3. Take part in efforts to build an Integrated Social and Community Plan for Niagara.
4. If you are aware of additional data, share the information at the new website being developed.
5. If you are part of a regional planning or action project in any of these areas, please let us know.
6. Your feedback and involvement are essential.

7. Read about the Niagara Integrated Planning approach at www.nrapc.com

What we are doing well …

In Niagara, as refugees and immigrants come into Canada, they are met by the Newcomers’ Welcome Center and Canada Border Services at the Fort Erie Peace Bridge point of entry. While many continue on to larger urban centers in Ontario and Canada, others get their start in Niagara where they remain temporarily or permanently. New babies get their start in Niagara and they and their parents benefit from the supports that the Early Years programs and day care facilities have to offer with centers throughout Niagara. Each year, new graduates from high school, colleges, trades, apprenticeship programs and universities look for work and opportunities in Niagara and benefit from work shadowing, internships, on-the-job training and mentoring.

                          
Where we can improve …

Immigrants and their families bring diversity and skills to our communities, schools and places of work. Inclusiveness requires our region to develop more of a proactive approach to welcoming and including others, reaching out to get to know the talents of those new to our region and reducing prejudice and misunderstanding. Efforts to recognize prior credentials, to offer language training, settlement services and education need to be more effective and timely. In Niagara, we are challenged to provide opportunities to attract and retain youth so they do not have to leave Niagara for employment.

Overall score: Level 2. Of concern, needs attention.

The Peace Bridge Welcome Center reported that in 2006, 1,829 refugees made a claim for asylum at that point of entry. Of those, 383 remained in Niagara. Many identified that they came to Canada with prior education, credentials and experience as teachers, doctors, engineers, journalists, nurses or business people. They face barriers related to non-recognition of their prior education and credentials, language barriers and challenges to finding appropriate and meaningful employment. Approximately 37% of Canada’s immigrants have a university degree and this population often pursue further education in Canada.

In 2006, 18% of the total Niagara population was made up of immigrants, compared to 28.3% of Ontario’s population. In 2006, 70,320 foreign-born permanent residents were recorded in the St. Catharines, Niagara CMA, up from 66,046 in 2001. Our numbers are similar to Windsor, the other border area in Ontario. The Niagara immigrant population is made up of 10.4% recent immigrants who arrived from 2001-2006 (17.1% of the Ontario population are recent immigrants). They often require initial community settlement services: housing, language training, education, community friendships and employment.

Figure 40  Immigration Overview: Number of Foreign-Born Permanent Residents, St-Catharines- Niagara CMA.

Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/resources/statistics/facts2006/index.asp

Rating: 3

The Healthy Babies, Healthy Children provincial program is offered by the Niagara Regional Public Health Unit to help children and their parents or caregivers to get off to a healthy start and to be included in the community. In Niagara, approximately 98% of mothers are contacted through this program as early as possible after birth.

There are 16 Ontario Early Years sites and 5 drop-in centers across Niagara to support parents/caregivers and children 0 – 6 years of age (11,855 children were served and 62,289 parents/caregivers were served in 2006-2007). Source: http://www.earlyyearsniagara.org/Niagara_Best_Start_Community_Integrated_Plan_
Feb__72006(1).pdf

 
Licensed child care spaces in Niagara …

Each year, the number of licensed child care spaces has increased in Niagara. In 2007, there were 7,870 licensed childcare spaces in Niagara at 167 child care sites (174 infant, 695 toddler, 2,823 preschool, 1,324 JKSK, 2,854 school age). Approximately 2,000 of the child care spaces were subsidized spaces.

Table  28 Child Care Spaces in Niagara 2003-2007

By the end of 2007, there were 200 children on the waiting list for subsidized child care. The number of licensed child care spaces increased by a net increase of 675 spaces from 2006 to 2007, 553 of the increases were through funding from the Provincial Best Start Initiative. Source: Niagara Region Children’s Services 2007 Year End Report, COM 27-2008. May, 2007.

Rating: 3

Niagara schools are experiencing a slow, but steady decline in student enrolment over the past five years (2001-2006) (The Standard, July 18, 2007).

In Niagara, children 14 and younger represent 16.8% of the population, which is below the national 17.7% and the provincial 18.2%. Source: Statistics Canada, 2005, Community Profiles.

Rating: 2

Rating: 2

The migration rate for St. Catharine - Niagara CMA was lower compared to 21 other Canadian reporting larger metropolitan areas, and the rate went down from 4.2 per 1,000 population to 2 in the period of reporting from 2004/2005 to 2005/2006.

Figure 41 Census Metropolitan Area Net Migration

Source: http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/070927/d070927c.htm

Rating: 3