It takes a while to figure out where everything is and how to start a new life in Canada, so the City of Delta is trying to make it just a bit easier with its Newcomer’s Guide.
And with this being Welcoming Week, Sept. 13 to 22, the city is trying to get the word out about the publication with a social media campaign.
The guide will help recent immigrants find housing and jobs, settlement supports, family and youth services, and gives an overview of how local government works and how to get involved.
“The success and well-being of newcomers, is a priority for everyone in our city and we will continue to collaborate with community partners to provide relevant and accessible resources to the people who need them,” said Mayor George Harvie in a news release.
The guide was released earlier this year at the first Newcomer Forum attended by immigrants, community partners and city representatives.
According to the city’s social action plan, as of 2023, immigrants make up more than a third of the city’s 108,000 residents.
Between the years, 2016 to 2021, 4,325 newcomers arrived here.
The guide also notes that more than 45 percent of Delta’s population are racialized residents and a third are immigrants.
“This growth highlights the need for both expansion and development of support services and resources,” said the release.
All of the city’s departments, led by the social planning team, along with newcomers and community partners, contributed to the guide, which was partly funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The guide can be found online at this link.
