Affordable housing, microaggressions seen as barriers for newcomers in Sudbury: report

Newcomers in Sudbury, Ont., say affordable housing, accessing meaningful employment, few cultural activities and microaggressions all pose barriers to making the city a welcoming community, according to a new report published by the Northern Policy Institute (NPI). 

Over several months, the Sudbury Local Immigration Partnership (SLIP) and NPI have been speaking with diverse newcomer communities in Sudbury through a series of discussion groups.

The idea is to better understand, from both an economic and social perspective, what the key characteristics are of a welcoming community from the perspective of newcomers.

The discussion groups, which were held jointly by SLIP and NPI, connected researchers with members of the Korean, Chinese, Indian and Syrian communities in the Sudbury area.  

Through the discussion groups, newcomers identified both the advantages of moving to the city and its surrounding area, as well as the barriers they've faced since arriving. 

"A key part of building sustainable and a strong, welcoming community is to listen to the experiences of newcomers and others who have chosen to settle and live in Greater Sudbury and to work with them, and doing so on a continual basis," said NPI research manager Rachel Rizzuto.

Rizzuto said initiatives like the discussion groups are important as the information gathered can help cities like Sudbury fill labour gaps. But it can also help to retain workers as well, "making sure that an individual, and if they have family, making sure their family feels at home is important," Rizzuto said.

Some of the highlights identified included proximity to major hubs like Toronto, Ottawa and other northern Ontario cities. As well, the focus groups noted there is a lot of space in Sudbury and is therefore less crowded compared to other cities.

Barriers to creating a welcoming community

Newcomers who took part in the groups said they found there was a general lack of awareness and cultural sensitivity within the Sudbury community about where newcomers and visible minority groups are from. 

The focus groups made several recommendations, such as:

• Incorporating or strengthening education on immigration and diverse cultures in schools and workplaces.
• Ensuring employers have the appropriate tools and resources to help familiarize themselves with foreign credentials and experiences.
• Continued support from the city, whether it be through funding opportunities or space, for cultural events and programs to take place.

While this is the first report to come out of the newcomer discussion groups, the hope is it won't be the last. 

"We are looking forward to hosting more workshops with cultural communities so that together we can turn what we hear into action items going forward," said SLIP chair Bela Ravi in a release.