Meaningful work for newcomers. Newcomers can work in their area of expertise without overly cumbersome recertification processes. They are able to participate in workplace integration and upskilling programs of their choosing. There are opportunities for mentorship, onboarding, and orientation for career development.

System navigation. Bureaucratic systems in government, non-profit, and community groups are made more accessible by reducing their complexity and by meeting the cultural and linguistic needs of neighbours. Programs and services are offered in multiple languages. There are strong support networks of mutual aid among people with similar experiences. Navigating healthcare systems is easier thanks to new cultural and linguistic options. Mental health programming is adapted to take into account cultural awareness and the growing diversity of our community. Interpretation and translation services are abundant and affordable in all areas of the region. Newcomers can easily find resources in their language.

Opportunities to belong and contribute. Newcomer and marginalized youth have access to academic mentoring, after-school programs, arts, and sports and recreation opportunities that help them build social bonds. Refugee claimants have legal support, housing, employment opportunities, and opportunities for well-being and self-expression. Processes that welcome and integrate newcomers into civic and professional leadership are trauma informed.

Opportunities for career growth. We have abolished the temporary foreign worker program, transforming those jobs into permanent positions with a path to citizenship, pension, employment insurance, and health care benefits. Newcomers are offered experiences to learn how to interact with the Canadian job market, including resume building, interview skills, and entrepreneurship guidance. 

Cross-cultural, cross-generational learning. Ethnocultural groups have access to the spaces and relationships they need to maintain and promote their heritage. We champion our identity as a multicultural society, and there is a genuine curiosity for intercultural learning and understanding. We continue to address systemic racism in schools, and we bridge cultural divides between different generations of immigrants. 

Welcoming neighbourhoods. Anti-immigrant sentiments, discrimination, and hate crimes have been significantly reduced, as we resist the tolerance of intolerance. As communities become more diverse and more interdependent, we have come to realize that scapegoating marginalized groups is not productive or useful. We have overcome this scarcity mindset to achieve true inclusion and belonging, and we celebrate Waterloo Region as a multicultural community. Newcomers feel welcome in their new neighbourhoods. Newcomers are important contributors to the social fabric. We counter systemic racism and discrimination wherever it shows up in public life.

Solidarity. We support international efforts for humanitarian relief and social justice, through leadership by diaspora networks rooted in Waterloo Region. We have sufficient awareness of cultural differences to ensure healthy multiculturalism, while helping people feel rooted in their own cultures. Cultural exchange happens freely and widely on the basis of respect for others’ humanity.

Multiculturalism: measurable outcomes

• Rate of onward migration (immigrants who leave within 5 years)
• Number of hate crimes and reports of discrimination (by demographic group)
• Rate of foreign-trained professionals working in their field (survey)
• Number of ethnocultural groups with dedicated, permanent meeting/gathering space
• Wait time for refugee claims
• Social mobility for second-generation neighbours (ability to improve relative to their parents)