Ottawa · November 20–21, 2024
Canadian Immigration Summit 2024
Building thriving and inclusive communities
Canada is poised to welcome 1.5 million new immigrants in the next three years. Immigrants play a vital role in Canada’s success, yet critical questions remain:
- How can we develop services and infrastructure that set up immigrants and their communities for success?
- How can we build an equitable system that allows temporary residents and immigrants to thrive?
- And how can we advance immigrant employment through best practices?
The Canadian Immigration Summit brings together thought leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors alongside newcomers to explore how we can strengthen our immigration system and help immigrants and their communities thrive, now and in the future.
What to expect
The 2024 Canadian Immigration Summit offers a unique platform for critical discussions, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration. You will have opportunities to:
- Network and participate in meaningful conversations with non-profit leaders, employers, and policy-makers across all levels.
- Share experiences and insights with sector leaders to tackle challenges facing immigrants and their integration.
- Get inspired to take action to ensure the immigration system benefits your community.
Location
Excentricité, Collège La Cité
801, promenade de l’Aviation, Ottawa
Rooms
A suite of rooms has been set aside at ARC The Hotel Ottawa. 140 Slater St.
Room Rate of $201.00 per night. Rate available until October 18, 2024.
Contact Us
1-888-928-7190
Leading insights with practical take-aways
| Building thriving communities | Harnessing technology in selection and settlement | Ensuring equity in the labour market | Planning for temporary resident success |
|---|---|---|---|
| We’ll explore how we can build thriving, welcoming, and inclusive communities with the right infrastructure to support population growth. | Technology is transforming immigrant selection and settlement. We will unpack the challenges and opportunities of digital innovation and learn how to apply cutting-edge tools and best practices in our work. | Successful labour-market integration is a cornerstone of immigrant success. We’ll explore how we can help newcomers find good job opportunities and advance their skills to help them excel in their careers. | The continued growth of temporary worker and international student programs raises questions of equity. Learn what a healthy temporary resident program could look like and how we can proactively bring stakeholders together to create a fair, transparent, and equitable system. |
Featured Speakers
Muraly Srinarayanathas
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of 369 Global
Agenda
Please note: All agenda times are in Eastern Standard Time. See what time that is for you.
9:00 am
Susan Black
President and CEO, The Conference Board of Canada
9:15 am
Session description coming soon.
Muraly Srinarayanathas
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of 369 Global
10:00 am
Break
10:15 am
Municipal leaders who have been at the forefront of expanding immigration inclusion in their regions will share their experiences, lessons learned, and new solutions for creating equitable and inclusive communities. Attendees will gain useful insights into the problems these leaders have encountered and the strategies that have helped.
Jin Huh
Executive Director of Social Planning Toronto
11:30 am
An immersive experience that reflects immigrants’ contributions to their communities.
12:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm
This dynamic and inspiring spoken-word poetry performance will combine art and observation to illuminate the joys and contradictions inherent in a multicultural Canada.
Jamaal Amir Akbari
Poet Laureate Emeritus
1:10 pm
Temporary residents make immense social, cultural, and economic contributions to Canada and its communities, but there are persistent inequalities in the temporary resident system. Discover what continued expansion of temporary programs means for our immigration system, labour market, and educational institutions, and what can be done to establish an equitable program.
Delphine Nakache
Full Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
1:45 pm
Break
2:00 pm
The needs of immigrants and the tools available to provide settlement services are continually evolving. Leaders working with Canada’s diverse immigrant communities will reflect on the challenges and opportunities associated with delivering impactful services in the next five years.
Tonie Chaltas
CEO, Achēv
Manjeet Dhiman
SVP, Services & Strategic Initiatives, ACCES Employment
Steve Reynolds
Executive Director, Regional Connections Immigrant Services
This panel discussion will offer key insights from research and practice on engaging employers in a variety of immigration programs across Canada. These insights will include results from the service delivery improvement project Engaging SMEs: National Business Networks and Local Design Perspectives, in which six partner organizations tested prototypes to improve the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to acquire talent and retain immigrant newcomers. Participants will also hear about employer engagement in the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), skilled pathways for refugees, and grassroots employer service programs.
Panelists will reflect on innovative ways to engage employers and critical lessons learned. Attendees will learn how to better address employers’ distinctive challenges, needs, and barriers in accessing, hiring, and retaining newcomer immigrant talent.
