B.C. releases updated newcomers’ guide to settlement resources and services in 11 languages

Home to about 40,000 newcomers every year, British Columbia (B.C.) has updated and released its comprehensive guide to settlement resources and services across the province this week to support newcomers in adapting their new lives in this province.

The 2009 B.C. Newcomers’ Guide to Resources and Services will assist newly arrived immigrants in finding information and services to help them make the most of their decision to move to B.C.

The guide has general information that will help newcomers in their first few months after arrival and includes topics such as finding a place to live, money and banking, healthcare, education, cars and driving, employment and business, the legal system, government and citizenship, and much more. It will be distributed by mail to various immigrant-serving agencies and other key stakeholders and be available for online orders at WelcomeBC, where it could also be downloaded in PDF (4.36MB).

The guide was originally written in the early 1990s. It was last updated in 2002 and translated into five languages. The 2009 edition will be available in 11 languages: English, French, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Punjabi, Korean, Farsi, Vietnamese, Arabic, Russian and Spanish. The translated versions will be released throughout 2009. For the first time, the guide will include a brochure explaining the history and milestones of the Aboriginal peoples of British Columbia.

"The Government of Canada is committed to helping immigrants and their families succeed," said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. "The B.C. Newcomers’ Guide is a useful tool for newcomers in their integration into Canadian society. It provides valuable information about the services available in their community to help them adapt better and quicker and make a success of their new lives in Canada. Our government is pleased to continue working in partnership with the Province of British Columbia in providing funding for the publication of this resourceful guide."

The Agreement for Canada-B.C. Cooperation on Immigration provides funding through the transfer of approximately $120 million per year from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to the B.C. government, which is responsible for administering settlement services for new immigrants.