www.waterlooregion.org / poverty / talk
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www.waterlooregion.org / poverty / talk
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Poverty Fact Sheet #2Produced by The Urban Poverty Consortium of Waterloo Region September 27, 2000
Who Are the New Canadians?
The vast majority of people who immigrate to Canada
come to Ontario. As of 1996, 2,787,030 immigrants and
non-permanent residents lived in Ontario. Of that
number, 86,370 newcomers - mainly from Europe, Asia,
South America and Central America - settled in
Waterloo Region. Immigrants and non-permanent
residents comprise 21.56% of the total population of
Waterloo Region.[2]
Newcomers to Canada see Waterloo Region as a
desirable place in which to live. Officials with the
Waterloo-Wellington office of Citizenship and
Immigration Canada have noted that
government-sponsored and group-sponsored immigrants
arrive in Canada at various points of entry and often
choose Waterloo Region as a preferred destination.
Factors such as comprehensive community supports for
immigrants and a relatively low unemployment rate may
account for secondary migration to the three urban
areas of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo.
New Canadians and Poverty
Almost 18% of all immigrants residing in Waterloo
Region live below the LICO, as compared to 13.17% of
Canadian-born residents. Non-permanent residents
experience the highest rate of poverty - 44.54% in
Waterloo Region live below the LICO. When compared to
the national data, poverty rates are lower for new
Canadians living in the three urban centers of
Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. [4]
Table Two shows that poverty rates are lower in
Waterloo Region than those for Canada for the three
periods of immigration. Historically, immigrants have
moved out of poverty the longer they stayed in
Canada. This trend is reflected in both the local and
national data. However, since 1989, a new trend has
developed - the earnings gap between Canadian-born
and new Canadian workers is wider.[5] This could indicate that new
Canadians are facing greater challenges in achieving
prosperity, apart from their more recent arrival in
this country.
Contributing Factors
In Urban Poverty in Canada: A Statistical
Profile, the Canadian Council on Social
Development noted the following with regard to recent
immigrants:
These factors should indicate less of a risk of
living in poverty but this is not necessarily the
case.
Language and cultural barriers and a lack of
knowledge around job-search techniques specific to a
new community could explain a higher rate and a
longer duration of poverty . Immigrants with
academic, professional or trade qualifications often
experience difficulty having foreign credentials
recognized. As ability to communicate in a new
language improves, problems related to the nuances of
language, as used in the workplace, may sontinue to
exist.
New Canadian Women
According to the Waterloo Region Community Health
Profile 1999, immigrant women are less likely
than immigrant men to speak either of Canada's
official languages - a significant obstacle to
employment and access to community
resources.[6] In a
two-parent household where a traditional division of
labor applies, women tend to be responsible for the
care of any young children. This can mean that they
have less time available to upgrade language and
job-related skills.
For cultural or religious reasons, a certain form of
dress may be required but may be considered
restrictive for certain working environments.
However, women may feel more constrained than men in
modifying their attire, in cases where an employer is
unable to make an accommodation.
Our Stories
"I am 26 and came to Canada as a refugee 5
years ago. My homeland has been completely destroyed
and there is no government left there. My younger
sister is developmentally challenged. She lives with
me. When our family was attacked, we separated, and
were dispersed to the four corners of the earth. My
mother is in Holland with my younger sister, and we
have lost my father. He is looking for us, obviously.
I have a brother in the States.
"Whatever I do, I have to take care of my sister. I
cannot leave her in the care of other people. I am
responsible for her. Right now we are receiving
Social Assistance, but I would like to get away from
that and be able to work, and help my family. I don't
know what to do with my little sister. If I get a job
and I have to pay someone to take care of her, I will
even be poorer than I am right now.
"And who will take care of her while I work? She
needs special care and does not speak English. Don't
tell me to send her to my relatives in Holland or the
States; they will not take her. There has to be a
way. By the time I use my social services allowance,
I am left with nothing.
"I am young and healthy. I have a desire to work and
make something better for myself. There has to be a
better way."[7]
"I came to Canada as a refugee with my
father. We survived on welfare in a city in Ontario.
I had always done well in school and I had dreams of
going to university. I applied and was accepted at
the University of Waterloo.
"I arrived in Kitchener-Waterloo in January. I had no
place to stay so I came to the House of Friendship.
My father helped me put the money together for my
tuition fees. But my student loan was delayed, so I
had no money for food or lodging. Because I was a
university student, I was ineligible for social
assistance.
"I stayed at the hostel for two months as a guest.
During that time, I walked the ten kilometers to
university every day. Finally my student loan came
through and I moved to my own place.
"A few months later I returned to the hostel to thank
the staff for helping me. I was happy to tell them
that my father had moved to join me and that I was
earning a 90+ average in my science
program."[8]
Poverty Fact Sheet Series
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