Governing the multicultural city‐region

Abstract

This article reports on a study that identified the challenges posed by large immigrant populations for the governments of eleven Greater Toronto Area municipalities and the way those challenges were being addressed by municipal agencies that provided nine local services: government‐assisted housing, land‐use planning, policing, public education, public health, public libraries, public recreation, public transit, and social services. Many of the agencies were trying to accommodate their multicultural clienteles in a variety of ways. There were large differences in agency responses, however, not only among municipalities but also among agencies providing different services within the same municipality, and even among district offices of the same municipal agencies. Moreover, municipal agencies often found it difficult or impossible to adapt to new clienteles, even when they were seriously committed to doing so, in the face of provincial government indifference, cuts in provincial and local funding, and community ambivalence or antagonism. The study concluded that municipal agencies are unlikely to devote many resources to helping the immigrant settlement process without financial and legislative support from central governments. Sommaire: Le présent article porte sur une étude qui a cerné les défis que posent d'importantes populations d'immigrants aux gouvemements de ome municipalités de la Région du Grand Toronto, et sur la manière dont ces défis ont été relevés par des organismes municipaux assurant neuf services locaux: logement subventionné par le gouvernement, aménagement du territoire, services de police, enseignement public, santé publique, bibliothèques publiques, loisirs publics, transport en com‐mun et services sociaux. Un grand nombre de ces organismes ont essayé de répondre aux besoins de leurs clientèles multiculturelles par différents moyens. Cependant, les écarts étaient grands dans la manière d'y parvenir, non seulement parmi les municipalités mais également parmi les organismes foumissant différents services au sein de la même municipalité, et même parmi les bureaux de districts des mêmes organimes municipaux. En outre, les organismes municipaux trouvent souvent qu'il est difficile, voire même impossible, de s'adapter à de nouvelles clientèles, même lorsqu'ils se sont sérieusement engagés à le faire, face à l'indifférence du gouvemement provincial, aux compressions budgétaires à I'échelle provinciale et locale, et face à I'ambivalence ou à I'antagonisme de la colledivité. L'étude a conclu qu'il y avait de fortes chances que les organismes municipaux ne consacrent pas d'énormes ressources à I'aide au processus d'établissement des immigrants s'ils ne reçoivent pas un appui financier et législatif des gouvernements centraux.

Roma Refugees

“…This is not likely to be accomplished by immigrant serving agencies alone Christine A. Walsh and Brigette Krieg 23 (Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, 2003) as municipal agencies are unlikely to devote many resources to helping the immigrant settlement process without financial and legislative support from central government (Frisken & Wallace, 2003). This project described the needs of the Roma people; however, many of the recommendations outlined can be used to increase the effectiveness of service for immigrant and refugee populations within our communities.…”

Syrian refugee resettlement and the role of local immigration partnerships in Ontario, Canada

“…The welcoming communities' philosophy acknowledges that resettlement is a two‐way process, meaning it extends beyond the domain of refugee‐ and immigrant‐serving agencies, ethno‐cultural organizations, and faith‐based groups, and also includes mainstream organizations, school boards, health systems, and municipal governments. LIPs were designed to address a number of long‐standing issues with local resettlement policy, including the de facto role of municipalities (Carter et al ), the disparate relationship between stakeholders involved in the resettlement process (Frisken and Wallace ), and intergovernmental uncertainty in shared roles and responsibilities (Omidvar and Richmond ).…”

Multicultural health care? Cultural accommodation in non‐devoted policy sectors

“…Some have focused their attention generally (Bhuiyan and Wilkinson ), while others have focused on provincial governments (Biles, Burstein and Frideres ; Biles et al. ) municipal governments (Frisken and Wallace , Good , Tate and Quesnel , Tolley and Young ), the non‐profit sector (Smith ), or specific realms of policy (Bowes , Stewart et al. , Vickers, Craig, and Atkin ).…”

“…To this effect, public policy literature has focused on how, whether, and to what degree different governments implement multicultural policies. Some have focused their attention generally (Bhuiyan and Wilkinson 2007), while others have focused on provincial governments (Biles, Burstein and Frideres 2008;Biles et al 2011) municipal governments (Frisken and Wallace 2003, Good 2009, Tate and Quesnel 2008, Tolley and Young 2011, the non-profit sector (Smith 2005), or specific realms of policy (Bowes 2006, Stewart et al 2008, Vickers, Craig, and Atkin 2012. The common thread is determining the degree to which governments have made diversity a significant concern in their policy making, and the various forms that this has taken.…”