Aldermen Ceci, Colley-Urquhart and Chabot
July 13, 2009
WHEREAS immigration is seen as a critical factor to ensuring labour market growth and enhancing social capital;
AND WHEREAS immigrants are the source of real and potential contributions to the economic, social and cultural life of the city;
AND WHEREAS successful immigrant settlement takes time and involves many sectors of the community including local government to realize the social, cultural and economic benefits they bring;
AND WHEREAS not attending to settlement issues at the local level can lead to increased service expenditures including use of social assistance in health, social service, policing and emergency services;
AND WHEREAS research reveals that other municipalities in Canada such as Edmonton, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Vancouver have or are developing action plans and policies related to immigration, cultural integration, inter-cultural affairs and discrimination and racism;
AND WHEREAS The City of Calgary’s commitment to the Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination upholds the principle of promoting respect, understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity and inclusion of Aboriginal and racialized communities into the cultural fabric of the municipality;
AND WHEREAS immigration policy and settlement practice require trilateral cooperation between federal, provincial and municipal orders of government;
AND WHEREAS the goal of the Policy Framework will be to enable the City, within its mandate as municipal government and service provider, to work with all other orders of government, all sectors that make up the economic, social and cultural web of the City;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Administration be requested to bring forward a report to the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee no later than November 2009 with a City of Calgary Immigration Policy & Settlement Policy Framework to ensure The City is poised to work with other levels of government and local communities in providing successful integration for immigrants and refugees into our community.
DISTRIBUTION
At the request of Alderman Colley-Urquhart, and with the concurrence of Mayor Bronconnier, the City Clerk distributed revised copies of paragraph 9 contained in Aldermen Ceci, Colley-Urquhart and Chabot’s Motion NM2009-33.
AMENDMENT, Moved by Alderman McIver, Seconded by Alderman Stevenson, that Aldermen Ceci, Colley-Urquhart and Chabot’s revised Notice of Motion NM2009-33, be amended by inserting a new Recommendation 4 as follows:
4. Request that the Government of Canada Immigration Settlement dollars follow the
immigrant;
And further, that the remainder of the recommendations be renumbered accordingly.
ROLL CALL VOTE
For: Aldermen Jones, Lowe, Mar, McIver, Pincott, Stevenson, Ceci, Colley-Urquhart, Connelly, Farrell, Fox-Mellway, Hawkesworth and Mayor Bronconnier
Against: Aldermen Hodges and Chabot
CARRIED
AS AMENDED, Moved by Alderman Ceci, Seconded by Alderman Colley-Urquhart,
That Aldermen Ceci, Colley-Urquhart and Chabot’s Motion NM2009-33 be adopted, as amended, as follows:
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Administration:
1. Review municipal best practices in immigration policy, action strategies and performance measures; and
2. Do a gap analysis by comparing these best practices to existing City of Calgary policies (including, but not limited to, CCMARD Charter and Fair Calgary Policy);
3. Develop for consideration a City of Calgary Immigration and Settlement Policy Framework, building on the City’s existing policies to strengthen collaboration with other levels of government, to enhance integration of immigrants and refugees into our community;
4. Request that the Government of Canada Immigration Settlement dollars follow the immigrant; and
5. Report though the SPC on Community and Protective Services no later than 2010 April.
Opposed: Alderman Hodges
CARRIED
