Pathways to Prosperity 2023 National Conference – Presentations and Recordings
Exploring Innovation in Immigration and Settlement in Canada: Challenges and Opportunities of New Geographies, Modes, and Levels of Immigration
November 20-21, 2023
Sheraton Hotel in Montreal, with a Remote Option
Monday, November 20, 2023
9:30 AM – 10:20 AM EST
Welcome and Opening (Video)
Our opening ceremony will feature Ka’nahsohon Kevin Deer, Mohawk Faithkeeper and Director of Indigenous Knowledge at the First Nations Technical Institute. We will then have a keynote from the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Honourable Marc Miller, who will discuss immigration to Canada and the road ahead, setting a foundation for the conference activities to follow and our focus on innovation in immigration and settlement policies, programs, and practices.
We are also pleased to present the first Annual Jean McRae Legacy Award for a newcomer youth to Ahmad Hafez from the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association.
- Ka’nahsohon Kevin Deer, Mohawk Faithkeeper and Director of Indigenous Knowledge, First Nations Technical Institute
- The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Victoria Esses, Co-Chair, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership and Professor, Western University
- Katie Crocker, Co-Chair, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership and Chief Executive Officer, Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)
- Ahmad Hafez, Resettlement Support Worker, Thunder Bay Multicultural Association
10:20 AM – 11:50 AM EST
Plenary – Implications of Increasing Levels of Immigration to Canada (Video)
Chair: Shamira Madhany, Managing Director, Canada and Deputy Executive Director, World Education Services
What are the implications of increasing levels of immigration to Canada? From the impact on our communities to public attitudes and the services needed for the large number of immigrants who are arriving, this plenary will discuss the central implications at the local, provincial/territorial and national levels of increasing immigration. Our speakers will discuss some of the challenges that have arisen over the last few years as immigration levels have risen dramatically, as well as innovations that have been implemented to address these challenges. The goal is to consider how to best get ahead of the curve so that immigrants’ settlement and integration needs are met, and the benefits of immigration for our country can be reaped.
- How do Canadians Think about Immigration Today? An Update (Download Presentation)
Keith Neuman, Senior Associate, Environics Institute - Meeting Settlement Needs in the Context of Increasing Immigration Levels (Download Presentation)
Christine Binne, Senior Director, Settlement and Integration Policy, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) - Always Have an Umbrella Handy – The Effects of Increased Immigration on a Stretched Sector (Download Presentation)
Vicki Sinclair, Executive Director, Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO) - The Future Lives Here: Exploring Innovative Approaches to Increased Immigration in BC’s Fastest Growing City (Download Presentation)
Neelam Sahota, Chief Executive Officer, DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society
Sponsored by: YMCA of Greater Toronto – Pre-Arrival Canada Program
11:50 AM – 12:20 PM EST
Address by Benoit Dagenais, Deputy Minister of Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration du Québec (Video)
Deputy Minister Benoit Dagenais will provide a presentation on immigration to Quebec, followed by a Q&A.
- Benoit Dagenais, Deputy Minister, Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration du Québec (MIFI)
- Katie Crocker, Co-chair, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership and Chief Executive Officer, Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)
- Aurélie Lacassagne, Dean, Faculties of Human Sciences and Philosophy, Saint Paul University
03:15 PM – 4:45 PM EST
Plenary – New Geographies of Immigration to Canada – Immigration to Small and Mid-Sized Centres (Video)
Chair: Shelly D’Mello, Chief Executive Officer, Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
With the recognition that immigration is important for the vitality and economy of Canadian communities of all sizes, regionalization policies and programs are being stepped up and strategies are being developed to attract, integrate and retain immigrants in small and mid-sized communities across the country. Recent work suggests that a collective and coordinated effort will be required to succeed. From the national to the local level, this plenary will discuss the challenges faced and opportunities available for small and mid-sized communities to increase their prospects through immigration, and innovative practices that can be implemented to ensure they succeed.
- Creating Community through Workforce Housing (Download Presentation)
Dan Borowec, Director, Economic Development and Tourism, Northumberland County - The EMPP Opportunity: Potential Beyond the Pilot (Download Presentation)
Sarah Wiseman, Canada Director, Shapiro Foundation - Attracting, Retaining, and Supporting Newcomer Tech Entrepreneurs: Lessons from Genesis, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Tech Innovation Hub (Download Presentation)
Laura Camila Aguirre Polo, Success Manager (Belonging), Genesis Innovation Hub - Francophone Immigration in Small and Mid-sized Communities: Challenges and Possible Solutions (Download Presentation)
Aurélie Lacassagne, Dean, Faculties of Human Sciences and Philosophy, Saint Paul University
Sponsored by: COPA National
06:00 PM – 08:00 PM EST
Poster Session and Reception
A reception for delegates attending the conference along with a poster session featuring recent work by members of Pathways of Prosperity. Hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Sponsored by: World Education Services
Concurrent Workshops (Powerpoint presentations from the concurrent workshops available here)
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM EST
Address by Christiane Fox, Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) (Video)
Deputy Minister Christiane Fox will provide a presentation on the future of immigration in Canada, followed by a Q&A.
- Christiane Fox, Deputy Minister, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Victoria Esses, Co-chair, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership, and Professor, Western University
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM EST
Keynote Address – Biiskaabiyaang: The Importance of Returning to Ourselves (Video)
How can people working with newcomers help them to find belonging in Canada without implicitly asking them to give up their history? Patty Krawec, author of Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future, offers reflections on belonging in the context of global movement, colonial violence, and nation-building. Krawec offers the Anishinaabe concept of biiskaabiyaang, returning to oneself, as a path forward that challenges the often-dominant narrative of assimilation, which results in policies favouring groups who may assimilate with greater ease. A better future is possible; we simply have to want it enough to work towards it.
- Patty Krawec, Writer and Speaker
- Katie Crocker, Co-Chair, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership and Chief Executive Officer, Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)
Sponsored by: Calgary Catholic Immigration Society
3:45 PM – 5:15 PM EST
Plenary – New Modes of Immigration to Canada (Video)
Chair: Stephan Reichhold, Director General, Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI)
The number of temporary residents in Canada has increased substantially in the last few years, including international students, temporary workers, asylum seekers, and individuals arriving through the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel. As prospective immigrants, a number of programs for the transition of their temporary status to permanent residency have emerged. This plenary will discuss the scope and nature of this temporary residency and two-step immigration, some of the consequences, and innovations that have been implemented to address challenges and support those who are temporary residents in Canada and those who are transitioning to permanent residency.
- Seeking Safe Haven: A Snapshot of Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) Clients (Download Presentation)
Uttara Chauhan, Director General, Mass Arrivals Settlement Branch (MASB), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada - Into Thin Air: Re-Thinking a System for Those Who Don’t (or Choose Not) To Make It (Download Presentation)
Will Tao, Canadian Immigration and Refugee Lawyer, Heron Law Offices - Fortress PR: Staggered Inclusion of Temporary Residents in Québec (Download Presentation)
Danièle Bélanger, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Migration Processes, Laval University - International Student Pathways to Permanent Residence: Navigating Expectations and On-the-ground Realities (Download Presentation)
Sonja Knutson, Director, Internationalization Office, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Sponsored by: Diversity Institute (DI)
05:00 PM – 05:15 PM EST
Closing Remarks
- Victoria Esses, Co-Chair, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership and Professor, Western University
- Katie Crocker, Co-Chair, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership and Chief Executive Officer, Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)