Debates of October 30, 2006 (day 18)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an immigrant to this great city of Yellowknife, from the beginning I was blessed with great teachers at the school and great family friends we met through church and other activities who helped us a lot and made it possible to get on with our life here and become contributing members of our society. Over the last 30 years I have seen Yellowknife change and become not only the biggest aboriginal community in the North, but one of the most multi-cultural cities in Canada. The vibrant aurora tourism and diamond industry and other economic opportunities have brought more and more newcomers to the city from every corner of the globe. We have welcomed them, but I have to tell you that the programs and services necessary to help them adapt and integrate into the mainstream society have not kept pace with these influxes at all. In fact, the services are about the same as what it was back in 1978 when there were very few immigrants in the city.

The English as a Second Language Program available at Aurora College serves the needs of only a part of this population, but there is no other English language assistance program, and anyone who has helped with or gone through immigration experience knows there is a million things that individuals and families need to know and get help with to settle in Canada; everything from how to shop in our stores, get a job, fill out government forms, learn different cultures and ways of life. For most families, they rely on their families and friends and their church groups.

But there is a volunteer group in Yellowknife operating out of the Centre for Northern Families who applied for funding to set up an immigration settlement program in Yellowknife and I was so disappointed, Mr. Speaker, to learn that the federal government has rejected this proposal. Shame on them, Mr. Speaker, because I have to tell you that the needs are enormous and the federal government has to recognize that it has an obligation to help provinces and territories look after and integrate the immigrant population it brings in, especially if it wants to see the immigrants settle in places away from the main cities of Vancouver and Toronto. There are currently no programs and services available at the municipal and territorial government level, but it is not our mandate to be the significant provider of these kinds of programs. This is completely within the mandate of Citizenship and Immigration Canada and I call upon the federal government to once again step up to the plate and do the right thing by these immigrants. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause