Gatineau’s guide to new immigrants

Canada, 7th December: Gatineau, Quebec has released a guide for new immigrants aimed to help newcomers’ successful integration into a new environment.

Released on 28th November 2011, it a 16-point guide containing ‘statement of values’, it is currently available in French version only.

Gatineau’s guide for new immigrants in Quebec--It contains some do’s and don’ts to be followed by newcomers with regard to some of the vital local values of Quebec including avoiding cooking of smelly food, offering bribe to officials and honor killings.

It asks immigrants to refrain from forced labor, willful malnutrition, neglect, excessive punishments, humiliation, corporal and sexual abuse in its page named ‘Children are our most precious good’.

And under its section titled ‘hygiene, cleanliness and quality of life, it advises immigrants to respect others by curtailing strong cooking odors and cigarette smoke. It also asks newcomers to exercise punctuality on appointments.

Guide for newcomers stirs controversy—The recently released guide for new immigrants in Quebec has stirred controversy. It reminds one of the 2007 code of conduct of Heouxville, Quebec that invited global attention for its controversial guidelines.

Critics have maintained that the newly released Quebec guide for new immigrants is a sheer insult since it seems to be treating immigrants as if they have come out of a cave. Head of the Center for Research Action on Race-Relations, Fo Niemi says it singles out newcomers and seems to portray them as Neanderthals.

Guide aims to better integration of newcomers--However, according to the Gatineau municipal councilor for culture and diversity, Mireille Apollon, since Gatineau is growing quite fast and has a highest per capita immigration level by being second to Edmonton in Canada.

Hence it becomes necessary to have documents that provide relevant information to immigrants about Gatineau. She maintained that immigrants come from varied cultures and horizons and this means differences in behaviors which could become irritants.

She asserted that many Canadian cities including Quebec have inherited an obligation to help successful integration of newcomers coming to Canada.

Around 250,000 immigrants are currently living in Gatineau and the rate of international immigration has gone up tremendously in the last couple of years.

So, the new document aims to help new arrivals fit into the new environment in a better way, says, the administration of Mayor Marc Bureua.