PPCII - Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration

Mandate

The Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration (PPCII) exists for promoting, advancing and supporting coordinated immigrant integration (broadly-defined) in the Peterborough community - regardless of immigrant status or any prohibited ground as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act. We believe immigrant integration is essential for long-term social, cultural, economic and environmental prosperity in the Peterborough region.

A detailed description of the PPCII’s mandate is available in the Terms of Reference.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for the Local Immigration Partnership program.

History

The process for the establishment of the Peterborough Partnership Council on Immigrant Integration (PPCII) is truly a community effort. The New Canadians Centre Peterborough, the Community and Race Relations Committee of Peterborough, the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education , and the Workforce Development Board were the initial four organizations who planned, organised and invited the wider community for an information session concerning the Local Immigration Partnership – Call For Proposals. This planning process occurred during February 2008.

On April 3rd, 2008, some 27 individuals representing education, employment, community and government (municipal and regional) organisations attended the meeting and gave support to the idea of forming a Partnership Council in Peterborough. The initiative has had the support of the City of Peterborough from its inception. City Council has officially endorsed the plan and has designated senior city staff and Council members to attend and sit on the PPCII. Since its inception, the membership has grown to over 60 local organisations and  over 140 community members.

The founding group of organizations continued to meet since April 2008, worked on a Terms of Reference, engaged in educating those in attendance on issues around immigration, settlement/integration services, immigrants coming to our region, census data and the economic trends and opportunities in our community. At each meeting a topic has been presented to the group, providing context to the possible types of work with which the PPCII would engage.

Governance

Since membership is drawn from organisations and individuals in Peterborough and region that demonstrate a strong commitment to the purpose and goals of the PPCII and who reflect the diversity of the community, the PPCII is accountable to itself and the wider community it is situated within.

The Council is the main governing body of the PPCII and is responsible for five main committees and the Newcomer Advisory Group: 

1. Executive Committee
2. Integration Strategy Committee
3. Marketing Committee
4. Resrouce Development Committee
5. Training & Capacity Building Committee
6. Newcomers Advisory Group

The New Canadians Centre Peterborough (NCCP) fulfills the financial and human resources management responsibilities for the PPCII, therefore, the NCCP’s Board of Directors are also accountable for the financial and human resources management of the PPCII.

In the past, the NCCP has taken a leadership role in immigrant integration, however, the goals and objectives are too far reaching and long-term (as they need to be) for one single agency to be identifiably the main source of leadership, expertise and authority. As such, the NCCP —while being the main organisation accountable to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for funding and contract requirements — will function like any other member organisation at the PPCII, encouraging all PPCII members to take equal responsibility for the integration of newcomers in our community.