Immigration Partnership

Huron County Immigration Partnership

Immigration Partnership LogoHuron County’s Immigration Partnership is a collaboration of community members, organizations and business partners from multiple sectors within the region working to create a welcoming community for newcomers. Our partners represent settlement, health, housing, language, education, community services, municipalities, employment services and more.

Immigration Partnership strives to improve the coordination of settlement, integration and community involvement of immigrants and refugees in Huron County. This work is important to us so that Huron County will be a community where immigrants and refugees successfully settle, work and belong.

We are working to strengthen our community’s capacity to welcome immigrants and improve integration outcomes through enhanced economic, social political and civic participation.

New to Canada? 

Welcome to Huron County! We have some of Canada’s best beaches, the prettiest sunsets and stunning hiking trails. Our farmers’ markets and tasting trails are a great way to discover one of Ontario’s most agriculturally productive regions.

Huron County is divided into nine municipalities and is home to five towns: Clinton, Exeter, Goderich, Seaforth and Wingham. There are five villages: Bayfield, Blyth, Brussels, Hensall and Zurich, along with more than 60 hamlets.

Get settlement support

Settlement workers help newcomers settle in their community by: 

  • Completing forms and documents
  • Navigating and referring to local systems such as health care, recreation services, education & taxes
  • Providing referrals to local programs & services 
  • Learning about Canadian life and culture
  • Connecting with interpretation services

These supports are provided to newcomers at no cost by the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario and are funded by the government.

Book your virtual or in person appointment by contacting:
Firas Sefian
YMCA of Southwestern Ontario
firas.sefian@swo.ymca.ca

Francophone services

If you wish to access French language training and/or French settlement services, please contact:
Carrefour Communautaire Francophone de London 

Pour des services d’établissement en français et/ou la formation linguistique en français, veuillez contacter:
Carrefour Communautaire Francophone de London

Learn or improve English or French

The Centres for Employment & Learning of Avon Maitland offer English as a Second Language programs. The programs are conducted in a classroom setting and are specifically designed to offer assistance to adults in the community for whom English is not their first language but who would like to:

  • Listen, speak, read and write in English
  • Improve communication and employability skills
  • Increase knowledge of Canada

Visit the Centres for Employment & Learning’s website for more information or contact:

Erin Jones
Centres for Employment & Learning
tel: 519-271-4896 ext 2402
email: erin.jones@ed.amdsb.ca

Francophone services

If you wish to access French language training, please contact: 
College Boreal

Si vous souhaitez accéder à une formation en langue française, veuillez contacter:

Collège Boréal

 

Get help finding a job

The Centre for Employment & Learning offers individualized support to assist job seekers in obtaining their employment goals. Services include:

  • Employment counselling
  • Resume/cover letter writing assistance
  • Information on community programs and services
  • And more

The Conestoga Career Centre also offers employment support in Huron County. Services include: 

  • Finding new employment and career opportunities
  • Creating a personal plan
  • Understanding the job opportunities in your local area
  • And more

For Conestoga Career Centre services in Huron County please email us at stratfordcareercentre@conestogac.on.ca or phone at 519-271-5700, ext. 7224.

Visit a Huron County Library branch

The Huron County Library has 12 branches in communities throughout our area. They offer an exciting selection of programs, events, books, videos and other materials for all ages and interests. Public access computers are also available at their locations. Services are at no-cost to the user. 

Find out how to sign up for a library card

See the branch locations

Attend local events

Public events occur every weekend in Huron County in various towns, villages and hamlets.
Learn more about things to do in the area at Ontario’s West Coast website.

Campaigns

i

Resources

Newcomer Settlement

We recognize that:

  • Immigration is important to the future of Canada and Huron County.
  • Immigrants’ current settlement and integration outcomes are filled with multiple challenges, and many immigrants remain on the margins of our community.
  • Local communities, institutions and leaders have an accumulated knowledge and experience that we must leverage and build upon.

Mission

The Huron Immigration Partnership’s mission is to connect and bring people together to build a welcoming place that attracts, employs and supports newcomers.

Vision

We are a vibrant, welcoming community that embraces diversity and offers opportunities; a place where all belong and are respected.

What We Do

  • Collaborate to create a welcoming community for newcomers
  • Research to better understand and meet newcomer needs
  • Improve the coordination of settlement and integration services
  • Raise awareness around the benefits of immigration to the community

Our Working Groups

Immigrant Advisory Council

This working group focuses on guiding and supporting the development and implementation of activities that celebrate diversity and foster belonging. The group also focuses on making Huron County a place where immigrants feel like they belong and are welcomed.

Research Working Group

This working group has been formed to improve the Local Immigration Partnership’s knowledge of the trends related to the settlement and integration in Huron County. The research working group’s goal is to collect data on how to enhance services and inform the Immigration Partnership and community strategies to retain newcomers in the region.

Employment Working Group

This working group focuses on improving the employment and skills development outcomes of newcomers in the region. The goal of this group is to inform employers of the benefits of hiring newcomers and to identify strategies to retain a newcomer workforce, as well as identifying initiatives that support newcomer businesses. The working group advises the Local Immigration Partnership on employment and labour-related matters and trends.

Campaigns

Immigration Partnership conducts public campaigns to raise awareness and promote the belonging of immigrants and refugees in the Huron County community.

Resources

If you are interested in learning more about a particular topic, check out some of the resources we have compiled, including books, videos, articles, podcasts and more.

How Can We Help?

Huron County Immigration Partnership is always excited to support newcomers to Huron County. Let us know how we can help!

Find Us

57 Napier Street,
Goderich, ON
N7A 1W2
Canada

Phone

+1 (519) 524-8394 ext.6