Consultation: Peterborough Housing Strategy

As required by the Places To Grow Act, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and municipal Official Plans, the City and County must develop a Housing Strategy to meet the needs of all residents, with a particular emphasis on affordable housing. As Service Manager for Housing, the City is leading development of this Strategy for both City and County.

Our community, like others, is experiencing the effects of climate change, urban sprawl, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation. The Province and the Municipalities are developing strategies for dealing with these challenges. Housing is fundamental to a healthy community; the Housing Strategy will address the need for greater urban density and intensification, as well as the needs of housing households of low and moderate incomes, seniors and persons with special needs across the continuum of housing from homelessness/housing insecurity to home ownership.

A community Steering Committee has been formed to advise on the process of research, consultation and drafting the final document that will go before Councils for approval - likely before summer.

In addition to the contribution of Steering Committee members, a number of consultations in the community have been held or are to come. These include meetings with the Supply Sub-Committee of AHAC, the Peterborough Social Planning Council, social housing provider representatives, the Homelessness Agencies Co-ordinating Committee, Social Services Division staff, Planning Department staff, Our Space users, County Planning staff, the Township Clerks/Treasurers and Chief Building Officials, PACAC, the Council for Persons with Disabilities, and the Landlords Association.

Some questions to consider from local research:
• What support systems for newcomers (i.e.: immigrant services, ESL programs) are required to ensure a quality of life for new immigrants in the community?
• Is Peterborough today prepared/willing for any significant influx of immigrants/cultural diversity? What planning is necessary to facilitate a changing demographic/community composition?

A consultation for the general public will be held on Thursday, 11 March 2010, 6 - 8:30 p.m. at the Public Library (lower level). Your presence would be most welcome.

Contact:
Cheryl Lyon
Programs Officer
Housing Division
City of Peterborough
(705) 742-7777 ext. 1501
clyon@peterborough.ca

The full InfoNotes document with additional consultation questions can be found here

Webinar: Making the Grade - Integration Through Education in Toronto and Zurich

Webinar, March 2, 2010

Making the Grade: Integration Through Education in Toronto and Zurich
Free Webinar - Register online

Date and Time (By Timezone):

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
10:00 (EST, Toronto, New York)
15:00 (GMT, London)
16:00 (CET, Berlin, Zurich)

From Zurich and Toronto
Join Cities of Migration on March 2, 2010 for a 60-minute international conversation about integration strategies that generate equal opportunities in education and accelerate improved academic outcomes for immigrant and second-generation students.

Making the Grade: Integration Through Education in Toronto and Zurich

* Learn about The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the 2008 winner of the international Carl Bertelsmann Prize, and their grade-A success in responding to the challenge of migration and demographic changes in the culturally-diverse city of Toronto, Canada. Moving beyond traditional instructional models of second-language learning, discover how a public school system can partner with settlement agencies, community organizations, and government partners to guarantee educational opportunity for every student in Toronto's diverse, inclusive city schools.

* From Zurich, learn how Quality in Multicultural Schools (QUIMS) tackled inequality of education at school with a flexible, multi-strand approach that included the student’s most important allies –her teachers and parents. Language support, parent councils, intercultural mediators, and systematic additional teacher training all combined to transform a pilot school program in the Canton of Zurich into core school legislation since 2008.

How to join: To participate, you need a computer with internet access and a landline telephone, not a mobile. Online and audio instructions will be emailed to confirmed participants.

To register, click here.

For assistance, contact: citiesofmigration@maytree.com

Immigrant Health in Ontario

This profile highlights immigrant health using provincial level findings from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). It compares self-perceived health, risk factors, use of services, and chronic conditions among immigrants and the Canadian-born population. The analysis is based on data from the combined 2005 and 2007/08 CCHS for the Ontario population age 12 and over (unless otherwise stated).

The total sample size for this combined data file is 81,286 respondents (16,443 of whom are immigrants). Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)level analysis, provided in an accompanying spreadsheet, allows LHINs to profile their individual immigrant populations.

