Federal funding to help newcomers settle in Calgary
By Albert Smith | Sun, 07/12/2009 - 23:08
Immigration minister Jason Kenney announced at the Calgary Immigrant Educational Society that newcomers to Calgary can avail the benefits of more language training that would help them to settle and integrate in Canada. Nine organizations got federal funding of almost $9.5 million for language training programs for newcomers.
Minister Kenney said that access to language training services is the first and most important step for newcomers to build contacts in communities which would make them more comfortable and welcomed.
A part of the funding went to The Calgary Immigrant Educational Society which would provide eighty four language instructions to newcomers in the province. Other organizations which also received the funding from the government are the Bow Valley College, Agape Language Centre Society, the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association, the Calgary Board of Education, Columbia Training Centre, Immigrant Services Calgary, Language Plus Inc. and YWCA and YMCA of Calgary. It is expected that at least thirteen thousand newcomers to Calgary will be benefited from the programs.
Executive Director of the Calgary Immigrant Society, Salim Sindhu, said that the organization is extremely pleased to receive the funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada for the purpose of providing language training services to newcomers. He said that these services are vital for newcomers to settle and be successful in Canada.
Settlement services forms an important part of the immigration program of the federal government. Alberta will receive a federal funding of almost $59 million in 2009-10 for settlement services, which would be an increase of almost 21 percent over the last year.
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