Category: News & Announcements

Today, just hours after Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada’s Prime Minister, an emerging coalition of social service providers challenged federal parties and new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Rachel Bendayan, to offer a renewed and unifying vision for immigration in Canada as they head into an imminent election.

The media event was organized by Vancouver Neighbourhood House Settlement Serving Organizations and the Association of Neighbourhood Houses BC in response to what was described as “faltering trust” in Canada’s immigration system.

“In the face of an alarming rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric and deepening concerns about our economic security, this is a critical time to help Canadians recognize the value that newcomers bring to our economy and to the social fabric that makes Canada such a special place in the world,” said Betty Lepps, Executive Director of Collingwood Neighbourhood House, urging federal parties to provide “a long-term vision that provides stability and certainty for newcomers and the organizations that support their success. Their success is our success.”

Collingwood is among many organizations that were surprised by debilitating funding cuts by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in the last days of 2024, only three months before taking effect on April 1st, without any transitional planning. Collingwood lost 100% of their funding after providing settlement services for 40 years in a part of Vancouver that many newcomers call home.

“Across Vancouver’s neighbourhood houses alone, we are coping with $5 million in cuts while the sector at large is still struggling to support hundreds of thousands of people who are already here,” added Lepps. “We’re losing entire programs, and being forced to lay people off, roles that are primarily held by racialized women.”

As she spoke, Lepps was surrounded by representatives from other organizations impacted by the cuts, including the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies (AMSSA), Immigrant Services Society of B.C. (ISSBC) and Vancouver Community College, which is itself facing a shutdown of its Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program in light of the cuts.

Chris Friesen, Chief Operating Officer of ISSBC, echoed Lepps on the need to push back on disinformation, and outlined the integral role of immigration in Canada’s economic growth.

“In British Columbia alone, a 2024 Labour Market Outlook Report projects a labour force gap of 1,120,000 within the next decade as more people age out of the workforce than will enter it. Almost 50% are expected to come through new immigrants,” said Friesen. “We urgently need  political leadership to bring us together as a country to develop a renewed long term vision for immigration. Our economic prosperity, our pension plans and our collective future depends on it.”

The event featured two newcomers who shared their settlement journeys, and the impact that finding a supportive community at their local neighbourhood house had on their lives. 

“I spent several months searching for a new job with no success, until I found South Vancouver Neighbourhood House. They introduced me to the Project-Based Labour Market Training for Settlement

Practitioners, a program that gave me hope and changed my life,” shared Shanna Delantar, who now works supporting youth newcomers at South Vancouver Neighbourhood House.

The coalition was also joined by Jenny Kwan, Member of Parliament for Vancouver East and NDP Critic for Immigration, who has been actively engaged with impacted communities on the issue.

“Newcomers are being used as a political scapegoat for Canada’s failed housing policy. Government and the official opposition members playing the blame game are dangerously fanning anti-immigrant sentiment,” said Kwan, adding that the recent cuts “are dismantling invaluable infrastructure that the community took decades to build up to help integrate newcomers. A neighbourhood house is the living room of a community. Gutting their settlement services funding by 50 – 100%, harms the very social, cultural and economic fabric of Canada. It is short-sighted and will only do more harm than good.”

A study conducted in 2023 by the Conference Board of Canada drew a clear link between investment in settlement supports and retention rates of newcomers. “We know that when we invest in and support newcomers, it brings good outcomes not only for them, but for all of us.” said Lepps, herself a first generation Canadian. “For generations, Canada has offered a promise of welcome, safety and inclusion for people seeking opportunity or displaced by crises. With the direction we’re headed in, that promise is being broken. We’re at risk of losing who we are as a nation.”

-30-

MEDIA CONTACT:
Stephanie San, South Vancouver Neighbourhood House Communications
Phone: 778-984-2505
Email: stephanie.san@southvan.org

Secondary contact:
Jenna Otto-Wray, ANBHC Communications
Phone: 604-725-4547 (text or call)
Email: jottowray@anhbc.org

We regret to inform you that as of April 1, 2025, we will no longer have funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) at Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH).

