Local community foundations have released a report identifying areas of concern and strategies to help make Waterloo Region a better place to live.
Rosemary Smith of the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation says “We believe it is imperative that we understand what this region needs to allow it to become the best place to live, work, play and raise a family.”
One area the report sees as a priority is the growing needs of new immigrants, as more and more are set to arrive in the area.
By 2030 an estimated 30 per cent of Waterloo Region residents will be new to the country, that’s an increase of almost 10 per cent.
And the community foundations say planning to help new immigrants with cultural and economic barriers can’t start soon enough.
That’s because if new Canadians are better employed, the report says, they’ll be more active in the community.
Iraq-native Adher Sabry is still working on his English-language training after three years in Waterloo Region, so he can finish his university degree.
“Right now I’m trying to improve my language first, it is my goal to find a job in my field.”
Pari Karem, manager of immigrant services at the YMCA, says many of the 3,000 new Canadians coming to Waterloo Region each year face a similar challenge.
“Language is key to getting employment and employment is the main reason why new Canadians will settle in a community.”
The report says more help is needed to help the region’s immigrant and youth populations, where unemployment is nearly double that of the overall population.
Underemployment is also an issue, with an estimated 30 per cent of new Canadians not working up to their level of training.
Karem says “We have clients with Masters and PhD degrees that are applying for any kind of job.”
Unfortunately, Karem says with a client list of 3,000 per year and a language staff of eight, there is a backlog.
Despite that, federal funding has been shifting out of Ontario to the western oil sands communities, meaning slower integration of new Canadians in Waterloo Region.
Arts sector also a focus
The report also says more engagement is needed and specifically highlights the arts sector as an area where improvements can be made.
Smith says attendance has continued to drop at local cultural events.
In turn, a drop in ticket revenue is putting an increasing strain on funding for the groups who run the events.
Better marketing is seen as a way to help ensure their survival, and the community foundations have created a charitable arts-related website to help.
Smith says “Our goal is to assist in getting information to the hands of the users, in addition, the calendar will hopefully serve to bring many back to the site on a regular basis.”
