Research

The Huron County Immigration Partnership works with researchers to explore and build understanding of immigrant experiences in Huron County.

The research is guided by a Research Working Group – comprised of representatives from service provider agencies, municipalities and community based organizations. 

Huron-Perth Immigrant Survey

(Conducted in November 2023)

Key findings about the survey respondents:

  • 195 immigrants and newcomers to Canada participated in the survey and represented some of the major categories of immigrants – family, economic and temporary work visas
    • 65% of participants indicated that they were newcomers, living in Canada for less than five years
    • 62% of participants indicated they are a racialized person (i.e. they hold at least one non-white racial identity)
    • 92% of participants reported speaking English well and 89.4% reported being proficient in reading and writing in English

Community Integration

  • 69% said their community was welcoming
  • 60% reported they would be recommend their community to other immigrants to move to
  • 69% of participants in Huron and 65% in Perth reported they felt a sense of belonging in their communities
  • 37% reported volunteering, with most volunteering with organizations focused on immigrants and newcomers, religious services, or sports and recreation

Education, Employment and Income

  • 43% reported that their level of international education did not corresponded with the level of their Canadian job
  • 76% were employed (full-time and part-time, including self-employed or owning their own business)
  • 40% reported that their income was not enough for their household needs

Key Challenges and Solutions

  • The cost of living and financial issues was the biggest challenges identified, with 53% in Huron and 41% in Perth expressing this concern in the past year
  • The most helpful change suggested by participants to better support other immigrants in Huron and Perth Counties was:
    • Implement better programs for immigrants to find work or start a business (34%)
    • Improve the availability of public transportation (28%)
    • Have more affordable housing available (26%)
    • Improve social integration (23%)
    • Increase education for employers on hiring, retaining and promoting immigrants (23%).
34% of respondents suggested that better programs for immigrants to find work or start a business would improve settlement for other immigrants in Huron or Perth
67% respondents said their community was welcoming or very welcoming to immigrants
60% said they would likely or very likely recommend Huron or Perth to other immigrants
47% of respondents said they experienced cost of living or money problems in the past year
Welcoming immigrants: Community perceptions from the Lived Experience Expert Panel

This report aims to offer a snapshot into non-immigrant attitudes towards immigrants in Huron and
Perth’s rural and small communities. A survey was conducted among persons with lived experiences
of systems and who have faced discrimination in the past to explore attitudes towards immigrants.
Survey respondents are members of Huron Perth Public Health’s Lived Experience Expert Panel
(LEEP).

The survey found that most respondents knew recent newcomers, particularly from India, Syria,
Mexico, and Ukraine. Roughly 25 per cent of the respondents considered themselves to be very
welcoming and 60 per cent roughly somewhat welcoming. The respondents also identified that
newcomers had limited options for housing, suitable and economically viable jobs, and public
transportation. The respondents were most likely to welcome newcomers to the community
by asking questions and listening to others, supporting a small business run by a newcomer or
attending a cultural activity or event.

This survey suggests that people who have lived experience of systems and have experienced
discrimination in rural and small communities are generally welcoming towards newcomers in spite
of any economic hardships they may have faced or still face. This bucks the growing anti-immigrant
sentiments drawn by recent national polls on the subject.

This report on the LEEP survey starts by introducing the subject, followed by a brief examination
of the reasons why the survey was commissioned. This is followed by an exploration of the role of
Local Immigration Partnerships, the survey methodology, a summary of findings, and the survey
limitations. The report concludes with lessons learned from the LEEP.

Discrimination Experienced by Immigrants, Visible Minorities, and Indigenous Peoples in Huron-Perth

In this research, conducted in 2021, the Huron County Immigration Partnership worked with a team of Western University researchers to produce a survey and study that investigated discrimination as experienced by immigrants, visible minorities, and Indigenous people in comparison to people who are not members of these groups. The research was funded with support from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

The research team randomly called thousands of Huron and Perth residents, including Stratford and St Mary’s, with 595 people taking part in the survey. Among the participants:

  • 62 identified as Indigenous
  • 297 identified as a visible minority or immigrant
  • 236 identified as white non-immigrants

Key findings:

  • Indigenous People and Immigrants and Visible Minorities disproportionately reported experiencing discrimination in Huron and Perth Counties in one or more contexts in the past three years
    • 80.6% of Indigenous People reported experiencing discrimination
    • 68.7% of Immigrants and Visible Minorities reported experiencing discrimination
    • 48.7% of White Non-immigrants reported experiencing discrimination
  • Work environments were the most commonly cited places where discrimination occurred for Immigrants and Visible Minorities and white Non-Immigrants
  • Indigenous People reported experiencing discrimination in public spaces most frequently
  • The most frequent types of discrimination experienced were inappropriate jokes and derogatory language
  • People who experience discrimination were more likely to report experiencing anxiety or depression, and less likely to report feeling like they were accepted or welcomed in Huron or Perth Counties

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