A local woman has accepted an invitation to join the Conference Board of Canada’s Leadership Roundtable on Immigration.
Rachel Blaney is the executive director of the Immigrant Welcome Centre of the Comox Valley.
“We are very pleased with Rachel’s accepted invitation of this amazing opportunity,” IWC board chair Diane Bojsza said. “It is a compliment to the communities we serve and an acknowledgement of the local leadership and expertise concerning immigration in our rural communities.”
The Conference Board of Canada is a respected voice in Canada. Its mission builds leadership capacity for a better Canada by creating and sharing insights on economic trends, public policy and organizational performance. The goal of the roundtable is to develop and implement strategies for attracting, integrating and retaining immigrants into the Canadian workforce. There is also a research component that allows the roundtable to provide direction on relevant and timely immigration research.
The Immigrant Welcome Centre of North Vancouver Island was invited to join the roundtable after Diana Mackay, Director of Education, Health and Immigration Programs of the Conference Board of Canada, presented at the Diversity Lives Here conference in Campbell River in May. Mackay was impressed by the co-ordinated approach the centre provides in the smaller communities it serves, leading to the invitation.
“This experience will lead to more opportunities for the region we serve,” Blaney said. “The roundtable has representatives from leadership in big business, small business, government, universities and foundations. Because immigration is an important factor in Canada’s future, it is my goal to make sure smaller communities are remembered in the planning process.”
The IWC serves the Comox Valley, Campbell River and the North Island. The centres provide services to help immigrants integrate and settle into Canada. More than 350 clients have been served in the past six months as immigration continues to bring innovative and skilled newcomers to the community.
For further information call 250 338-6359 or the Campbell River office at 250 830-0171.
— Immigrant Welcome Centre of the Comox Valley