For the past few years, the Canadian federal government has been instrumental in helping migrants with Canadian skilled visas settle into their new homes and adapt to the country’s way of life. Now, as part of the migrant settlement strategy, Immigration Minister Dianne Finley has announced that Ontario’s Peel Region will be the next to benefit when it receives $830,000.

The Government of Canada is committed to helping newcomers succeed,” Finley said. “With this funding, the Peel region will be better prepared to welcome and assist newcomers, providing much-needed services and easing their transition to life in Canada.”

The funds donated by the government will go towards the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (PNSG) set up in 2005 in order to ensure that the needs of the region’s Canadian immigration newcomers are met, allowing them to settle in and adapt to life in the area as quickly as possible.

Evelyn Myrie, Executive Director of the PSNG, commented: “With a growing number of immigrants comes a corresponding need to coordinate and improve settlement services for newcomers. Such services will contribute to the economic and social well being of new migrants in the community. The Peel Newcomer Strategy Group has been created to find appropriate solutions to the challenge of assisting newcomers.”

The Canadian government has increased the overall funding for Ontario to $920,000 over five years. The money will go towards aspects of settling in such as language training, helping migrants with Canadian skilled visas establish contacts in their field of work, and assisting them in connecting with volunteers who help them access various settlement-related services.