FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, ON — To celebrate Newcomer Day in Toronto, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is pleased to celebrate its partnerships with some of the Toronto’s most iconic institutions. Through its Canoo Access Pass, today, and year-round, all members of the ICC’s Canoo app are eligible for one year of free admissions to the Toronto Zoo, Little Canada, and have access to free memberships with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), alongside benefits with hundreds of other experiences across Canada.
Through their longstanding commitment to welcoming newcomers, the Toronto Zoo, Little Canada and TIFF are championing the road to breaking barriers and creating positive experiences for newcomers in their new homes.
“While immigration levels continue grow, there is mounting evidence that immigrants are leaving Canada in greater numbers too, posing an existential threat to our shared prosperity,” said Daniel Bernhard, Chief Executive Officer for the ICC. “Toronto has always been a proud destination for newcomers to Canada and leading institutions like Little Canada, the Toronto Zoo and TIFF are stepping up on behalf of Torontonians by joining the Canoo Access Pass. They make true that Toronto, with its challenges, is one of the best newcomer cities in the world where they can feel valued, plant roots, and contribute to our shared success for generations to come.”
First proclaimed in 2015, Toronto Newcomer Day is an annual event held in May that welcomes newcomers to Toronto celebrating their contributions to the city.
“Little Canada was born from my dream, as a newcomer, to showcase and celebrate all that Canada offers in miniature scale. It’s a place where Canadians can share their stories and love for Canada,” says Jean-Louis Brenninkmeijer, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Little Canada. “We are thrilled to participate in the Canoo Access Pass, and we encourage everyone to come visit us in downtown Toronto.”
“Your Toronto Zoo’s mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction and our vision is a world where wildlife and wild spaces thrive, said Dolf DeJong, CEO of Toronto Zoo. “As an iconic tourist attraction and wildlife conservation organization we are very proud to partner with CANOO and to celebrate Newcomer Day in Toronto. We look forward to welcoming Canadian newcomers to our Zoo to learn more about saving and protecting species locally and globally.”
Canoo’s growing welcome partner network in Toronto and in Canada, ensures that Torontonian newcomers and their families have access to the country’s most impressive cultural attractions, iconic festivals, as well as sought after destinations so that they can thrive in their new home.
“At TIFF, we’re committed to increasing representation, celebrating diverse creative communities, and expanding access to the arts, while creating a welcoming cultural hub for new audiences,” said Robyn Citizen, Director of Festival Programming and Cinematheque at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Since 2010, Canoo has welcomed over 500,000 newcomer members. All recent permanent residents and new citizens can join Canoo by downloading its app for free.
About
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) works to unlock Canada for newcomers, facilitating and encouraging the journey towards full and active Canadian citizenship. The ICC is an independent charity, co-founded in 2006 by the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul.
Media Contact
Brooke Timpson
403.605.2282
media@inclusion.ca
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, ON — To celebrate Museum Month in Ontario, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is pleased to celebrate its’ partnerships with some of the province’s most iconic institutions through its Canoo Access Pass This month, and year-round, all members of the ICC’s Canoo app are eligible for one year of free admissions to the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Ingenium museums – the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Science and Technology Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, alongside hundreds of other cultural institutions across Canada.
The ROM, AGO and Ingenium collectively welcome thousands of newcomer Canoo members annually with free admission, maintaining their longstanding commitment to welcome newcomers by breaking barriers to positively experience their new homes.
“While immigration levels continue grow, there is mounting evidence that immigrants are leaving Canada in greater numbers too, posing an existential threat to our shared prosperity,” said Salimah Dhalla, Senior Director of Strategy and Operations for the ICC. “Leading cultural attractions, like the ROM, the AGO and Ingenium are stepping up for Canada by joining the Canoo Access Pass, which gives hundreds of thousands of newcomers free entry to participating attractions so that they enjoy Canada, feel valued, stay for good, and contribute to our shared success for generations to come.”
May marks Museum Month in Ontario and celebrates the over 700 museums, galleries, and heritage spaces in the province. For over a decade, Canoo has become an indispensable tool for unlocking Canada to newcomers thanks to Canada’s cultural and recreational institutions such as the ROM, AGO and Ingenium museums.
“As Canada’s most visited museum in Canada’s biggest, most diverse city, ROM is a place where everyone from lifelong Canadians to recent immigrants can come to learn the rich, ever-evolving story of Canada through its art, culture, and nature,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO. “So, it is my great pleasure to welcome even more newcomers to ROM to explore this story in celebration of Museum Month in Ontario.”
