TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2012 – Top immigration experts will debate how immigration trends and future policies will create both challenges and opportunities for Canadian society, during the 2012 National Metropolis Conference in Toronto this week.
Taking place from March 1 to 3, this conference will be the 14th of the Metropolis Project, a network of policy officials, researchers, and immigration practitioners in Canada. The conference will focus on uncovering future directions of policy, research, and services for millions of newcomers and those planning to come to Canada. Countries around the world are looking at their approaches to immigration and Canada is no exception.
“The immigration system Canada had for too long was passive, slow, inefficient, and unfocused. The system we envision is proactive, fast, efficient, and focused on specific labour market needs across Canada,” says the Honourable Jason Kenney, Canada’s Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism who will make a policy address at the conference on March 1.
Top policy scholar Keith Banting of Queen’s University and Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration the Honourable Charles Sousa, will address the conference on March 2.
"Immigration is an economic imperative for Ontario," says Minister Sousa. "Our government believes in a shared immigration responsibility that will further harness the power of immigration, and I look forward to sharing ideas with conference participants as to how we can together enhance Ontario’s future.”
Olivia Chow, a long-time advocate for immigration and MP for Trinity-Spadina, will address the audience on the morning of March 3.
“It is very appropriate for this dialogue to occur in Toronto, a city that celebrates its diversity as a strength,” says Chow, “but also a city that has a higher poverty rate than the Canadian average, with a large number of immigrants living in poverty.”
Canada is one of several immigrant-receiving countries experiencing the phenomenon of “super-diversity”, where people no longer identify themselves as simply where they are from or by race. This and other topics, such as refugee integration and the situation of temporary migrants, will be explored in plenary sessions and workshops.
| WHAT: | 14th National Metropolis Conference: Future Immigration Policies: Challenges and Opportunities for Canada http://www.metropolis2012.net |
| WHEN: | March 1 – March 3 (pre-conference on February 29) |
| WHERE: | Westin Harbour Castle, 1 Harbour Square Toronto, Ontario M5J 1A6 |
| WHO: | Confirmed speakers include the Honourable Jason Kenney (Mar 1, 1:30pm), the Honourable Charles Sousa (Mar 2, 8:30am), and Trinity-Spadina MP Olivia Chow (Mar 3, 8:30am). |
Contact – To arrange interviews or connect with conference speakers, please contact Bradley Lee by email at cerisoff@yorku.ca or by phone at 416-707-2463. Twitter #metropolis2012