In December 2024, right before the holidays, neighbourhood houses and settlement organizations across BC received their budgets from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). With less than 4 months before our current Contribution Agreement (CA) expires, we learned of substantial funding reductions, impacting IRCC funded organizations such as Vancouver Neighbourhood House Settlement Consortium (VNHSC) partners and many other neighbourhood houses in BC.

The impact on CNH is a significant loss. CNH has been providing settlement services for 30 years. This loss represents our full funding which will end on March 31, 2025. This impact will include our programs, staffing, and community loss.

The decision from IRCC to cut our entire funding without a transition plan has put us in a position to create a plan that will best support all the areas impacted. Which means we ask for your patience and support as we transition with this decision, as we work to provide you with pertinent information as to what the next steps and directions will be.

We are working as a collective across the Association of Neighbourhood Houses BC (ANHBC) , VNHSC, and the BC Neighbourhood House Network to plan for what this means for us as an organization and a wider movement, but we know the impact is widespread, the discontinuation of funding to service provider organizations that have been providing these settlement services for years.

During this time if you have any questions or concerns, please email info@cnh.bc.ca and we will respond as soon as possible.

This is an exciting time to join the Board of such a vibrant organization. We are looking for people who:
•Live and/or work in Renfrew-Collingwood
•Can commit to a three-year term, starting this October
•Can commit 8-10 hours a month on Board-related work
•Have a broad understanding of the neighbourhood
•Have a strong commitment to becoming engaged in improving all aspects of ourneighbourhood
•Are able to bring expertise and perspectives that increase our organization’s capacity to be equitable and inclusive

We have a very diverse Board to represent our neighbourhood. At this time, we have a few skills and assets we require to be filled on the Board:
•Those who have experience in organizational change management.
•Youth who are passionate about improving their community
•Those who have experience in religious/spiritual associations.
•Those who have experience in fundraising.
•Those with relevant lived experience or who are representative of a historically marginalized group

The CNH Board of Directors is committed to an anti-oppressive, anti-racist approach to its work and welcomes those who thrive in a vibrant, welcoming environment.

Members of the Board’s Nominations Committee will be contacting applicants July 11-19. If you are interested, please contact Board President Leila Trickey at: president@cnh.bc.ca
and include:
•Your name
•Contact information
•Years in the Renfrew-Collingwood Neighbourhood
•A few lines on why you are interested in joining the CNH Board of Directors

Deadline for applications is July 10, 2024.

We are looking for Collingwood Neighbourhood House’s new Executive Director!

For the past 13 years, CNH has benefited from consistent leadership under our retiring Executive Director, Jennifer Gray-Grant. Throughout her successful tenure, CNH has expanded programs and services across 11 sites, employing 250 staff and contractors, and working with more than 200 volunteers. Additionally, CNH opened a new $5M community space in the fall of 2018, increased the annual budget from $4M to $12M, and established the RISE Community Health Centre in 2020. As she will be retiring this year, CNH is now recruiting a new Executive Director to guide and lead the organization through its next key chapters.

The Executive Director reports to an engaged and functional Board of Directors; a diverse blend of professionals and youth with varying tenures and rich experiences. Committed to service excellence, they foster a culture of inclusion and collaboration, ensuring an environment for confident leadership and innovation. The Executive Director is supported by 6 Directors on staff and an experienced management team of more than 30 individuals.

This Executive Director position is a senior strategic leadership role, and CNH will offer a salary budgeted between $148,000 to $156,000, in addition to extended benefits, vacation, and a pension plan.

The search process may include conventional longlist, shortlist, and committee interview stages. We will request for finalists to offer comprehensive recent references and to complete a background check.

Mosaic Executive Search expects to process first review of applications by March 22, 2024. Learn more about this opportunity on Mosaic’s website.