Community-Based Planning Model
Burnaby Newcomer Inclusion Initiative (BNII)
Burnaby Family Life is proud to host and co-chair the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table (BIPT). BIPT is made up of a consortium of 37 organizations - a broad range of “community partners” including agencies and institutions that work together on facilitating the integration and settlement of immigrants and refugees into the community.
BIPT provides services and hosts a variety of engaging events aimed at welcoming, supporting and inspiring newcomers in Burnaby. Topics include employment, cultural representation, finances, civic engagement, health care, education & many more.
As a Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), BIPT’s goals include to enhance collaboration, coordination, and strategic planning at the local level to make communities more welcoming and inclusive. There are currently about 80 local immigration partnerships in Canada who meet to collaborate and innovate to support the area of newcomer inclusion.
BIPT has launched a community-based planning project which began early 2022 with a project deadline of spring 2024. As the project name suggests, Burnaby Newcomer Inclusion Initiative (BNII), BIPT and the steering committee stakeholders are working in collaboration with multiple consultants.
This initiative is to research and review current practices and resources available to newcomers for settlement and integration. The goal of BNII is to develop a model for services available to newcomers by engaging settlement and non-settlement organizations, including service delivery partners, community organizations, religious institutions, educational institutions, governments, and broader community members.
Over the past seven years, significant events such as the Syrian refugee initiative and the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the importance of and need for coordinated, community-level responses to service delivery and funding.
Expected outcomes will support:
Better integration results for newcomers
Improved standards for integration and service delivery
Build consistency, allowing newcomers to have an excellent integration experience
Funding that will be optimal for service delivery
The model developed will be unique to Burnaby and will describe which community partners would provide support through IRCC funded and non-funded settlement organizations, specifically in Burnaby.
For More Information:
Ana Maria Bustamante, Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Community Engagement and Development
Burnaby Newcomer Inclusion Initiative Project Team
Steering Committee:
Burnaby Family Life: Navreen Gill, Executive Director & Nicole Hurtubise
Burnaby Neighbourhood House: Antonia Beck, CEO
Burnaby Public Library: Beth Davies, Chief Librarian
Burnaby Schools: Natallya Khan, SWIS Coordinator
Fraser Health Authority: Melody Monro, Community Health Specialist
Integral Intelligence – Liliana Chethuan
Journey Home Community: Brad Kinnie, Executive Director
MOSAIC BC: Sherman Chan, Director Fam & Emmanuel Archer, Director Settlement Services
Primary Care Network / Div. of Family Practice: Azra Bhanji and Huyanne Lee
RIFCB (BC Francophone Immigration Network): Sarah Fellag
S.U.C.C.E.S.S.: Mark Batt, Regional Manager
Contributing Organizations:
Burnaby Family Life – BIPT: Ana Maria Bustamante, Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Community Engagement and Development (and LIP Manager)
Chetana Consulting: Sangeeta Subramanian, Project Manager & Consultant and Isha Jain, Research Consultant
Successful Leadership: Hanif Ladha, Project Consultant & Communications and Nalish Ladha, Project Consultant & Advisor
Community Engaged Research Initiative - CERI SFU Project Team
Project Team: Dr. Kari Grain, Project Supervisor and Joanna Habdank-Kossowska, Program Manager
Graduate Research Team: Stefanie Machado (Ph.D. Candidate in Health Sciences) and Sandeep K. Dhillon (Ph.D. Candidate in Gerontology)