“The growth and impact of the Canoo Access Pass – from it’s beginnings way back in 2007, when the AGO and the ICC partnered to launch its Citizen AGO program – has been tremendous,” says Herman Lo, Director of Visitor Experience, AGO. “The AGO’s mission is to bring people together with great art, to see, experience and understand the world in new ways. Newcomers bring with them perspectives that we all benefit from, and thanks to the Canoo Access Pass, we are so proud to be part of so many first experiences settling in Toronto. Last year, 2100 Canoo Access Pass Members visited the AGO and we look forward to welcoming even more next year.”
Canoo’s growing welcome partner network, a unique model in the world, ensures that newcomers and their families have access to Canada’s most impressive cultural attractions, iconic festivals, as well as sought after destinations so that they can thrive in their new home.
Since 2010, Canoo has welcomed over 500,000 newcomer members. All recent permanent residents and new citizens can join Canoo by downloading its app for free.
About
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) works to unlock Canada for newcomers, facilitating and encouraging the journey towards full and active Canadian citizenship. The ICC is an independent charity, co-founded in 2006 by the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul.
Media Contact
Brooke Timpson
403.605.2282
media@inclusion.ca
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, ON
The percentage of permanent residents obtaining Canadian citizenship has plummeted since 2001, according to new Statistics Canada data obtained by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.
Despite Canada’s efforts to attract growing numbers of newcomers, the proportion of immigrants who seize the opportunity to become Canadian is in freefall. Data collected during the 2021 Census reveal that just 45.7% of permanent residents became citizens within 10 years, down from 60% in 2016 and 75.1% in 2001. This represents a 40% decline in citizenship uptake over 20 years.
These numbers were shared by Statistics Canada with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship as part of ongoing research into declining citizenship rates.
“To go from 75% of newcomers obtaining citizenship to only 45% is simply shocking,” said Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.
“To go from 75% of newcomers obtaining citizenship to only 45% is simply shocking”
Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship
“It goes against everything we tend to think about Canada being a welcoming country. It raises all sorts of questions that will have no easy answers, but it is certainly a wakeup call. Canada’s future depends on newcomers becoming Canadian and contributing their energy and talents to our shared success. We should be extremely alarmed that newcomers are falling out of love with Canadian citizenship, which has, for decades, been highly desirable.”
“The declining citizenship rate has the potential to harm Canada’s long-term economic, social and democratic resilience. Immigrants are not just workers, but future voters and civic leaders. What’s certain is that the future of Canadian democracy depends on this issue being addressed. The ICC is working hard to identify the causes behind this apparent crash in the market value of being Canadian and we encourage all committed Canadians to join us.” said George Carothers, Senior Director, Ideas and Insights at the ICC.
“We should want those who are contributing to Canada to stay here and become citizens,” he concluded.
“We should want those who are contributing to Canada to stay here and become citizens”
George Carothers, Senior Director, Ideas and Insights of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship
Thanks to its Canoo Access Pass, the ICC is in touch with almost half a million recent immigrants. The ICC will be working with them over the coming months to better understand the root causes of this shocking decline.
Read more: Trends in the Citizenship Rate Among New Immigrants to Canada 1991 to 2016 (Statistics Canada, 2019)
About
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) works to unlock Canada for newcomers, facilitating and encouraging the journey towards full and active Canadian citizenship. The ICC is an independent charity, co-founded in 2006 by the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul.
Media Contact
Alex Nanoff
613.709.6318
media@inclusion.ca
MARCH 23, 2022 – A new national survey conducted by Leger on behalf of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) — Canada’s leading citizenship organization and the world’s foremost voice on citizenship and inclusion — challenges some cherished Canadian assumptions about immigration and citizenship.
“Canada is a nation of immigrants — and one of the stories we tell ourselves is that we are welcoming to new immigrants, wherever they may be from,” says ICC CEO Daniel Bernhard. “But while this may be generally true, new survey data points to the fact that many new Canadians are having a crisis of confidence in Canada — and that should be ringing alarm bells all over Ottawa.”
Survey findings include:
- 30% of 18–34-year-old new Canadians and 23% of university-educated new Canadians say they are likely to move to another country in the next two years.
- While most Canadians and new immigrant Canadians alike believe that Canada provides immigrants with a good quality of life, Canadians have a much more positive outlook on Canada’s immigration policy compared to new Canadian immigrants.
- New Canadian immigrants are more likely to believe that Canadians don’t understand the challenges that immigrants face and feel the rising cost of living will make immigrants less likely to stay in Canada.
- Immigrants with university degrees tend to have less favourable opinions on matters related to fair job opportunity and pay than other immigrants.