Deanna D’Elia
General Manager Employment and Immigrant Services, YMCA of Niagara Employment & Immigrant Services
Lara Dyer
Canada Director, Talent Beyond Boundaries
Shaloma Gauthier
Manager, Immigration Promotion and Employer Outreach Unit
Rania Younes
Employer Networks and National Engagement, Immigrant Employment Council of BC
Housing affordability has become a key concern affecting both immigrants and Canadians. Speakers will examine housing initiatives and immigration policies that can enable newcomers to find affordable housing that is suitable for their family.
Moderator
Steve Pomeroy
Focus Consulting Inc; Industry Professor, McMaster University
Speaker
Cailan Libby
Founder, Happipad and Refugee Housing Canada
3:30 pm
Break and Exhibitor Booth Exploration
4:00 pm
Session description coming soon.
4:45 pm
Networking Reception
5:30 pm
Adjourn
9:00 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:10 am
Session description coming soon.
9:45 am
Networking Break
10:00 am
Gain valuable perspectives into the dynamic landscape of francophone immigration in Canada at both the national and community levels. Experts will share strategies to enhance the immigration experience for francophone individuals and families and provide a deeper understanding of the selection and settlement processes for francophone immigrants across the country.
Dorra Gdoura
Conseillère Principale, Senior Advisor, La Cité des affaires
This panel session will delve into the ethical considerations and best practices associated with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the immigrant selection and settlement processes. Speakers will explore strategies to ensure that digital innovations enhance immigration systems in Canada while actively addressing potential biases and disparities.
Craig Damian Smith (he/him)
Executive Director, Pairity
Jennifer Freeman
CEO, PeaceGeeks
Kingsley Madu
Founder & CEO, Expedier
Session description coming soon.
11:30 am
Session description coming soon.
12:15 pm
Closing Remarks
12:30 pm
Adjourn
Speakers
Jamaal Amir Akbari
Poet Laureate Emeritus
Susan Black
President and CEO, The Conference Board of Canada
Tonie Chaltas
CEO, Achēv
Craig Damian Smith (he/him)
Executive Director, Pairity
Deanna D’Elia
General Manager Employment and Immigrant Services, YMCA of Niagara Employment & Immigrant Services
Manjeet Dhiman
SVP, Services & Strategic Initiatives, ACCES Employment
Lara Dyer
Canada Director, Talent Beyond Boundaries
Jennifer Freeman
CEO, PeaceGeeks
Shaloma Gauthier
Manager, Immigration Promotion and Employer Outreach Unit
Dorra Gdoura
Conseillère Principale, Senior Advisor, La Cité des affaires
Jin Huh
Executive Director of Social Planning Toronto
Cailan Libby
Founder, Happipad and Refugee Housing Canada
Kingsley Madu
Founder & CEO, Expedier
Delphine Nakache
Full Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
Steve Pomeroy
Industry Professor, McMaster University, Executive Advisor to the Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative (CHEC); and Principle, Focus Consulting Inc,
Steve Reynolds
Executive Director, Regional Connections Immigrant Services
Rania Younes
Employer Networks and National Engagement, Immigrant Employment Council of BC
Testimonials
Past Event
Previous Conference Highlights:
At the 2023 Canadian Immigration Summit, participants worked alongside key immigration leaders to develop solutions for complex immigration problems, including pathways to permanent residence, resettling refugees, and employers’ capacity to assess skills and experience acquired abroad. They gained insights into refugee and immigrant employment experiences and shared their own experiences and learnings.
115
Past attendees
4.2/5
Were satisfied with this event
Attendees by Job Function
Attendees by Job Title
Some noteworthy speakers from our previous conference
The Honourable Sean Fraser
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Rema Jamous Imseis
Representative to Canada, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Armine Yalnizyan
Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, Atkinson Foundation
Register
Build strong, equitable communities using evidence-based insights and participate in critical conversations about the future of immigration in Canada.
Are you a not-for-profit? Registering a group of 4 or more? Contact us for preferred pricing.
If you have problems purchasing a ticket, please send an email to our team.
Early bird rate until September 13, 2024.
$800/person
The Conference Board of Canada delivers insights that help Canadians build a stronger future. Proceeds from this event are invested back into producing and disseminating our evidence-based research.
Sponsors
Is your organization interested in being a sponsor? View our sponsorship packages and contact us to find out about sponsorship opportunities and benefits.
Related Research
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The Leaky Bucket: A Study of Immigrant Retention Trends in Canada
October 31, 2023 • 28-min read
Work in Progress: How Immigration Can Address Labour Shortages in Residential Construction
October 16, 2023 • 45-min read
