City to host a welcome reception for Nanaimo's new immigrant arrivals

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed March 4, 2016 9:30 AM

Summary

New immigrant residents will be officially welcomed to Nanaimo during a special reception being hosted by the City of Nanaimo on Saturday, March 5 at 2:00 pm. This event is held yearly with Municipal, Federal, Provincial and School District elected officials, Snuneymuxw First Nations, RCMP, staff and board members of the Immigrant Welcome Centre and City of Nanaimo staff all in attendance.

Link to Strategic Plan: The attraction and retention of immigrants is vital to the economic health and social vitality of the community.

Key Points

The welcome reception will be held in the Newcastle Island Lobby of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre (101 Gordon Street) on Saturday, March 5 at 2:00 pm.
Invitations were extended to all new residents who arrived in Nanaimo from outside Canada within the last year.

Quotes

"It is such an honour to welcome Canada’s new arrivals who have chosen Nanaimo to call their home. As a community, we appreciate the cultural vitality new residents bring which enhance the quality of life in this area."

Bill McKay

Mayor of Nanaimo

City of Nanaimo

"We consider it a privilege to co-host the Welcome Reception for newcomers to Nanaimo; having Mayor, Council and other elected officials personally meet and greet immigrants to our community sends a message that we value the contributions that immigrants make to our city."

Sharif Kishawi

Chair, Board of Directors, Immigrant Welcome Centre

Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society

Quick Facts

Nanaimo has a birth rate of 0.8, insufficient to maintain or grow the population; as such all our population growth comes from immigration, both from within Canada and from outside the country. Population growth is a key driver of our economy.
Immigrants contribute significantly to the cultural vitality of Nanaimo; from Chinese New Year to the German Cultural Centre, each wave of immigration has left a cultural mark on the city.

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Contact:

John Horn

Social Planner

City of Nanaimo

250-755-4491

john.horn@nanaimo.ca

Hilde Schlosar

Executive Director

Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society

250-753-6911

HSchlosar@cvims.org

Print News Release

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