:
 Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) are multi-sectoral planning tables that bring a crosssection of stakeholders together to identify ways in which to support settlement and integration
of immigrants and newcomers into local communities.
 LIPs began as a pilot project funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
 LIPs have four main express objectives:
o Support better coordination in the planning and delivery of integration services across
multiple sectors;
o Provide a framework to facilitate collaboration, and develop and implement communitybased strategic plans;
o Strengthen local integration capacity to foster labour market access, social inclusion, and
sustainable welcoming communities; and
o Achieve improved outcomes as indicated by increased economic, social political and civic
participation by newcomers.
 Forty-five (45) LIPs have been established in Ontario since 2008.
 Fifteen (15) LIPs existed in Toronto from 2009-2012, and in early 2012 these LIPs were
amalgamated to create five (5) LIPs for the Greater Toronto Area. Four (4) of these are based in
the four quadrants of the City (e.g. North, East, West, and South), with the fifth LIP being a citywide and municipality operated LIP. All five LIPs in Toronto are required to coordinate their
activities.
 The community profile for the Newtonbrook/Willowdale neighbourhood (based on 2006 census
data):
o Total population of 90,405;
o 16% recent newcomer population (arrived between 2001-2006); and
o Top regions of origin for recent immigrants are 1) Eastern Asia, and 2) Western Asia/
Middle East.
 The community profile for the Bathurst‐Manor neighbourhood (based on 2006 census data):
o Total population of 20,680;
o 17% recent immigrants (arrived between 2001-2006);
o Top regions of origin for recent immigrants are 1) Europe, and 2) South-east Asia; and
o 53% of households earn $50,000 or less (after-tax).
 The community profile for the Oakwood/Vaughan and Marlee Village neighbourhood (based on
2006 census data):
o Total population of 45,920;
o 58% immigrant population (arrived between 2001-2006);
o In the top five Toronto North neighbourhoods with an adult population lacking in postsecondary education; and
o Briar Hill/ Belgravia and Oakwood/Vaughan are among top ten Toronto North
neighbourhoods with household incomes less than $30,000 (after-tax).
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
BREAKOUT GROUP DISCUSSIONS: SESSION #1
Following the presentation, session participants had an opportunity to discuss the following two
questions as part of a small group discussion:
1. What are the settlement needs of newcomers arriving in the area?
2. What supports and/or services help newcomers meet their settlement needs (e.g. language
classes, job training, etc.)?
Participants were asked to consider each question in the context of the Greater Toronto Area as a
whole, as well as in the context of the three defined neighbourhoods (Newtonbrook/ Willowdale,
Bathurst-Manor, and Oakwood/Vaughan and Marlee Village). The following is a summary of the key
points raised during the discussion and data collected from submitted Discussion Guides.
1. What are the settlement needs of newcomers arriving in the area?
English, or lack of English without a thick accent continues to be the biggest barrier for our clients.
More comprehensive English training, with a greater focus on conversational English, and financial
supports that allow them to attend, including a weekly stipend and childcare.
We have a tremendous amount of highly educated clients that come through our doors. While the
cabbie with a PhD has become an urban cliché, there is a high degree of truthfulness to it. We need
to put more resources into accrediting professionals from other countries and connecting them with
employers here.
Many of our clients are coming from countries in which homosexuality is widely condemned. They
bring those same biases with them here, making many of the areas that they are in “unsafe spaces”
for LQTBG individuals.
Area
In the GTA in
general?
Response
 Help understanding Canadian culture / societal nuisances, by-laws, rules.
 Help attaining employment / career training and development, including
computer training.
 Language training e.g. English as a Second Language (ESL).
 Financial support (e.g. credit rating, subsidies) and help with income
generation.
 Accountable accreditation and recognition of foreign education /
employment credentials.
 Medical / health care supports, including dental.
 Affordable and accessible housing.
 Emotional and psychological support (i.e. mental health).
 Child care and child minding, especially for those attending language classes
or employment workshops.
