Rachel Blaney, executive director of the Immigrant Welcome Centre, has accepted an invitation to join the Conference Board of Canada’s Leadership Roundtable on Immigration.
“We are very pleased with Rachel’s accepted invitation of this amazing opportunity,” Diane Bojsza, board chair of the Immigrant Welcome Centre, says. “It is a compliment to the communities we serve and an acknowledgement of the local leadership and expertise concerning immigration in our rural communities.”
The Conference Board of Canada is a respected voice in Canada. Its’ mission “builds leadership capacity for a better Canada by creating and sharing insights on economic trends, public policy and organizational performance.”
The goal of the Leadership Roundtable on Immigration is to develop and implement effective strategies for attracting, integrating and retaining immigrants into the Canadian workforce. There is also a research component that allows the roundtable to provide direction on relevant and timely immigration research.
The Immigrant Welcome Centre of North Vancouver Island was invited to join the roundtable after Diana Mackay, Director of Education, Health and Immigration Programs, of the Conference Board of Canada presented at the “Diversity Lives Here” Conference held in Campbell River in May 2012. Diana was impressed by the coordinated approach that the Immigrant Welcome Centre provides in the smaller communities it serves, leading to the invitation.
“This experience will lead to more opportunities for the region we serve.” Blaney states. “The roundtable has representatives from leadership in big business, small business, government, universities and foundations. Because immigration is an important factor in Canada’s future, it is my goal to make sure smaller communities are remembered in the planning process.”
The Immigrant Welcome Centre serves the Comox Valley, Campbell River and the North Island.
The centre provides services to immigrants to help them integrate and settle into Canada. Over 350 clients have been served in the past six months, as immigration continues to bring innovative and skilled newcomers to the community. For more information contact the Campbell River office at 250 830-0171.