Ethnic retail clusters like the one on Spadina Avenue in Toronto act as a central gathering place for communities and contribute to city building, says researcher Zhixi Zhuang.Immigrant entrepreneurs and ethnic retailers are a vital part of Canadian society. According to researchers at Ryerson, supporting immigrant entrepreneurs can improve the economy, build immigrant success and knit communities together.School of Urban and Regional Planning professor Zhixi Zhuang examined over 110 suburban ethnic retail clusters in the Greater Toronto Area, in particular Chinese and South Asian retail areas in gateway communities such as Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham and Richmond...

Laura Albanese, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and Dipika Damerla, Ontario Minister of Seniors’ Affairs, at the announcement.Ontario is helping newcomers and their families by investing in services and programs to help them settle into their new lives.Laura Albanese, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, made the announcement at Mississauga’s Centre for Education and Training.The province is supporting 236 projects that will meet the diverse needs of newcomers by expanding services to help them settle into their communities, such as improvements to language classes and job training. These projects will provide:Settlement and integration support including...

Building on the momentum from the first Forum on Francophone Immigration in 2017 in New Brunswick, federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for immigration and for the Canadian Francophonie discussed concrete actions to increase Francophone immigration outside Quebec.Francophone immigration contributes to the country’s prosperity and is an important part of the country’s immigration strategies to support the growth and vitality of Francophone minority communities across Canada. Federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen and Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Laura Albanese, co-chairs of the meeting, together with other...

Many newcomers to Canada are highly-skilled professionals with many years of experience in their fields. Yet, they can sometimes struggle to find meaningful employment. Sometimes their lack of Canadian experience comes in the way; at others, it’s a lack of soft skills and the right communication tools. In such situations, mentors can provide invaluable help. TRIEC Mentoring Partnership has found mentors for over 15,000 new immigrants since 2004, and helped newcomers build professional networks. Mentors provide guidance on how the local job market works and 75 per cent of newcomers find employment after taking part in these programs. Mentoring is a symbiotic...

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expanding its Visa Application Centre (VAC) Network in China, increasing its geographic reach as Canada looks for new ways to support the growth in applications. In 2017, more than 500,000 applications have been received from China, a 15 per cent increase from 2016.By offering greater flexibility and accessibility for Chinese travellers, Canada continues to demonstrate its commitment to a growing cultural exchange between the two countries.Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, attended the opening ceremony of a VAC in Nanjing to mark the opening of seven new centres located in Chengdu,...