St. John's LIP Newsletter, December, 2017 
The St. John’s Local Immigration Partnership is a broad-based partnership designed to support the well-being and participation of newcomers in all aspects of life in the city, as well as to strengthen the city’s ability to integrate newcomer needs into municipal planning processes. The St. John’s LIP is co-led by the City of St. John’s and the Association for New Canadians and is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
In this Newsletter:

We've heard from our Partnership Council and others that there is a need for more tools for connecting individuals interested in immigration issues in the city. To help meet that need, and to encourage collaboration and information sharing, we send out a newsletter 6 times a year that includes the following information:
  • What's New at the St. John's LIP
  • News and Updates
  • Upcoming Events
  • Programs and Initiatives
  • Get Involved  
What's new at the St. John's LIP 
Call for Expressions of Interest for St. John's LIP

The LIP is seeking new members for its Partnership Council & Working Groups. If you have a passion for topics related to immigration, diversity, and multiculturalism, please fill out an Expression of Interest Form here

Partnership Council members will be selected to strike a balance of well networked employers, organizations and individuals who can provide a subject matter expertise in the areas of immigration, diversity, settlement & integration, connections to the community, and/or lived experience of immigration.

Working Groups are open to anyone who has an interest in any of the following four themes relating to newcomer well-being: Health and Basic Needs, Employment and Labour Needs, Welcoming Communities and Social Connections, and Education and Training. 

Deadline to apply is December 8th. Please e-mail immigration@stjohns.ca or call 709-576-2325 with any questions you may have.
Tales from Afar: Old Stories from New Residents


The St. John’s Local Immigration Partnership and the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL) are collaborating on a project to collect and share the diversity of oral traditions that exist within the region, and to create a showcase of traditional stories and folktales from around the world.

Over the past several months the HFNL has been collecting folktales, legends, myths, stories of saints and miracles, ghost stories, fables, or traditional children’s tales -- any story that has been passed down by word of mouth.The project will culminate in a published booklet and launch event.

Participants could be newcomers in the truest sense of the word - recent refugees, temporary foreign workers, international students, newly arrived professionals or economic migrants, or could be well-established immigrants who have long since made St. John’s their home.

Stories are being shared weekly - visit

(China) - as told by Xingpei Li

(Syria) as told by Moaweya Alahmad 

(Brazil) - as told by Sarah Nivea and Vinicius Tomé 

(United States) as told by Jill Jablonski

Pathways to Prosperity 2017 National Conference

From November 14th-17th the LIP Project Officer had the opportunity to attend the Annual P2P Conference in Toronto. The week included the first in-person meeting of the Atlantic Canadian LIP Coordinators, where a plan was made for ongoing communication and collaboration going forward. It also included a day-long pre-conference workshop for LIP Coordinators across the country, and a two-day conference focused on  innovation in immigration research, policy, and practice.

All presentations and video recordings from this year's conference are available here.
News and Updates
The ANC is hiring!

The ANC is hiring for a number of positions located across Newfoundland and Labrador (closing date of December 3 rd ). Check out the link for more info or to apply.
Upcoming Events
Information Session: Genesis Start-Up Visa Program

Monday, December 4th
12:30-1:30pm
348 Water Street, 3rd Floor Boardroom

The St. John's Local Immigration Partnership is hosting an information session with the Genesis Centre of Memorial University's Start-Up Visa program. The session will be held at 348 Water Street in the 3rd Floor Boardroom. 

The Start-up Visa Program aims to bring high-potential and skilled entrepreneurs and their families to Canada to pursue their business ideas. Through Start-up Visa, immigrant entrepreneurs can apply to three streams approved to invest in or support potential start-ups: venture capital funds, angel investor groups, or business accelerators/incubators. These designated groups can help facilitate and advance the entrepreneur’s permanent residency status.

Angelo Casanas (Director, Programs & Partnerships) will provide an overview of the new initiative and how it connects to strategies to increase international student retention in the province.

To register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/information-session-genesis-centre-start-up-visa-program-tickets-40107954973

For more information:
Population Symposium: Impact of Aging & Immigration on NL Service Delivery, Labour Market & Economy

Wednesday, December 6th
8:00am-5:00pm
Junior Common Room 
Gushue Hall
St. John's, NL A1C 5S7

You are invited to attend the upcoming “Population Symposium: Impact of Population Aging and Immigration on Service Delivery, Labour Market and Economy in Newfoundland and Labrador”.