 Acceptance and respect, especially for those newcomers from the Lesbian
Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) community.
 Support for those suffering from domestic violence or spousal abuse.
 Refined and easy to understand information about where to go for specific
resources and information about accessing services.
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Area
North‐Centre
(Newtonbrook/
Willowdale)
South‐West
(Oakwood/Vaughan
and Marlee Village)
North‐West
(Bathurst‐Manor)
Response
 Life skills training (e.g. how to use public transit, how to interact with
neighbours, etc.)
 Accountable assessment of foreign gained credentials (e.g. education,
diplomas, trade person certification etc.)
 Help attaining employment / career training and development, including
computer training.
 Language training (e.g. ESL).
 Medical / health care supports, including dental. There is a lack of
community health centers in the area.
 Support for those suffering from domestic violence or spousal abuse.
 Need for venues and space to host language classes and provide daycare
services.
 Medical / health supports, including dental.
 Language training especially for newcomer professionals / highly educated
individuals.
 Recognition of education / employment credentials.
 Assistance for youth to ensure they stay in school and obtain their diplomas
(e.g. concerns about high drop-out rates), as well as assistance to access
post-secondary education.
 Legal aid for immigration and refugee issues, government assistance, and
civil issues.
 Emotional and psychological support – e.g. dealing with separation anxiety,
depressed, isolation, and stress of financial burden and struggling in new
environment.
 High level of educated newcomers in the area, who require accreditation and
assistance gaining meaningful employment.
 Enhanced Language Training (ELT) level programs are needed for newcomers
with more advanced language skills.
 High number of elderly and seniors, who require health care, transportation,
same-language programming (esp. Russian, Polish, Yiddish), financial aid (e.g.
to pay for medication), and mental health supports.
 High influx of Holocaust survivors coming to stay with their children who
need assistance dealing with issues of isolation, fear of officials and
government agencies, financial stress, and safety.
 Many live-in workers and nannies in this neighbourhood; more research
needs to be done to understand the needs of this group.
2. What supports and/or services help newcomers meet their settlement needs (e.g. language
classes, job training, etc.)?
It doesn’t feel that there are a lack of services, but more a lack of coordination and collaboration
across agencies.
As agencies we are having to do more with less. Unless the funding situation improves
significantly we, as a sector, will continue to be unable to meet the needs of our clients.
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Lack of affordable housing is making it impossible for our clients to get ahead, as they are just
making enough money to pay the rent and food. No savings, no money for activities for the kids,
no money to buy property or a car, or to put towards their children’s education.
Area
In the GTA in
general?
North‐Centre
(Newtonbrook/
Willowdale)
Response
 Language Instructions for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) and English as a
Second Language (ESL) classes.
 Affordable rent listings provided by the Coalition Against Poverty.
 Employment training centres (e.g. Career Foundation).
 Job search workshops (JSW) and job fairs.
 Resources and information provided by LIPs.
 Ontario Works (OW).
 YMCA newcomer services.
 Food banks (e.g. Second Harvest, Daily Bread Food Bank)
 Settlement workers in schools provided by the Toronto District School Board
(TDSB) and Toronto District Catholic School Board (TDCSB)
 Libraries, community centres and reaction centres, which offer various
educational and recreational programs.
 Settlement services offered through various agencies, such as TDSB, YMCA,
etc.
 SEPT (Settlement and Education Partnerships) program.
 Centre for Information and Community Services (CICS) offers one-on-one
services, educational workshops on various topics (e.g. health, employment),
and networking opportunities such as “meet and greet” breakfasts.
 For Youth Initiative offers the Youth Empowerment Program with the aid of
settlement workers in schools, as well as life skills workshops.
 Accountable immigration consultants and translators through the Canadian
Association of Immigrant Consultants (CAPIC).
 Downsview Legal Services offers legal services, specifically for housing and
social assistance issues.
 City of Toronto Parks & Recreation, offers a city-wide program entitled
“Investing in Families”, which is a comprehensive collaborative way to service
families who are on social assistance with services such as childcare,
recreation, etc.
