Although the Regional Connections Immigrant Services office in Arborg only opened its door this spring, it’s off to a flying start, helping dozens of newcomers settle in the general area and receiving very positive feedback in return.
Regional Connections’ executive director Steve Reynolds said the organization began offering settlement services in the Interlake region on April 1, and the Arborg office has already helped 61 people transition to a new life in the region.
“A high percentage of newcomers in the Arborg area are temporary foreign workers. Almost 100 per cent of these individuals wish to gain permanent residency,” said Reynolds last week.
To date, the Arborg office has helped 10 permanent residents (one is a refugee), five refugee claimants, 35 temporary residents with a work permit, and 11 temporary residents with study permits/visitor visas (school age children).
“The permanent residents have already settled in the area,” said Reynolds. “The others are seeking the opportunity to settle in the community.”
Of the newcomers the office has helped, 28 people are living in Arborg, 23 in Gimli, five in Fisher Branch, one in Poplarfield, three in Ashern and one in Thompson.
In Arborg, the newcomers are working primarily in the manufacturing, retail and agriculture sectors. In Gimli, a high percentage of newcomers are working in the retail and hospitality sectors.
Funded by the federal department of immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada and the Province of Manitoba, Regional Connections provides settlement, employment and language services to newcomers, and builds connections between the newcomers and the communities in which they settle through various activities.
Regional Connections has offices throughout Manitoba. As well as Arborg, there are offices located in Altona, Dauphin, Morden, Notre Dame, Selkirk and Winkler.
The Arborg office is Located in the Kinsman Building across from the Arborg Arena in the centre of town. It serves Arborg and surrounding areas to the north.
Regional Connections makes its newcomer services known via community partners, community bulletin boards, social media and its website. And the federal department of immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada offers a tool on its website called “Find a newcomer service near me.” Newcomers can enter a community name or postal code, and the site will direct them to the nearest settlement service.
In addition to meeting with newcomers in person at one of the Manitoba site offices, Reynolds said the organization can connect with newcomers via online services.
“We also provide a number of online services as an organization, including online information sessions, English classes and conversation groups,” he said. “Arborg area newcomers are welcome to join our online services.”
Typically, newcomers will meet with a settlement worker at a Regional Connections office, take part in a needs assessment, help develop a settlement plan, and get registered for the programs and services best suited to them.
“A settlement plan is the first service a new client will receive at Regional Connections. Our experienced settlement worker will sit down to assess needs, assets, and goals and develop a personalized plan for each new client,” said Reynolds. “This will include short-term goals and long-term goals, everything from first arrival like getting a health card and a driver’s licence to longer term goals like housing and a mortgage, permanent residency, Canadian citizenship, improving English skills and making social connections in the community.”
Regional Connections’ settlement program director Tina Rempel said the feedback they’ve received from the newcomers they’ve helped in the Arborg region has been very positive. Their transition has gone well and they appreciate the region’s many benefits including a variety of job opportunities.
“Newcomers have shared very positive feedback about their transition to the Arborg region. Many express that Arborg is a peaceful and family-friendly community, making it an ideal place to raise children. Its proximity to Winnipeg – just an hour’s drive – offers convenient access to city amenities while still enjoying the benefits of small-town living,” said Rempel. “Additionally, newcomers appreciate the variety of local employment opportunities available in the area.”
The opening of a Regional Connections office in Arborg earlier this year has improved newcomers’ experience and created greater awareness in the business community that there are potential employees in their neck of the woods.
“With a dedicated local presence, we’re able to support individuals and families more effectively throughout their settlement process,” said Rempel. “Our goal is for Regional Connections to be the first point of contact for newcomers, and we’re working with local businesses and employers to ensure they include us as part of their onboarding process for new hires. This collaboration helps create a smoother and more connected transition for newcomers as they build their lives in the Arborg region.”
Anyone wishing to help newcomers transition to a new life in Manitoba is encouraged to fill out a volunteer application form (on the organization’s website) and submit it to Regional Connections either in person or electronically. Volunteers can help with settlement support, be a language buddy, be a classroom helper or community tour guide.
Regional Connections has already held a volunteer recruitment event, and it hopes to start monthly community connection/information sessions shortly.
The Arborg office’s settlement facilitator Beverly Magaway said they’d like to recruit more volunteers to help newcomers navigate everyday life in the rural area, be a shoulder they can lean on and help them practise their English.
“We’d like to start a language buddy and community mentor program where volunteers are matched up with newcomers for the purpose of practising their English, with the added bonus of having someone from within the community walk alongside them should they have questions about anything having to do with the community. Most newcomers come to Canada without any family, which can be challenging. We all know how much we value the support of family. Imagine living life without it,” said Magaway. “Volunteers have the opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of newcomers. They can be the reason newcomers stay in the community. A sense of belonging is so important and plays a part in retaining the newcomers that start their new lives in our small communities. Our communities have so much to offer, but if newcomers don’t get to see and experience the benefits of a small community, they leave.”
Staff and volunteers from the Arborg Regional Connections office will be taking part in the upcoming Arborg Street Festival parade on Aug. 8 to help showcase the rich diversity of cultures in the Arborg region.
“Our presence will include volunteers from the newcomer community, representing a wide range of cultural backgrounds including Ukrainian, Sudanese, Bolivian, Filipino and Canadian. Volunteers will assist by carrying banners and flags and by distributing candy along the parade route,” said Magaway.
The office’s participation in the parade was made possible with the generous support it received from local business sponsors: Tria Products, the Cantor Family, Smolinski Farm, and Bonkowski Turkey Breeder Farm, which donated candy for the event, she added.
“Our participation highlights the value of community engagement and celebrates the rich diversity of our region,” said Magaway.
Regional Connections will also be involved in Arborg’s annual Culturama celebration in the fall.
Later this month, the Arborg Regional Connections office is hosting an open house at the Kinsman Building. Newcomers and long-time community residents are welcome to attend. The organization wants to get to know everyone, share information about its services, introduce new staff and provide information about volunteer opportunities.
The open house takes place on Aug. 28 from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kinsman Building in Arborg.
Visit Regional Connections Immigrant Services at www.regionalconnections.ca A new website is set to launch this fall. People can also call the general contact number at (204) 325-4059 or email: info@regionalconnections.ca
