The Simcoe County Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) is encouraging Clearview Township officials to think about how to make a welcoming environment for newcomers.
Manager of strategic partnerships Sandra Lee, who oversees the work of the LIP, presented to Clearview council this week findings from the 2023 Community Settlement Strategy, published by the County of Simcoe.
She said there are 90 LIPs across Canada working to encourage successful outcomes for immigrant residents.
Between 2016 and 2021, the foreign-born population of permanent residents increased by 33.6 per cent, with the highest concentration in South Simcoe and Barrie. In that time Clearview Township has seen a 20 per cent increase in newcomer residents, from 975 to 1,170.
“There is not a community in Simcoe County that did not have an increase in immigration population,” said Lee.
During that same period Census data shows a 40.5 per cent increase in Simcoe County residents reporting a non-official mother tongue, a 16.2 per cent increase for Clearview (680 people), and 42.2 per cent (34,720) of Simcoe County immigrant residents identify as part of a racialized group, 20.5 per cent for Clearview (3.9 per cent of all Clearview Township residents identify as part of a racialized group). The majority of recent immigrants (in the country five years or less) are primarily of South and East Asian descent.
“Starting in 2019 there was a rapid increase in the number of direct arrivals in Simcoe County,” said Lee, adding this creates a need for more supports and services.
A 2022 County of Simcoe Immigrant Survey indicated overall that newcomers generally have a low sense of belonging.
“Despite reported labour shortages in Simcoe County, a survey conducted by the County of Simcoe in 2022 indicated that the biggest settlement challenge experienced by immigrants living in Simcoe County was finding work (48 per cent of respondents),” states the Community Settlement Strategy report. “There is a significant disconnect between employers’ recruiting outcomes and immigrants’ lived experiences finding employment. Immigration is a competitive process based on a points system that favours highly- educated and skilled applicants arriving in Canada. Despite their qualifications, 50 per cent of local immigrants indicated challenges in having their credentials recognized by employers.”
The survey indicated other challenges in descending order as making friends and finding social connections; accessing healthcare; finding housing; accessing public transit; discrimination and racism; learning English or French; accessing community programming; navigating the school system; and accessing cultural programs.
Lee said some are challenges for the population as a whole but that much harder for newcomers to Canada.
“The purpose of a settlement strategy is to attract, recruit, integrate and retain newcomer populations,” said Lee. “If people don’t feel like they belong, and you’ve moved thousands of miles, what’s another 500 or 200 miles to find the right situation for your family?”
The Local Immigration Partnership is encouraging municipalities to support recommended actions within the Community Settlement Strategy to address the challenges faced by newcomers and provide opportunities to make them feel included such as inclusion in strategic planning; providing communications in other languages, establishing a committee to focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion; and participating in the cultural initiatives sponsored by the county.
A big one, said Lee, is the establishment of a cultural centre.
“It is an asset that is significantly missing from Simcoe County and drives immigrants who have relocated here back to the GTA,” she said.
County of Simcoe launches Rental Market Aggregator Dashboard tool
The County of Simcoe has launched a Rental Market Aggregator Dashboard, a powerful new tool designed to provide real-time insights into the rental market across all communities in the region.
The dashboard will allow residents across Simcoe County to discover meaningful trends in the rental market to best inform themselves when making critical decisions.
“The launch of the Rental Market Aggregator Dashboard marks another significant milestone for Simcoe County,” said Warden Basil Clarke. “This innovative tool empowers our residents with real- time, comprehensive insights into the rental market, bridging critical data gaps, especially in our rural communities. This initiative not only enhances transparency within the rental market, but it also supports the overall economic well-being of our entire region.”
Developed in partnership with the Rural Ontario Institute, the dashboard aggregates rental advertisement data, offering up-to-date information on asking prices for one-, two-, and three-bedroom units.
The initiative helps fill a critical data gap, especially in rural areas in Simcoe County where traditional sources like the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) may not provide as detailed information.
Some of the key features of the dashboard include offering real-time data, historical trends, and market affordability. Users of the dashboard can receive a current, comprehensive picture of the rental market, track how rental prices have evolved over time to get a better understanding of price fluctuations, and gain insights into the affordability of rental units across different communities.
The data collected is aggregated from various rental advertisements across multiple platforms. This is done in collaboration with the Rural Ontario Institute. This provides asking rents across the County but does not indicate affordability for residents who are already in the rental system. This will enable newcomers, students and others to better assess rental prices in our communities, and to allow landlords to price units commensurate with other offerings.
Questions or concerns about the specifics of the dashboard, can be directed to BI_Team@simcoe.ca. The dashboard itself is now live and can be accessed at open.simcoe.ca.