When you come to a new country and a new community, we understand that you will need help in getting settled.
There are several services in the Bay of Quinte region to help you get settled.
Quinte United Immigration Services (QUIS)
Newcomers to the Bay of Quinte region have access to outstanding community services including Quinte United Immigration Services (QUIS), which provides direct, essential services to meet the needs of newcomers after their arrival in Canada.
QUIS will help you avoid any cultural and language barriers that you may be concerned about when coming to Canada. They also host monthly information sessions that will help you integrate into the community quickly. These events are free of charge and provide helpful advice on a wide array of topics including social, financial and healthcare information.
QUIS also assists with legal immigration services and translation and interpretation in many languages.
Loyola School of Adult and Continuing Education (ESL)
Canada has two official languages - English and French. English is the main language spoken in the Bay of Quinte region.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada provides English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in Belleville at Loyola School of Adult and Continuing Education.
Newcomers will learn to understand, speak, read and write English to help with their transition to living in Canada.
Classes are free for eligible newcomers who will learn the language as well as learning about Canadian culture, get ready for employment and meet new friends.
Transportation and child care assistance are also available.
Quinte Local Immigration Partnership (QLIP)
To help with attracting immigrants to smaller centres and closing gaps in services, Citizenship and Immigration Canada created Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs). These are groups of concerned, involved services and businesses in different communities who try to improve integration for newcomers by promoting social, political and civic participation. They realize that immigration is important and integrating newcomers into the community is good for everyone. The website for the local LIP is http://www.quintelip.ca/
Presently, about 35% of Canada’s population lives in three places—Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Roughly 75% of newcomers to Canada settle in larger cities. However, more and more immigrants are choosing to live in smaller places. Some of the reasons are: cheaper housing prices and opportunities to set up a business. As well, newcomers to smaller places often integrate more quickly, as they have more Canadian friends and contacts.
As more newcomers settle in smaller areas, these areas then become more comfortable for other newcomers. Also, a greater number of immigrants settling in smaller places brings about the creation of services to assist newcomers.
Central Eastern Ontario Translation and Interpretation Services (CEOTIS)
CEOTIS is a division of QUIS that provides professionally trained and experienced interpreters and interpretation services.
They provide services in over 125 languages to help break the barriers to communication in the Bay of Quinte region.
Related Links:
Quinte Local Immigration Partnership
Central Eastern Ontario Translation & Interpretation Services