- Among those who would not recommend Canada as a place to live, current leadership and the high cost of living were the top two reasons.
The full survey data is available here.
“The data suggest that younger, highly skilled immigrants in particular are starting to fall between the cracks,” said Dave Scholz, Executive Vice-President at Leger. “We need to continue working hard to ensure that we are welcoming newcomers with the resources they need to succeed, and that we continue to be a country that provides opportunity.”
About the Study
The study included an online survey of 1,519 general population Canadians aged 18+ completed between February 25th – 27th 2022, using Leger’s online LEO panel, in addition to an online survey of 2,103 New Canadians using ICC’s New Canadian panel completed between February 24th – 28th. Weighting has been employed to ensure that the sample composition accurately reflects the adult population of Canada, as per the latest Census Data.
No margin of error can be associated with a non-probability sample (i.e. a web panel in this case). For comparative purposes, though, a probability sample of 2000 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
About the Institute for Canadian Citizenship
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is a national non-profit organization co-founded by The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul. The ICC works to inspire Canadians to be inclusive, create opportunities to connect, and encourage active citizenship. Since 2005, the ICC has also supported more than 300,000 new Canadian citizens with programming to encourage a sense of belonging and build a more inclusive Canada.
About Leger
Leger is the largest Canadian-owned market research and analytics company, with more than 600 employees in eight Canadian and US offices. Recently, Leger presented the most accurate polling results for the 2021 Canadian federal election (including the most accurate results in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia) and the 2019 Canadian federal election. This accuracy is due to the quality of the company’s LEO panel and its employees’ expertise. For more information: leger360.com
For further information: media@inclusion.ca
NEWS RELEASE
THE INSTITUTE FOR CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP JOINS WITH WINDMILL MICROLENDING TO SUPPORT SKILLED IMMIGRANTS
ICC’s $500,000 investment will support 50 talented new Canadian professionals in putting their skills and training to full use
DECEMBER 15, 2021 – The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) — Canada’s leading citizenship organization and the world’s foremost voice on citizenship and inclusion — has made a $500,000 investment in Windmill Microlending’s innovative and highly-effective Community Bond program, helping 50 skilled immigrants build successful professional lives in Canada thanks to Windmill’s accreditation and upskilling loans.
“New immigrants don’t need more rhetoric about what a welcoming country we are. They need resources to carve out successful careers and lives here,” said ICC CEO Daniel Bernhard. “That’s why the ICC is proud to invest in Windmill Microlending’s proven loans that ensure qualified new Canadians can be recognized for their talents and get off to a flying start in Canada.”
The partnership is a natural one. Through its Canoo mobile app, the ICC has helped over 425,000 immigrants establish their Canadian lives by providing free admission to over 1400 museums, science centres, art galleries, parks, and historic sites across Canada. As Canada’s largest and most successful microlending charity for skilled immigrants and refugees, Windmill converts potential into prosperity by offering low-interest loans to help skilled newcomers obtain the credentials they need.
“Windmill Microlending is thrilled for the support of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, another great Canadian charity supporting the integration of immigrants,” said Claudia Hepburn, Windmill’s CEO. “ICC’s substantial investment comes at a time when Canada is experiencing a severe shortage of skilled labour. This loan capital will empower 50 skilled immigrants to acquire the accreditation they need to fill the skilled jobs. We are grateful to former Windmill and ICC board member Andreas Souvaliotis for his vision and role in bringing our organizations together to make this investment possible.”
“Canadians think of ourselves as a welcoming country — and we are — but in the global competition for talent and energy, we need to do more than talk a good game,” says Bernhard. “As economics, geopolitics and climate change drive increased migration worldwide, we call on individuals, business, government, and civil society organizations to join us as active participants in Canada’s welcome network. It’s time to step up to the plate.”
About the Institute for Canadian Citizenship
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is a national non-profit organization co-founded by The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul. The ICC works to inspire Canadians to be inclusive, create opportunities to connect and encourage active citizenship. Since 2005, the ICC has also supported more than 425,000 new Canadian citizens with programming to encourage a sense of belonging and build a more inclusive Canada.
About Windmill Microlending
As Canada’s largest microlending not-for-profit for skilled immigrants and refugees, Windmill addresses the underemployment of internationally trained professionals across Canada. By offering affordable loans of up to $15,000 to pay for launching or advancing their career, our clients are able to achieve career success and convert potential into prosperity for themselves and for Canada. Founded in 2005, Windmill Microlending is a registered charity supported by donors, government, sponsors and granting agencies.
For further information:
Windmill: Rob Hindley, rob@teamwindmill.org
ICC: Amy Leis, aleis@inclusion.ca
