Centre for Newcomers at Metropolis Canada 2026

In October 2024 Canada unveiled a new Immigration Multi-Year Levels Plan that reduced targets for both permanent and temporary migrants. It constituted a dramatic modification from rising immigration numbers that characterized the previous decade. The adjustments have raised important questions about policies and programs. Reaching the targets has important ramifications for categories of immigrants, different regions of the country, and migrant countries of origin. Given the asymmetry in immigration policies in Canada, the effects of these immigration level reductions will inevitably be uneven.

What does this imply for the future of immigration in Canada? Is the direction we’re headed the best for the country in meeting future challenges? What are the unintended outcomes of these policy decisions? Do they advance Canada’s competitiveness in the current global economy or impede it? Do we need to consider changing course?

The 28th Metropolis Canada Conference took place over three days in Halifax, Nova Scotia last week. This important national gathering sought to address the above question. the Centre for Newcomers was there contributing the fabric of immigration in Canada.

The Metropolis Institute (MI) pursues research and supports policy deliberations while providing key national and multinational platforms for knowledge mobilization.

Supporting cross-sectoral cooperation, the Metropolis Institute serves as a trusted bridge for interaction, dialogue and learning between practitioners, policymakers, researchers and civil society through national and multinational knowledge mobilization programs. Metropolis aims to provide reliable and timely research, data and analysis to enhance understanding of migration, integration and inclusion.

The team from the Centre for Newcomers delivered multiple research projects and presentations throughout the course of the conference, while attending many others offered by our counterparts from across the country.

Below is a summary of the work presented by the Centre for Newcomers at Metropolis Canada 2026. For details on this work or information on the overall picture of immigration in Calgary and across Canada, contact us at info@centrefornewcomers.ca

CFN at Metropolis Canada 2026

1. Financial Empowerment Interventions: A Newcomers’ Pathway to Economic Resilience

Dario Ontolan, Centre for Newcomers

Peeyush Agnihotri, Centre for Newcomers

Arti Vasudev, Centre for Newcomers, Calgary

Margaret Yu, Aspire Collaborative Calgary

Newcomers to Canada encounter substantial adjustments to personal financial management, influenced by disparities between income and expenditures, shifts in household roles, and limited prior exposure to credit systems. These factors often destabilize financial decision-making and asset management upon arrival. Certified financial coaches at Centre for Newcomers provide structured interventions to enhance clients’ financial capability. This presentation, in collaboration with Aspire Calgary Collaborative, examines the demographics and psychographics of participants accessing financial coaching services and analyzes emerging outcomes that suggest improved financial resilience among immigrant clients.

2. Accelerating Newcomer Readiness for Construction Career

Bernice Shukairat, Centre for Newcomers

Andriy Kurasov, Centre for Newcomers

Karen Rutherford, ARCA (Alberta Roofing Contractors Association)

Newcomers often face major barriers when entering skilled trades, including limited training access, unfamiliar apprenticeship systems, and challenges connecting with employers. This workshop presents an innovative employment pathway that closes these gaps by offering entry-level construction training, hands-on skill development, and direct links to hiring partners. It also outlines a clear career path, showing how newcomers can progress from foundational training to apprenticeships and into long-term trade careers. Participants will explore how coordinated training, strong employer engagement, and targeted supports reduce disadvantage and create equitable access to high-demand roles, highlighting practical strategies and lessons from successful inclusion partnerships.

3. Case Management Community of Practice and Guideline Development

Gary Wang, Centre for Newcomers

Teresa Costa, YMCA of Greater Toronto

Session focuses on the National Case Management Guidelines Project designed to enhance case management capacity. In collaboration with YMCA GTA, it focuses on developing resources for case managers while standardizing promising practices that support the implementation of IRCC new Case Management Framework. It introduces the project's objectives, methodology, drawing on insights from SPOs across Canada. It highlights themes on assessment practices, trauma-informed approaches, strength-based planning & monitoring strategies. Attendees will gain understanding of how the project shapes sector standards & how Client support service databases improve consistency & knowledge-sharing & its potential to support high-quality case management nationwide.

4. East–West Lessons: Building Protective Supports for Newcomer Youth in Halifax and Calgary

Noel Bahliby, Director, Youth Services, Centre for Newcomers

Laura Callaghan, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Newcomer Mental Health, IWK Hospital, Nova Scotia Health

Calgary’s rapid influx of newcomer youth is intensifying pressures —limited language supports, overstretched school capacity, and fragmented services—fueling a rise in youth exposure to risky and violent environments. Halifax is now facing similar strains as arrivals steadily rise. This session compares how both cities are approaching critical turning points and why coordinated, early supports are essential for safety and long-term integration. By sharing practical, solution-focused approaches from both coasts, we highlight actionable strategies that strengthen protective factors, stabilize settlement pathways, and help communities respond proactively to the needs of newcomer youth.

5. Building Responsive Programs for Underserved Populations in Their Communities

Man (Mandy) Xu, Centre for Newcomers

Zi Ye, Centre for Newcomers

This workshop discusses how the Centre for Newcomers assists underserved seniors, children, and families through its Community-Based LINC for Seniors with Digital ESL support program, the Community-Based Child-Care for Newcomers (CBCNC), and a long-standing daycare partnership. Presenters share collaborative approaches to reducing barriers, identifying community needs, and building inclusive programs for diverse communities.

6. Implementing Canada’s New Case Management Framework: Strengthening Coordination and Responsiveness in Anglophone and Francophone Service Provider Organizations

Liana Kalognomou, La Cité des Rocheuses

Wissam Shalaby, Immigrant Services

Hannah Olusoga-Tinubi, Centre for Newcomers

This presentation examines how NAARS and Case Management teams coordinate under Canada’s new Case Management Framework, drawing on experiences from three IRCC-funded Calgary francophone and anglophone service provider organizations. The session explores communication practices and shared-client navigation, how the referral process functions, and what supports smoother transitions. It also examines obstacles like privacy rules, language barriers, and mismatched systems. By laying out both the strengths and the pressure points, the session offers practical guidance for more consistent, client centered referrals and collaboration.