Download this report here

Community Dialogue: Public Transit & Newcomers/Immigrants

Save the Date!

Community Dialogue: Public Transit & Newcomers/Immigrants

Saturday March 6, 2010

12.30-3.30pm

Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer

All are welcome, food provided.

For more information, please contact Anu (anu@cassa.on.ca)

Baseline research reports

The PPCII conducted 2 research projects to examine the issue of immigrant integration in our community. The goal of these projects was to establish our baseline level of knowledge and to inform the next phase of the development of the integration strategy for our community.

The final reports for these projects has been produced:
A) Focus groups with key representatives of the housing and transportation, health and social services, employment and education sectors
Report

b) Review of academic and grey literature regarding the issue of immigrant integration in small communities in Ontario
Report

Request for proposals: Phase 2 Research

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Phase Two Research

The Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration (PPCII) is seeking Proposals from Researcher(s)/Planner(s) to; review data collected from Phase One participatory research; collaborate with the Integration Strategy Committee in identifying gaps and carrying out additional research; collaborate with the Integration Strategy Committee and stakeholders (Sector Working Groups) in validating results and writing recommendations and an action plan to improve immigrant integration in Peterborough and surrounding area.

Total budget for this assignment, including professional fees, must not exceed $23,500 including GST. Lowest-priced or any proposal not necessarily accepted.

Proposals should be brief, with an outline of the proposed methodology and approach to the assignment, as well as relevant experience, CV and references.

Full RFP is posted here.

For information about the PPCII, please visit the Partnership Council menu at the New Canadians Centre website: www.nccpeterborough.ca

Proposals should be delivered by courier or by hand no later than 4 pm, February 24th, 2010 to:

Hajni Hős
Coordinator
Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration
205 Sherbrooke St Unit D, Peterborough, ON, K9J 2N2

Edited 22 Feb:

Question:
Is this Phase Two Research the last one?
Answer:
Yes, at the end of Phase one we hope to have an integration strategy, so Phase 2 is the last one.

Video: Condemnation of attacks against Asian-Canadian anglers

February 10, 2010, Peterborough, ON - The Community and Race Relations Committee of Peterborough (CRRC) announces the launch of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) focused on the attacks against Asian-Canadian anglers in Ontario. Featuring Italo Labignan, well-known host of the Canadian Sportfishing Show, the PSA condemns the numerous attacks against Asian-Canadian anglers in communities surrounding Peterborough, and encourages the public to report any wrongdoing witnessed.

Launch & Press Conference:
When: Thursday February 11th, at 1pm.
Where: New Canadians Centre, 204 Sherbrooke Street, Peterborough, ON.

Identifying himself as both a sport fisher and an immigrant, Labignan was deeply disturbed by these attacks, stating “these attacks cannot be tolerated.” Created as part of CRRC’s ongoing work on the issue of racially-motivated attacks and graffiti, the Committee is pleased to have Labignan add his voice to those who strive for an Ontario that is safe for all to live, work or fish in.

Download: http://74.208.108.43/FTP/PSA%20Race%20Relations%203.zip

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pla5tSTcgc0

“We began our work on the issue of the attacks against Asian-Canadian anglers in 2007, and are launching this PSA on the eve of the sentencing hearing for one of those cases – anticipating that the court will respond appropriately” said Mike Ma, coordinator of the CRRC. Trevor Middleton, 23, will be sentenced for aggravated assault and criminal negligence in a case that was racially motivated according to victims and community members, in Newmarket on February 12, 2010.

"While we remain extremely concerned about the Trevor Middleton case which is now being considered for sentencing, we believe that it is important to take a proactive stance before the next fishing season to prevent future crimes with professional fishermen like Italo Labignan," said Karen Sun, CCNCTO, "We are really pleased to have his support for this important message to the public."

For further information: Mike Ma, Community and Race Relations Committee of Peterborough, 705-742-9658, racerelation@gmail.com