 VPI Inc. offers language training and job skills training.
 TDSB offers LINC, ELT, and settlement services.
 St. Stephen’s House offers LINC, and settlement services.
 University Settlement offers settlement services.
 Canadian Centre for Language and Cultural Studies (CCLCS) offers LINC,
professional development workshops, job announcements, and links to other
organizations.
 Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto offers outreach, support,
counseling, training, referral services and English language programs.
 Working Women Community Centre (WWCC) offer services for women and
their families, including LINC, settlement, JSW, community development, and
Ontario Works.
 Griffin Centre offers one-on-one counseling, in-school services for youth,
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Area
South‐West
(Oakwood/Vaughan
and Marlee Village)
North‐West
(Bathurst‐Manor)
Response
recreation programs, health workshops, drop-in programs, supports for
LGBTQ newcomers, resume workshops, mental health services, and
employment sessions.
 “Voices from the Community” program offered by St. Michael’s Hospital in
Marlee Village area.
 Finch and Bathurst Network offers food security programs, networking
opportunities, and settlement services.
 Baycrest Hospital offers caregiver support, day programs for seniors,
transportation, psycho-social activities, one-on-one support programs, and
health and mental health services.
BREAKOUT GROUP DISCUSSIONS: SESSION #2
During the second group discussion session, participants had an opportunity to discuss the following two
questions:
3. Are the settlement needs of newcomers being adequately met with the services that are
currently in place? How is this tracked or understood?
4. How does your organization coordinate services in your area, is there a mechanism or
framework in place?
Participants were asked to consider question #3 in the context of the Greater Toronto Area as a whole,
as well as in the context of the three defined neighbourhoods (Newtonbrook/ Willowdale, BathurstManor, and Oakwood/Vaughan and Marlee Village). The following is a summary of the key points raised
during the discussion and data collected from submitted Discussion Guides.
3. Are the settlement needs of newcomers being adequately met with the services that are
currently in place? How is this tracked or understood?
One of the barriers immigrants face is that while they are learning English they have to
work at a job they find inadequate, with hours that do not coincide with the scheduled
English language services. Some immigrants end up working for years without ever
improving their English language skills. Not only does that make it difficult for them to
apply for other employment opportunities, but it makes it difficult for the newcomers
to get around and use other services available in Toronto. Put another way,
employment and English services are the two biggest barriers for immigrants.
Area
In the GTA in
general?
Response
 Most people agreed that settlement needs are not being adequately met
across the GTA, and that many organizations lack the staff and resources to
track how newcomer needs are being met.
 Participants felt that:
o There is an overall need for more high language assessment training.
o There are too many long waitlists for language training.
o There is a lack of language classes coupled with child care services.
o Mental health issues are not being adequately addressed (e.g. stress,
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Area
In North‐Centre
(Newtonbrook/
Willowdale)
In the South‐West
(Oakwood/Vaughan
and Marlee Village)
In the North‐West
(Bathurst‐Manor)
Response
culture shock, loneliness, isolation, lack of confidence)
o Life skill needs are not being addressed (e.g. cultural norms, workplace
etiquette, etc.)
 Participants agreed that many organizations do not have effective tracking
methods, or have none at all.
 Language barriers cause people to be isolated in their own communities.
There is a need for more language training in this neighbourhood.
 There is a lack of community health services in the area (e.g. community
health centres, doctors who speak languages of newcomers).
 A hub of settlement and community services is needed.
 There is a lack of early years centres and day care.
 Social services do not refer clients with low language to LINC / ESL programs.
 Not a lot is known about the newcomer needs in this area.
 More child care is needed in this area, as well as assistance for seniors.
The following organizations perform some type of tracking with respect to the settlement needs and
services required and being utilized by new comers:
 Youth Assisting Youth (YAY) tracks success of programs by continually following up with the
family, typically once a week, for a number of years (1 to 5 years).
