Local Immigration Partnership South Scarborough
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LOCAL IMMIGRATION PARTNERSHIP (LIP) SOUTH SCARBOROUGH D orset P ark • K ing ston‐ G alloway/O rton P ark • S carboroug h V illag e Recommendations for a Local Settlement Strategy Final Report January 2011 Funded by Local Immigration Partnership South Scarborough Local Immigration Partnership South Scarborough A participatory, community and strengths‐based approach to better serve newcomers to Canada Lead Agency: Catholic Crosscultural Services LIP South Scarborough serves the following three City of Toronto neighbourhoods: Dorset Park Kingston‐Galloway/Orton Park Scarborough Village The LIP South Scarborough Team Irmtraud Hutfless, LIP Program Manager Anna Kim, LIP Program Worker for Dorset Park Yumna Nabi, LIP Program Worker for Kingston‐Galloway/Orton Park Lakshmi Rajan, LIP Program Worker for Scarborough Village We gratefully acknowledge funding support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Recommendations for a Local Settlement Strategy 2 Local Immigration Partnership South Scarborough ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document reflects the outcome of an intensive and exciting process that included the contributions and commitment of many individuals and organizations who shared their knowledge and enthusiasm for developing a collaborative vision for newcomers in the City of Toronto neighbourhoods of Dorset Park, Kingston Galloway/Orton Park and Scarborough Village. First and foremost, our sincere gratitude goes to all newcomers who have shared their stories, experiences, opinions and voices, and who engaged with us in the process of developing ideas and recommendations for enhancing newcomers’ settlement and integration experience in our neighbourhoods. Much appreciation goes out to our Newcomer Ambassadors, whon have bee a cornerstone to the success of this project. They have been instrumental not only in engaging the authentic voices of newcomers throughout our strategic planning process, but have also worked with us in the strategic planning groups to develop useful recommendations for our Local Settlement Strategy. Your dedication and hard work has been essential in the success of our project and helped to ensure that our recommendations reflect the realities of newcomers in our neighbourhoods. We greatly appreciate the work and guidance of the members of the LIP South Scarborough Steering Committee, who have provided their input and support throughout the process by investing their time, offering direction and expertise and making invaluable suggestions for the development of this document. Members of the LIP South Scarborough Partnership Council have been vital in guiding and developing this partnership project throughout the past year. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, ideas and resources, for your participation and discussions, and not least of all, for your enthusiasm and commitment to improving the lives of newcomers. Our consultants from the Potential Group, Joanna Mackie and Danny Nashman, have with valuable expertise guided our strategic planning process and have supported us with their knowledge, experienced an enthusiasm. As well, we gratefully acknowledge Dorset Park Action for Neighbourhood Change, East Scarborough Storefront in Kingston‐Galloway/Orton Park and YWCA Scarborough Village for providing members of the LIP team a home in the three neighbourhoods. This report also reflects the input from many stakeholders who participated in our meetings and shared their expertise, ideas and recommendations. We want to thank all of you for your energy and commitment throughout this past year and we look forward to working with you in the next phase of this project. Irmtraud Hutfless LIP Program Manager on behalf of the Local Immigration Partnership South Scarborough Recommendations for a Local Settlement Strategy 3 Local Immigration Partnership South Scarborough TABLE OF CONTENT Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 6 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 11 1.1. About this document ....................................................................................................................... 11 1.2. Background to Local Immigration Partnerships............................................................................... 11 2. Local Immigration Partnership South Scarborough ............................................................ 12 2.1. Objectives of the LIP South Scarborough......................................................................................... 12 2.2. Structure of the LIP South Scarborough .......................................................................................... 13 2.2.1 Partnership building................................................................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Newcomer engagement............................................................................................................. 15 2.2.3 Community summits.................................................................................................................. 17 3. Methodology..................................................................................................................... 18 3.1. Appreciative Inquiry.........................................................................................................................18 3.2. Participatory Learning and Action.................................................................................................... 19 4. Neighbourhood Profiles..................................................................................................... 19 4.1. Dorset Park.......................................................................................................................................20 4.2. Kingston‐Galloway/Orton Park (KGO).............................................................................................. 24 4.3. Scarborough Village .........................................................................................................................26 5. Key findings from newcomer workgroups.......................................................................... 30 6. The strategic planning process........................................................................................... 37 6.1. Overview ..........................................................................................................................................37 6.2. Strategic planning focus areas ......................................................................................................... 38 6.3. Strategic planning groups ................................................................................................................ 38 7. Recommendations for a Local Settlement Strategy............................................................ 40 7.1. Strategic Focus Area One: Empowering local communities to provide welcome, support and connection, and supporting families ...................................................................................................... 41 7.1.1. Generative vision ...................................................................................................................... 41 7.1.2. Strategic themes ....................................................................................................................... 41 7.1.3. Strategic recommendations...................................................................................................... 44 Recommendations for a Local Settlement Strategy 4 Local Immigration Partnership South Scarborough 7.2. Strategic Focus Area Two: Providing the right information at the right time at the right place and delivering services in the best way possible ........................................................................................... 45 7.2.1. Generative vision ...................................................................................................................... 45 7.2.2. Strategic themes ....................................................................................................................... 45 7.2.3. Strategic recommendations...................................................................................................... 47 7.3. Strategic Focus Area Three: Addressing basic needs immediately................................................. 48 7.3.1. Generative vision ...................................................................................................................... 48 7.3.2. Strategic themes ....................................................................................................................... 48 7.3.3. Strategic recommendations...................................................................................................... 50 7.4. Strategic Focus Area Four: Generating Canadian experience and enhancing employment ...........51 7.4.1. Generative vision ...................................................................................................................... 51 7.4.2. Strategic themes ....................................................................................................................... 51 7.4.3. Strategic recommendations...................................................................................................... 53 8. Evaluation plan.................................................................................................................