National Initiatives

Attracting and Retaining Immigrants: A Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres, 2nd Edition

Prepared by the National Working Group on Small Centre Strategies
Funded by the Government of Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada)

Immigration is important for Canada. It may be vital for your community. Help is available based on current best thinking.

A number of government and non-government immigration professionals from across Canada have developed a Tool Box of information and practical ideas to help your community attract and retain new people. The Tool Box will help you understand the challenging environment of laws and realities in which in-migration can happen. It is available for free.

The Tool Box is a practical tool for smaller centres to use as they build a strategy to address the issues surrounding the attraction and retention of immigrants. The Toolbox covers the breadth of issues and information necessary for diverse smaller centres to successfully implement their strategy.

Topics covered in the Tool Box include Canada’s population picture, the importance of community consensus and how to build it, Canada’s immigration laws, getting organized, important key factors like family ties, employment and housing, attracting people whether immigrants or others, and the many attributes of a welcoming community and how to develop them. The Tool Box contains many practical examples, check lists, and reference sources. It is accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation.

Documents below are in PDF format unless otherwise noted.

CDs and paper copies of the Tool Box booklet are available in English and French.

Contact: Edd Macdonald
Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
930 Balmoral Road
Victoria, British Columbia V8T 1A8

Telephone: 250-388-4728
Fax: 250-386-4395
E-mail: emacdonald@icavictoria.org