New immigrants become financially better off much sooner by locating in communities smaller than Canada’s major metropolitan centres, a recent study shows.

That’s a fact that Dave Arjune, a native of Guyana, discovered on his own when he took his first job close to 30 years ago in Waterloo, Ontario, where he now has his own successful engineering and manufacturing company.

The report published by Statistics Canada shows the income gap between immigrants and Canadians who were born here closed much faster when they created a new life for themselves in a smaller centre than in one of our larger cities. It’s also a trend that governments at both national and provincial levels are making efforts to encourage... [ read more ]

Christine Reynolds says her job is to help people get back to work as soon as possible after they’ve suffered a disability or illness. But the most common challenge she faces often is the lack of awareness on the part of employers in recognizing the obligation they have—as well as the economic advantages—to bring someone back as soon as they’re able to return to work.

A kick in the butt is something that’s often needed when it comes to making a making decisions about one’s life, says Chief Clarence Louie, one of Canada’s most outspoken aboriginal leaders.

Awareness and Leadership

• Identify a diversity champion within the most senior levels of the organization (e.g. CEO or other senior executive).
• Build awareness among executives and hiring decision makers that skilled immigrants are now a significant segment of the Canadian population and labour pool, and that they have been accepted into Canada specifically for their skills and education (i.e. through a points system) ... [ read more ]