Measuring Outcomes of Local Immigration Partnerships

Project Description:

This study collates data on a number of indictors of a welcoming community. These include employment opportunities, educational opportunities, affordable and suitable housing, attitudes toward immigrants and cultural diversity, presence of newcomer-serving agencies, accessible public transit, accessible and suitable healthcare, municipal features and services sensitive to the needs of newcomers, and fostering of social capital. The study focuses on communities with a Local Immigration Partnership Council (LIP) and uses data from the 2006 Census, the 2008 Canadian Community Health Surveys, EQAO data, and analyses of 211 data, among other sources. The project will provide a series of baseline measures on the economic and social landscape that existed in the LIP communities prior to the introduction of the LIPs. These can be used to assess the LIPs’ future progress and effectiveness, as well as providing information on aspects of each community most in need of attention. The data will also offer the LIPs comparators so that they can evaluate their performance in relation to that of other communities or municipalities. Overall, the study will provide the LIPs with a set of objective indicators against which they can measure outcomes and the warmth of their community’s welcome.

Leads (Names and Cities of researchers):

Zenaida R. Ravanera, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON
Victoria M. Esses, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON
Roderic Beaujot, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON
Jason Gilliland, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON

Start Date: December 2010

Deliverables:

Report for CIC Ontario region and for the Ontario Local Immigration Partnerships
Presentations to stake-holders
Publications in peer-reviewed journals

Funder: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ontario Region

Pilot cities/sites (if relevant):

Chatham-Kent, Durham, Five Eastern Counties, Grand Eries, Greater Sudbury, Guelph-Wellington, Halton, Hamilton, Huron County, Kingston, Leeds and Grenville, London – Middlesex, Niagara, North Bay, Northwestern Ontario, Ottawa, Peel Region, Peterborough, Quinte, Renfrew and Lanark, Sarnia – Lambton, Sault Ste. Marie, Simcoe County, Smith Falls, St. Thomas – Elgin, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto, Waterloo Region, Windsor – Essex, York Region
In addition, the study includes 15 LIPs within the City of Toronto (Bathurst-Finch, Black Creek, Central South Etobicoke, Don Valley, East Downtown Toronto, East Toronto, Eglinton East-Kennedy Park, Lawrence Heights, North Etobicoke, North West Scarborough, North York East, South Scarborough, South-West Scarborough, West Downtown Toronto, and York South – Weston)