A new program called Bridging Divides has been launched with the goal of helping immigrants integrate into Canadian society. With the immigrant population projected to reach between 29.1 and 34 per cent by 2041, this program will examine a range of key areas relevant to immigrant integration. It will include health, technology, homes and neighbourhoods, and civic participation, as well as access to and success in the labour market. The program will be headed by Sandeep Agrawal, director of the University of Alberta’s School of Urban and Regional Planning, and involve researchers from various institutions and disciplines.
Agrawal stresses the importance of integrating newcomers into Canadian society, as failing to do so would mean not utilizing the skills and talents that they bring. As the main driver of population growth in the nation, immigration is essential to the future of Canada.
Researchers will focus on data from both large urban centers and small to mid-sized cities, where the vast majority of newcomers and immigrants choose to live. The program involves the University of British Columbia, Concordia University, and Toronto Metropolitan University, with Agrawal serving as both the U of A team lead and a co-lead of the Place and Infrastructure research area.
Given the breadth of what the program is looking to explore, experts from multiple disciplines and institutions will be involved. Health experts, social scientists, individuals who do labor market surveys, AI experts looking at how technology can help, civil engineers who do work on housing and neighborhoods, and policy makers in political science are just a few of the disciplines that will come together to look at the complex problem of immigrant integration.
Agrawal and the other researchers involved will examine how immigrants shape places, create spaces, and how places and spaces can become more inclusive for immigrants. They also plan to explore how municipalities can play a bigger role, which is relevant in a system where most initiatives and services are federally led. The program has received $98.6 million from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, along with additional in-kind and cash contributions from participating institutions and industry.