Service providers say concurrent cuts to existing services will only make things worse
The federal government has abruptly cut funding to programs throughout B.C. that help immigrants and refugees with language, literacy and community integration.
Kitimat Community Services Society is one of several organizations that received notice Nov. 22 from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s that their next round of federal funding had been denied.
“Apart from the shock of the severing of a long-term relationship with the (Immigration Department), this is absolutely devastating to our small community,” said Denise Yagelnesky, the society’s executive-director, who said the cuts comprise 60 per cent of their overall budget.
Brandi Thornton, the society’s program coordinator, said the cuts are a blow to small communities where newcomers face isolation and culture shock.
“We don’t just help them with language and literacy, we help them learn to survive and thrive.”
That includes learning how to deal with harsh winters, as well as with bears that amble through town.
“Kitimat can be a shock to the system,” said Thornton. Clients can also face “incredible loneliness.” The programs at Kitimat Community Services are a lifeline.
Yagelnesky said the funding cuts will also mean employment cuts for staff.
In a statement, the Immigration Department confirmed that, “Since fewer newcomers are expected in 2025-2027, available resources have been reduced to match this decrease. This has resulted in a reduction in service providers.”
Earlier this year, the federal government announced immigration reductions aimed at temporary residents, international students, foreign workers and permanent residents. The goal, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said at the time, was to ensure everyone has access to “well-paying jobs, affordable homes and social services they need to thrive in our beautiful country.”
But service providers say concurrent cuts to existing services will only make things worse.
Yagelnesky said the sudden cuts will impact newcomers who are already here.
“I could see a gradual decrease as the number of new immigrants or permanent residents go down, but not a sudden cut like this.”
Staff at the Dawson Creek Literacy Society, a multicultural centre that provides adult learning and literacy programs, said no explanation was given when they received a letter from IRCC announcing the funding cut off on Nov. 22.
The cuts in Dawson Creek will eliminate 1.5 staff positions and slash programs that provide academic upgrading, language and job skills, as well as settlement services for newcomers who need help navigating everything from passport applications to taxes.
Executive-director Jennifer Neis has decided to step down in a cost-saving bid.
“I’m taking the cut. We are not going to turn our backs. There is nowhere else for them to go.”
Decoda Literacy Solutions, B.C.’s largest literacy organization, serving over 400 communities in the province, also was informed by email on Nov. 22 that it was losing funding.
Decoda, which supports newcomer parents, caregivers and children integrating into Canadian society, receives most of its funding from the province. But its programming for immigrant and refugee families — through Immigrant Parents as Literacy Supporters — is provided by the Immigration Department.
“Newcomer immigrants need support, and that’s what is going to be missing now. We are deeply worried,” said Sandra Lee, Decoda’s executive-director.
IPALS provides newcomers, from preschoolers to grandparents, education programs, community connections, settlement support, math skills, digital literacy and guidance navigating government bureaucracy.
Shivninder Cheema, a mother of three, came to Canada in 2007 and said she learned essential skills from the program.
“I had no idea how to help my kids through the school system. I didn’t know how to make the basic sounds of the alphabet. I didn’t understand play-based learning or what the expectations would be. The program helped me a lot, so I didn’t feel lost anymore.”
Cheema went back to school herself and became an education assistant, and now helps other newcomers access the program that helped her.
“This program really needs to continue,” said Cheema.
Lee said the Immigration Department gave the organization no details why their funding, which has been in place for a decade, is being pulled.
Losing this funding will have a domino effect, said Lee. Some organizations may struggle to keep their doors open, others will have to lay off staff.
Postmedia’s annual Raise-A-Reader campaign raises donations for literacy programs in B.C. that are administered by Decoda.
The Immigration Department said in its statement it could not comment on the funding status of service provider organizations, but Postmedia has learned cuts will affect programs across the province, including in Fort Nelson, Prince Rupert, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Port Alberni, Powell River and the Lower Mainland.