Newcomers in Mississauga

In 2022, insights from our Vital Signs Report highlighted a continuing trend of outmigration in our city, meaning, more newcomers were leaving the city than settling in. Mississauga witnessed a slowdown in immigration in the midst of the public health emergency, which is a concerning trend as the vitality of our city has always depended on newcomers who bring their talents and culture with them as they set roots and raise their families in Mississauga. In February of 2022, the need to support newcomers was exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine, causing a huge influx of immigrants to our city. We wanted to make sure that appropriate help is provided to them as newcomers to Mississauga.

To provide adequate support to the newcomers, the Foundation had a two-pronged approach :

1. The Foundation launched a new Field of Interest Fund - The Mississauga Fund for Newcomers which helps newcomers establish long-term roots within our community. The Foundation allocated $50,000 in matching funds for anyone who opened a fund within this field of interest. These endowed funds will provide a long-term funding stream for newcomers in our city.
2. The Foundation convened a granting cycle with our Corporate Partners to explore opportunities to provide immediate grants to support newcomers from Ukraine. Various agencies with causes that resonated with the intention of supporting newcomers were invited to submit their proposals. Our Corporate Partners reviewed the proposals and proceeded to extend the granting to the Newcomer Centre of Peel’s project. The Newcomer Centre of Peel is deeply involved in settling and integrating Ukrainian Nationals in Peel /Mississauga. They were selected by the federal government as the focal agency to support Ukrainians in two hotels in Mississauga, where refugees suffering due to war and displacement were provided relief through sessions, workshops, seminars and open houses in the hotels and at their agencies. Their needs for food, clothing, winter gear, medicine, school supplies, bus tickets, etcetera were met through the granting of the Newcomers Fund. This provided relief to around 90 Ukrainian Nationals in need.