Canadian cities and international migration: municipal corporate responses to international migration

Research Question  How have six municipal governments responded to immigration and cultural diversity in their communities?  Focus: Administrative structures Administrative structures Human resource policies Human resource policies Translation and interpretation Translation and interpretation Public consultation strategy Public consultation strategy

The Study Sites  Toronto, Brampton, Calgary, Edmonton, Abbotsford, Vancouver  Rationale for selection: Relatively large immigrant and/or visible minority populations within their respective provincial contexts Relatively large immigrant and/or visible minority populations within their respective provincial contexts Inter and intra-provincial comparative analysis Inter and intra-provincial comparative analysis

Explaining Local Policy Responses  European research: Influenced by local authority attitudes regarding the temporal and spatial presence of immigrants and premises about their “otherness” in the host society Influenced by local authority attitudes regarding the temporal and spatial presence of immigrants and premises about their “otherness” in the host society  Canadian research: Influenced by: attitudes about the recognition of differences in private and public realms; presence of large visible minority populations; city’s ethnic configuration; timing of immigration, urban regimes Influenced by: attitudes about the recognition of differences in private and public realms; presence of large visible minority populations; city’s ethnic configuration; timing of immigration, urban regimes

Restructuring the municipal bureaucracy  Toronto and Edmonton have established separate administrative bodies to coordinate policies related to workplace diversity

Human Resources  Employment Equity approach: Toronto and Vancouver  Audit workforce composition: Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton  Recruitment outreach: Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto  Mentoring and internship opportunities: Edmonton and Toronto  All six cities have anti-racism, anti-harassment or human rights policies

Translation and Interpretation  Toronto and Brampton have a formal Multilingual Services Policy  Translation: Toronto and Brampton have formal policies Toronto and Brampton have formal policies Other cities adopt a more decentralized approach Other cities adopt a more decentralized approach  Interpretation: Five cities offer formal multilingual interpretation services over the phone and/or in person Five cities offer formal multilingual interpretation services over the phone and/or in person

Public Consultation  Edmonton and Toronto have adapted their consultation processes to take ethnocultural diversity into account

How do Canadian cities respond?  Large variations between cities in close proximity, and between cities with similar levels of ethnocultural diversity