Thunder Bay Immigration Forum

November 28, 2007 at Valhalla Inn in Thunder Bay

7:45am - 8:30am

Registration and Refreshments

8:30am - 8:50am

Opening Remarks and Greetings
Madge Richardson, Co-chair
Marg Scott, Executive Director
North Superior Training Board

Cathy Woodbeck, Executive Director
Thunder Bay Multicultural Association

Mayor Lynn Peterson
City of Thunder Bay

Hon. Michael Gravelle
Minister of Northern Development and Mines

Peter Armstrong, Regional Director
Employment and Training Division, North Region Branch
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

8:50am - 9:50am

Keynote Address
Immigration in Canada-The Past, The Present, The Future
Randy Boldt, Vice President
Mercan Capital

A former Assistant Deputy Minister of Immigration for the Province of Saskatchewan, Mr. Boldt will speak about immigration Best Practices in that province as well as in Manitoba, along with the opportunities and obstacles facing Thunder Bay in developing its immigration programs.

9:50am - 10:00am

Refreshment Break
Thunder Bay Newcomers Club Web Site Launch

10:05am - 11:30am

Concurrent Sessions

Session A
Fast Tracking Immigration to Ontario
Alan Diner, Manager
Pilot Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Nadine Heaslip, Manager
Service Delivery, Service Canada (Ontario Region)

The words “fast tracking” and “government” are not always thought of at the same time but in the case of these programs, the red tape is dramatically reduced. Find out how to get the immigrant workforce that you need much faster than you had thought.

Session B
Successful Immigrant Attraction and Integration Strategies
Kelly McGahey, Director of Stakeholder Relations
Hire Immigrants Ottawa

Ann Welsh, Project Researcher
North Bay Newcomer Network

Randy Boldt, Vice President
Mercan Capital

What are other cities doing right to attract and retain immigrants? What hasn’t worked? Learn more about programs that have been undertaken in Ottawa, North Bay and cities in Western Canada.

Session C
A Walk in our Shoes: The Immigrant Experience in Thunder Bay and Immigrant Student Retention Strategies
Panel: Tanka Awisoka, International Student Advisor, Lakehead University ; Dr. Seth Agbo, Chair, Lifelong Learning, Faculty of Education, Lakehead University ; Amina Abu-Bakare, Member, Thunder Bay Newcomers Club ; Michelle McKenzie-Lander, Director, North Superior Training Board .

Short sleeves in winter? It could happen! Join this panel of immigrants to hear their informative—and sometimes amusing—recounts of their first Thunder Bay experiences. The panel will also share their thoughts on how to entice foreign students to stay here after graduation.

11:30am - 11:45am

Networking

11:50am - 1:30pm

Lunch and Keynote Address
Leveraging Immigrant Skills to Strengthen Canadian Businesses
Dr. Linda Manning, Director
Department of Economics,
University of Ottawa

How can hiring immigrants actually increase employment opportunities for locals? Dr. Manning will explore this often ignored benefit of increased immigration and will discuss strategies aimed at improving awareness about the positive role immigration can play, both culturally and economically.

1:35pm - 3:00pm

Concurrent Sessions

Session D
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Perspectives
Riet Verheggen, Director, Immigration Branch
Ontario Ministry of Citizenship & Immigration

This session will focus on the Government of Ontario's Immigration Programs (settlement, language training, and labour market integration including Global Experience Ontario) and patterns of immigration. What are the implications for the North? Find out here.

Session E
Attracting Investors and Entrepreneurs

Lawrence Hynes, Manager
Business Immigration Section
Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade

Dale Ashbee
Northwestern Ontario Economic Facilitation Manager
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines

Session F
Local Immigration Initiatives
John DeGiacomo, Manager, Student Placement
Lakehead University/Thunder Bay Newcomers Club

Cathy Woodbeck, Executive Director
Thunder Bay Multicultural Association

In order to move forward, we need to have a good awareness of what is already happening to attract and retain immigrants here in Thunder Bay. There is more going on than perhaps you had thought! Find out what’s happening now and what is planned for the future.

3:00pm - 3:15pm

Refreshment Break

3:20pm - 4:20pm

Plenary Discussion
How Do We Build the Bridges?
Facilitator: Dr. Linda Manning, University of Ottawa

What are the logical next steps for Thunder Bay businesses, organizations, agencies and government to develop and implement a comprehensive immigration strategy? Veteran facilitator and immigration expert Dr. Linda Manning will facilitate the discussions with the aim of developing a plan of action.

4:20pm - 4:30pm

Wrap Up