Building on recent research from the Harris Centre's Population Project, in conjunction with Memorial's Jarislowsky Chair in Cultural and Economic Transformation and the Atlantic Research Group on Economics of Immigration, Aging and Diversity, this symposium aims to examine how a declining and aging population, and increased diversity of an immigrant population will impact service delivery, labour market and the economy in NL.

The day will be structured with keynotes and panelist. Rather than a sit down and listen approach, we wish to utilize the knowledge in the room, and each panel will be followed by breakout groups, where participants will have the chance to voice their concerns and propose answers to these problems. Notes from the day based on presentations and group discussions will be synthesized into a report, which will be publicly disseminated to continue the conversation further.

There is limited space for this event, so please register quickly if you are able to attend. You may RSVP here or email Kerri Neil at kcn177@mun.ca  
Christmas Multicultural Food and Craft Fair

Sunday, December 3rd
11:30-4:00
St. Augustine's Anglican Church Hall
Date: Sunday, December 3, 2017 (1 Westerland Rd, St. John's. Next to the Aquarena).

Featuring Local and Immigrant Food and Crafts vendors.
Admission: $2.00 (Free admission for kids under 11 yrs).

Contact: Zainab Jerrett
Tel.: 722-8103 or 753-1931. E-mail: zharuna@warp.nfld.net or staugustine@nf.aibn.com
Share Christmas with an International Student!

Let’s show international students our Newfoundland hospitality by sharing a meal on Christmas Day with international students who are away from their loved ones.

This can be a wonderful opportunity for you and for them to experience a multicultural Christmas and let them feel home away from home.

If you are interested, send an email to on0133@mun.ca or contact Memorial University's Internationalization Office at 864-8895 by December 8th, 2017
Programs and Initiatives
ANC Programs and Services for Newcomers
 
Avenues to Success Program – The ANC is offering a new program available to newcomer youth and young adults who do not have a high school diploma or equivalent, and who require targeted programming to support their education and career goals. For more information, contact Claire at chutchings@nfld.net or 725-9607
 
LINC Home Study Program – This distance ESL program is offered to eligible newcomers who wish to improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English. For more information, contact Marlene at (709) 726-6848 or linc@nfld.net
 
Outreach ESL Tutor Program – Are you a Permanent Resident, Canadian Citizen, or Provincial Nominee living outside the St. John’s area looking for ESL training? Contact us today at (709) 579-9172 or research@nfld.net to enroll in our Outreach ESL Tutor Program!
 
CELPIP Testing – The ANC offers monthly Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) Testing at its ESL Training Centre on Smithville Crescent. For more information, please contact Marlene at (709) 726-6848 or linc@nfld.net
How Inclusive is my City?
Try the My City of Migration Diagnostic Tool

Take the pulse of your city with MyCOM, the My City of Migration Diagnostic. MyCOM is a modular tool designed to help you assess the quality of inclusion in your city: at work, at school, on election day, in health and as a new arrival. Complete the MYCOM Diagnostic to build a profile of your city’s strengths and weaknesses across 10 dimensions of inclusion. How does your city measure up?

St. John's Board of Trade Connector Program

The St. John’s Connector Program is an effective networking program that helps local businesses and organizations connect with immigrants, international students and graduates who are interested in starting and growing their career in St. John’s.Through one-on-one meetings, local business and community leaders known as Connectors meet with talent interested in opportunities in St. John’s. The Connector gains access to a wealth of diverse, pre-qualified talent and Connectees gain insight into their professional network, and connect with career opportunities.

Submit Your Events and Get Involved

Do you have an upcoming event the community should know about? Would you like us to highlight a successful program or initiative? Get in touch if you wish to have your organization's work included in the newsletter.

The St. John’s LIP also has many opportunities for you to get involved. The LIP is comprised of over 60 volunteers who participate through involvement on the Partnership Council or on one of the four working groups.

Contact Jessica Barry, LIP Project Officer, for more information at jbarry@st.johns.ca

Follow us on Twitter @StJohnsLIP