COALITION OVERVIEW
COALITION FAQ
What is the Welcoming Communities Coalition?
The Coalition is being set up to develop regional, coordinated and comprehensive
strategies for growing a vibrant, diverse community that allows everyone equal
participation in the social and economic fabric of our society.
What are the overall objectives of the Coalition?
● 
To help create a more welcoming and inclusive community for everyone
regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, economic
situation, spiritual belief, ability or country of origin.
● 
To foster working groups and action teams to develop rapid, concrete
responses to local issues identified as priorities by the Coalition.
● 
To develop a Coalition of stakeholders from key community sectors to
shape a long-term strategic plan to increase the level of civic participation
of diverse members of society and improve their social, economic and
political outcomes.
Who will be members of the Coalition?
Members of the Coalition will include participants from all levels of government,
business, community services or health providers, non-profits and advocacy
organizations, cultural or faith based groups, charities and any interested
individuals.
In fact, members can be anyone with a commitment to growing diversity and
equal opportunities in our region.
What will the Coalition do?
In its initial stage, the Coalition will work to fine tune its own governance
structure.
Next, the Coalition will identify and address issues around diversity and inclusion
that it determines are immediate needs or priorities within the community.
Issues could involve those such as housing, healthcare, employment,
unemployment or labour market shortages, the attraction and retention of skilled
workers, immigration, transportation, criminal justice, economic development,
arts and culture and even community events.
Welcoming Communities Coalition – [email protected]
1 COALITION OVERVIEW
COALITION FAQ
What are Coalition members expected to do?
Commitments are generally minimal. Members are expected to:
• 
support the Coalition’s overarching goals of diversity, equal opportunity and
developing a welcoming community.
• 
identify and report emerging local issues that impact the community.
• 
continue to build their own capacity to create an inclusive environment and
atmosphere.
• 
receive information relevant to Coalition objectives, areas of concern or
achievements and regional trends.
Beyond that, members’ participation is dependent on their capacity, resources or
particular interest in an issue or topic.
What will the Coalition’s structure be? How will it work?
Ultimately, the Coalition will finalize it’s own structure. It’s imagined the
Coalition’s foundation will be a broad-base of members representing
stakeholders from every sector of the community.
A small steering committee will be formed to set overall priorities, direct
administration support staff to start activities and help organize responses to
particular issues or set goals.
Occasionally, members will be invited to join temporary working groups to
address issues relevant to their area of interest or expertise. Working groups will
review issues and make recommendations for next steps or solutions.
If the working group deems a response by the Coalition is needed, an action
team will be set up to implement.
Eventually, relevant outcomes will act as input for a small strategic planning
council to devise a regional, comprehensive strategy for growing a vibrant,
diverse community.
Who funds the project? What’s the Immigrant Welcome Centre’s role?
Citizenship and Immigration Canada is providing funds to support the Coalition,
which is designed as a permanent entity to serve the community now and into
the future.
The Immigrant Welcome Centre’s role is to help facilitate the process and provide
administration support to the Coalition. It will also participate as a general
member around issues impacting new Canadians, immigrants and refugees, as
this is its area of expertise.
Welcoming Communities Coalition – [email protected]
2 COALITION MEMBERSHIP Typical STRUCTURE
structure of a LIP Strategic
Planning
Council
The Welcoming
Communities Coalition’s
heart is a broad base of
members comprised of
individuals or groups from a
wide range of sectors. A key
role of members will be to
identify and report local
emerging issues.
Occasionally, members will
be invited to join temporary
working groups to explore
emerging issues when
relevant to their particular
area of interest or expertise.
If action or projects are
deemed necessary by the
working group, the project
will be executed by
temporary action teams.
A small steering
committee formed from the
membership will manage
general operations and
prioritize Coalition activities.
Eventually, a strategic
planning council will be
created to develop a
regional, comprehensive
strategy to meet the
Coalition’s long-term,
overarching goals.
Working
Group
Working
Group
Working
Group
Action
Team
Action
Team
Action
Team
Examples of Members’ Sectors
Transit &
Transport
Health,
Recreation
& Fitness
Media
Criminal
Justice
Women’s
Groups
Ethnic &
Religious
Groups
First Nations
Arts &
Culture
Social
Justice
Employers &
Employment
Education
Service
Providers
Immigration
& ESL
Language
Business
Sector
&Tourism
Municipal,
Regional &
senior levels
of
Government
Welcoming Communities Coalition – [email protected]
Coalition Coordinator
Information and feedback
will flow up and down to
allow the Coalition to
immediately respond to
issues and, in the long-term,
determine priorities, goals
and create strategic plans as
outlined by its members.
Steering
Committee
Representa5on on LIPs: Broadening the tent WHO
IS ON THE Coalition?
The Welcoming Community Coali4on will create an inclusive forum of members that represent their community. In 2012-­‐13, in other communi4es, more than 80% of the project en44es similar to the Coali4on included par4cipa4on from municipali4es, employers/employer bodies, school boards and health care providers. CIC Coali(on (LIPs) projects 2008-­‐2013, April 2014 Welcoming Communities Coalition – [email protected]
STRUCTURE
COMMON RESEARCH THEMES
Coalition research can provide a better understanding of
community needs as well as of local assets and service gaps.
Coalition consultations and research will provide a review of
needs at the local level: they will include needs pertaining to all
facets of integration, diversity, the economy and the creation of
welcoming communities.
Themes researched by other community Coali5on en55es Coali(on (LIPs) Outcomes 2008-­‐2013, CIC, April 2014 Welcoming Communities Coalition – [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP LETTER
Dear Coalition members,
This letter signals my intent and that of ___________________________
to participate as a member of the Welcoming Communities Coalition.
We agree with the overarching objectives of the coalition, and are looking
forward to working with other members to create a comprehensive vision
for a dynamic, diverse and welcoming community.
We are willing to receive information that the Coalition feels relevant to our
shared objectives, or keeps us current with updates or demographic trends
regarding diversity and community development in the region.
We will offer expertise and feedback – in a manner that corresponds with
our organization’s capacity and resources – to the Coalition around
community issues that are of specific interest or impact our sector’s well
being.
We may consider taking on roles in working groups and/or action teams to
address more immediate community needs, or act as part of the steering or
strategic planning committees.
As a future Coalition member, we believe in the importance of community
building, diversity and inclusion. As such, we may take advantage of
available training to foster those values, or others we support, within our
organization and the wider community.
Name ____________________________ Contact info
Organization/business represented ________________________
Signature __________________________ Date ____________________
Welcoming Communities Coalition – [email protected]