 TDCSB tracks use of child care services, transportation, ESL classes, ELT dropout rates etc.
 Career Foundation tracks success by following up with client at 3, 6 and 12 months, until
positive result is achieved (e.g. the newcomer is hired).
 Initiative for Youth tracks services through items such as detailed intake forms, organizational
goals, and ongoing relationships with clients. The organization is also developing a framework to
improve needs assessment and evaluation programs.
 Griffin Centre tracks services with client follow-up calls and visits, detailed needs assessments
for each client, and intake forms. Griffin Centre clients continue to receive follow-up calls until
they become Canadian citizens, and files are kept open for at least five years.
 Community University Research Alliance tracks skills by implementing questionnaires for
newcomer students.
 YMCA tracks language and other needs by tracking clients by postal codes.
4. How does your organization coordinate services in your area, is there a mechanism or framework
in place?
Organization Name
Community University
Research Alliance
(CURA)
Career Foundation &
Employment Ontario
AYCE Employment
Description of Coordinated Services
Working Skills Centre is working with University of Toronto and academia to
study soft skills of newcomers (e.g. confidence, social involvement, social
integration). This will enable a framework for collaboration to be developed in
the future.
Employment Ontario is considered to be a one-stop-shop for newcomers; the
Career Foundation works in collaboration with Employment Ontario to
coordinates services such as job training, language training, and referrals to
other agencies/services.
AYCE works with community partners to refer clients to LINC, ELT, mental
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Organization Name
Services
Bathurst Finch Network
Fairview Integrated
Network (FIN)
Yonge/Eglinton Service
Network
York Region Welcome
Centres
Griffin Centre
For Youth Initiative
Baycrest Hospital
Description of Coordinated Services
health and housing service providers/agencies.
Bathurst Finch Network is composed of nine agencies, who meet monthly to
discuss the newcomer needs of the community and how agencies can
coordinate services. The network is working on creating a “hub” that enables
various local agencies to come together “under one roof”.
FIN ensures collaboration between local agencies, who meet on a monthly
basis to discuss newcomer needs and supports. FIN provides cross referrals,
divides tasks/responsibilities among the agencies/organizations, and works to
fill service/support gaps.
The Yonge/Eglinton Service Network holds meetings every 2 months to
identify service gaps and determine the best ways to address those gaps.
York Region Welcome Centres offer a range of all settlement services, and
have five (5) locations across the GTA.
The Griffin Centre holds monthly meetings with other agencies to determine
ways to work collaboratively and to discuss cross referrals.
For Youth Initiative continues to work with the York Weston LIP to network,
and is currently working to develop a referral process framework to
streamline services.
Baycrest Hospital works with the UJA Federation to provide Holocaust
survivor services. Baycrest Hospital also offer cross-referrals, works with
other agencies to collect indicators and outcomes data; shares common
assessment tools; and collaborates with local agencies to determine the best
services for their clients.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The following is a summary of additional comments and feedback received during the discussions, and
submitted through the Discussion Guides:
 All participants agrees that there are different types of newcomers (e.g. refugees, skilled
workers, non-skilled workers, entrepreneurs/business investors, etc.), and these groups must be
recognized for their different needs and provided with tailored supports and services.
 Most participants agreed that agencies and organizations should share their data. Participants
were concerned that agencies suffer from “own the client” syndrome which prevents
collaboration and the sharing of resources.
 Most participants agreed that the unique needs of the LGBTQ community are often times
forgotten. All newcomers should be treated with respect and acceptance. The concern is that
newcomers of Muslim faith or those arriving from South Asia often suffer from homophobia in
their country of origin and in Canada during the settlement process.
 All participants who work with newcomer youth noted that the youth struggle with “two
worlds” of school life and home life, therefore newcomer youth require specific supports and
strategies to assist them with settling in Canada and this new dichotomy.
 A handful of participants were concerned that some clients “shop around” to different agencies
to get services, which means they are not being properly tracked.
