Category: Immigration & Settlement

Apparently, this survey may close tonight so here it is with some comments from me. Context? From IRCC's slide deck: "The purpose of this presentation is to solicit your early thoughts and co-generate ideas about how we can adapt the Settlement and Resettlement Programs to better suit the needs of clients over the next few years in a context of reduced funding and lower immigration levels."

Putting aside the fact that the national call for proposals and resulting approval and implementation process was devastatingly chaotic, I found it useful to take a dive into the government of Canada's proactive disclosure site, focus on grants and contributions. This article includes projects I found that are digitally/tech related, which might be of interest to you.

The Switchboard Confluence event in June 2025 brought together technology innovators and refugee resettlement professionals to reimagine newcomer support through emerging technologies. Participants shared practical tools, techniques, and examples of how ethical and affordable technologies can address current resettlement challenges, with an emphasis on reaching and serving clients who are not located in proximity to services and resources.

At the March 2025 Metropolis Conference I participated with Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (PNSG) on a panel presentation. If you weren't in the room, you may think you missed it. But, thankfully recently ran a similar panel and the 2024 P2P conference, virtually, so there is a recording. I didn't participate then, but I also have a recording of a very similar presentation I did on the topic of digital inclusion/equity and digital transformation in the sector.

You've seen Dr. Ibukun Abejirinde's work on compassionate virtual care on this site in the past. Her work on how digital transformation can advance health care access and health equity for marginalized groups is essentially connected to our work in settlement. I wanted to share some of that work in more detail.

Are you asking your clients about their digital access, literacy, and comfort as part of your intake or assessment processes? You should be. Here are some questions you can and should add to your intake and assessment flow to help you understand your clients and make better technology decisions.

Last year I wrote a post You don't need to be an early AI adopter, but pay attention where I shared some reports and links, mainly focused on ethical and responsible use of AI. I wrote "Ignoring whether or not you care about being a frontrunner in AI adoption, I think a key point is that you don’t need to be. But you need to be paying attention. And maybe seeking out some early adopters to learn from and even partner with." It's still true.

This webinar, hosted by Peel Newcomer Strategy Group with support of Digital Transformation committee of the Executive Council of Peel-Halton Settlement Partnerships, is designed to share knowledge and discuss the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence. This is the first session in a 4-part webinar series exploring the transformative potential of AI in newcomer-serving sector, with a special focus on how AI can enhance our services and operations.

Organized by ARAISA and the Société Nationale de l’Acadie (SNA) these May 2024 Cybersecurity and Data Protection webinars aim to raise awareness of privacy and data security principles, focusing on safeguarding client information and complying with provincial privacy laws. Both webinars are useful for all. Part 2 covers specific Atlantic region legal frameworks.