 A few participants noted that there is a lack of networking opportunities / support groups for
newcomers aged 30 to 60. This age group seems to be in a “no man’s land”, with no key groups
or organizations dedicated to their specific needs.
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region

A few participants noted that there is a need for the creation of case managers for employment
services to enable one-on-one support.
II) KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS
Key informant interviews were held with organizational representatives who were not able to attend
the community consultations. The same questions were posed as in the consultations with further
follow-up on certain points, which was more conducive in a one-on-one setting.
San Lorenzo Church
San Lorenzo Latin American Community
Centre
Latin American Trade Unionists Coalition
(LATUC)
CUIAS Immigrant Services
Barrio Nuevo
Unison
Province of Ontario, David Zimmer’s office
Province of Ontario, Jonah Schein’s office
1. What are the settlement needs of newcomers arriving in the area?
Many newcomers are living in poverty. Basic needs, including those of their children, are not
being met.
Seniors are especially vulnerable as they are more likely to be afraid to venture outside of their
home. Many of the seniors that we work with are afraid to take public transportation and are on
such tight budgets they cannot even afford the fare.
Area
In the GTA in
general?
North‐Centre
(Newtonbrook/
Willowdale)
Response
 Adjusting to Canadian culture
 Effective employment training that includes job placements
 Language training e.g. English as a Second Language (ESL).
 Ethno-specific programming – ie. parenting classes in Spanish
 Spanish-speaking settlement workers
 Accountable accreditation and recognition of foreign education /
employment credentials.
 Programming specific to youth
 Collective kitchens/access to healthy food
 Health care coverage for refugees, health clinics where no documentation is
needed
 Financial support for medications and emergency dental
 Job search centres that are open longer hours, including evenings. For
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Area
Zimmer’s office
Unison
Barrio Nuevo
South‐West
(Oakwood/Vaughan
and Marlee Village)
Jonah Schein
San Lorenzo
Unison
Barrio Nuevo
North‐West
(Bathurst‐Manor)
CUIAS
San Lorenzo
Response
newcomers working “under the table” they want to seek documented
employment but can only do so after hours or weekends.
 Workshops/training about legal and human rights.
 Fitness and healthy living workshops
 Easier access to food banks
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More services in Spanish
Financial planning and financial literacy training
Support for starting up a small business
Medical / health supports, including free or inexpensive dental care.
(*Developing a non-profit benefit plan for uninsured individuals)
Language training for seniors who have a harder time learning the language
A more supportive environment in the schools for immigrant youth
Parenting classes
Childcare
Financial support for job-searching (ie. TTC tokens, a “nice” outfit)
High level of Roma refugees, who along with dealing with “typical”
settlement issues are facing high levels of discrimination
More legal aid or pro bono legal services needed
Access to psychological counseling services.
Access to mental health services.
Support services for the elderly who tend to be quite isolated, but very high
need.
Community kitchens/food security
Supports for “sandwich generation’ immigrants who are dealing with
children still at home and elderly parents
Supports for live-in workers and nannies especially supports to facilitate the
immigration process
2. What supports and/or services help newcomers meet their settlement needs (e.g. language
classes, job training, etc.)?
Area
In the GTA in
general?
North‐Centre
(Newtonbrook/
Willowdale)
Response
 LINC and ESL classes
 Libraries
 Food banks
 Legal aid
 Churches
 Job training programs
 Ontario Works and ODSP
 Settlement workers in schools
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 YMCA
 Canadian Ukranian Association
 St. Stephen’s House offers LINC, and settlement services.
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Area
Response
 Korean Community Services
 University Settlement Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto
 Working Women Community Centre
South‐West
(Oakwood/Vaughan
and Marlee Village)
 Boys and Girls Club
 Voices from Marlee
 Various church services including ESL and LINC
North‐West
(Bathurst‐Manor)
 YMCA
 North York Community House
5. Are the settlement needs of newcomers being adequately met with the services that are
currently in place? How is this tracked or understood?
In these sorts of consultations immigrants are all lumped together. But they have very different
type of needs depending on their cultural background, their professional status, support
networks in the arrival country, etc. We need to be addressing more specific needs.
Many immigrants are arriving here from situations of trauma. We are facing a crisis in their
access to mental health services.
Area
In the GTA in
general?
In North‐Centre
(Newtonbrook/
Willowdale)
In the South‐West
(Oakwood/Vaughan
and Marlee Village)
In the North‐West
(Bathurst‐Manor)
Response
 Not enough ethno-specific services, especially for immigrants that have been
here longer than 5 years
 While there is access to language services, barriers to participation are very
high, including loss of income during that time and no childcare services
 Agencies feel that without a “one-stop” shop for clients to go to they get
discouraged as they go from agency to agency looking for services
 Increasing numbers of high need clients – high levels of poverty, mental
health needs
 More access to mental health services
 More services for high need newcomers
 Not a lot of services offered in this area
 Lack of information about ethno-specific communities
 Sense that many of the ethno communities in this area don’t access
settlement services
 More accessible recreational opportunities
 Services for care-givers
 More knowledge about legal rights
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH/CONSULTATION
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
1. Engage ethno-specific agencies in conducting a mapping of ethno-communities in the target
neighborhoods. Target two to three ethno communities (eg. Korean, Spanish, Filipino) to host
community consultations with immigrants from that community to understand their needs
more closely. Specific outreach can include:
a) the Spanish-speaking community in Oakwood/ Vaughan/ Marlee;
b) Seniors in Bathurst Manor as well as Newtonbrook/ Willowdale;
c) Live-in Caregivers in Bathurst Manor and
d) professionally accredited newcomers in Willowdlae East/ Newtonbrook.
Newcomer youth as an overall further research area for gaps in existing supports was also identified
as a priority area.
2. Undertake a process for higher-level agency engagement (at the senior management level) to
determine what supports agencies need to better meet newcomer needs. Consultative
questions could include:
a. How is client tracking currently monitored at your agency? What are the challenges?
What have been your successes? How are clients tracked across agencies?
b. Are you familiar with best practices in this area? What are your needs to provide an
effective tracking system?
3. ESL language supports were identified across neighborhoods and research methods as a major
service gap. Further, English-language training specifically for practical use in employment (ie.
spoken English) was identified as a major need. Undertake a review of ESL services in the target
neighborhoods, including an examination of service delivery. A literature review of best
practices should be conducted for the purposes of developing a report on better coordination
and delivery recommendations for ESL training in Toronto North.
4.
A literature review on developing place-based settlement services and/or best practices of
place-based settlement services.
Community Consultations Summary Report
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Appendix A: Agenda
Identifying Services and Supports Available to Newcomers in the Toronto North Region
Wednesday October 10, 2012 from 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm
YMCA, 2200 Yonge St., Suite 300, Toronto
Workshop Agenda
Purpose: To identify key supports and services available to newcomers in the Toronto North region; and
gaps in the systems and supports currently being used by newcomers.
2:00 pm
Welcome and Introductions
2:05 pm
Words from YMCA
2:15 pm
Ice-Breaker
2:25 pm
Presentation
 What is a LIP? Who is Toronto North LIP?
 Community profiles
 Purpose of the consultation session
2:45 pm
Breakout Group Discussions: Session #1
 What are the settlement needs of newcomers arriving in the area?
 What supports and/or services help newcomers meet their settlement needs
(e.g. language classes, job training, etc.)?
3:05 pm
Breakout Group Report Back and Interactive Discussion
3:25 pm
Breakout Group Discussions: Session #2
 Are the settlement needs of newcomers being adequately met with the services
that are currently in place? How is this tracked or understood?
 How does your organization coordinate services in your area, is there a
mechanism or framework in place?
3:45 pm
Breakout Group Report Back and Interactive Discussion
4:05 pm
Wrap Up and Closing Remarks
 What we heard (key themes)?
 What are the next steps?
4:15 pm
Adjourn